Requires emergency departments to provide certain information to parents of children experiencing mental health crisis.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Shama Haider and 3 co-sponsors

General hospital emergency departments must inform parents of children in mental health crisis about local care management organizations and provide contact information.

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee

Purpose and intent

The bill requires emergency departments in general hospitals to provide parents or guardians of children in a mental health crisis with information about care management organizations. The goal is to connect families with local resources to support ongoing care and coordination after or during an emergency department visit.

Key provisions

In the emergency department of a general hospital licensed under New Jersey law, when a child presents with a mental health crisis, the hospital must give the parent or guardian information about care management organizations.

The information to be provided includes, at a minimum, contact information for nearby local care management organizations.

Definition: A “care management organization” is defined as a county-based, nonprofit organization that offers face-to-face care management for youth with complex needs and their families.

The act specifies that the requirement applies to emergency departments of general hospitals licensed under the relevant statutes.

Effective date: The act takes effect 90 days after enactment.

Who is affected

Primary: Parents or guardians of children who visit a general hospital emergency department for a mental health crisis.

Secondary: General hospital emergency departments (staff and administrative processes) must implement and provide the required information.

Care management organizations (local, county-based nonprofits) may be positioned as the next-step resource in the care continuum for youth with complex needs.

Procedural and timing aspects

Status: Introduced and referred to committees (Children, Families and Food Security; later to Assembly Appropriations for review).

Effective date: 90 days after enactment.

Administrative implementation would involve hospital emergency department staff ensuring the information handout or communication is provided during applicable visits, and maintaining up-to-date contact information for local care management organizations.

Potential impact and considerations

Positive potential: Improves linkage to ongoing care, potentially reducing repeat crisis presentations by connecting families with community-based care management resources.

Resource considerations: Hospitals may need to develop standardized materials or processes to identify and share local care management organizations; coordination with county-based nonprofits will be important to ensure accuracy of contacts.

Metrics to monitor (not specified in the bill but relevant for evaluation): number of families provided with information, follow-up engagement with care management organizations, changes in subsequent crisis-related ED visits, and user satisfaction with the information provided.

Summary

Bill A-2733 would require general hospital emergency departments in New Jersey to inform parents or guardians of children in mental health crisis about local care management organizations, defined as county-based, nonprofit providers of face-to-face care management for youth with complex needs. The information to be shared includes contact details for nearby organizations. The measure would take effect 90 days after enactment, with implementation overseen by hospital ED staff and alignment with local care management providers.