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S 1407

Requires Medicaid coverage for community violence prevention services; establishes training and certification program for violence prevention professionals.*

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Nilsa Cruz-Perez and 4 co-sponsors

Requires NJ Medicaid to cover community violence prevention services for injured beneficiaries and establish certified training for providers.

Reported out of Senate Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading
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Bill Summary · S 1407

Summary — S-1407 (1R)

Status: Reported out of Senate Committee with amendments (1st reprint), 2nd Reading. Introduced (pre-filed) Jan. 2024; committee amendments adopted Dec. 9, 2024.
Primary sponsors (bill text): Sen. Troy Singleton and Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (co-sponsors: Senators McKnight, Turner, Cruz‑Perez). (Note: some external metadata in the file set conflicts with these sponsors.)

Purpose / Intent

Require New Jersey Medicaid to cover “community violence prevention services” for certain beneficiaries injured by community violence, and establish state training and certification for professionals who deliver those services. The goal is to improve post‑injury support, reduce recidivism and retaliation, and improve health outcomes for violence‑affected Medicaid beneficiaries.

Key provisions

  • Medicaid coverage

    • Requires medical assistance for community violence prevention services for an individual who:
    • received medical treatment for an injury sustained from an act of community violence; and
    • is referred by a certified/licensed health care provider or social services provider to a certified violence prevention professional after being determined to be at elevated risk of re‑injury or retaliation.
    • The bill does not set reimbursement rates; eligibility and covered service types are to be determined with guidance from a working group.

  • Definition of services

    • “Community violence prevention services” — evidence‑based, trauma‑informed, supportive, non‑psychotherapeutic services (inside or outside clinical settings) such as peer support, mentorship, conflict mediation, crisis intervention, targeted case management, referrals, patient education, and screening.
    • Committee amendments expand the bill’s definition of “community violence” to include domestic and intimate‑partner violence.

  • Training & certification

    • Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs (DOCA), in consultation with the Department of Health (DOH) and a working group, must develop and administer a training and certification program within six months of enactment.
    • Minimum requirements:
    • At least 35 hours initial training covering trauma‑informed care, violence prevention strategies (e.g., conflict mediation, retaliation prevention), case management/advocacy, and patient privacy/HIPAA.
    • At least 6 hours continuing education every two years.
    • Certification eligibility:
    • Individuals with ≥2 years prior experience as community violence prevention professionals, or holders of an approved Crisis Intervention Team certificate, may be certified; temporary certifications may be issued in limited cases and expire 24 months after the bill’s effective date.
    • Employers must document certification and ensure compliance with applicable standards.

  • Working group

    • DOH to convene a working group (includes DOH, DHS, violence intervention program representatives, health care providers, survivors, etc.) to identify which services are Medicaid‑eligible and training topics.

Who is affected

  • Direct: Medicaid beneficiaries who are victims of community violence and referred for services; certified violence prevention professionals and their employers.
  • State agencies: Department of Human Services (Medicaid), Department of Health (working group role), Division of Consumer Affairs/Department of Law & Public Safety (training & certification administration).
  • Health care providers and community violence intervention programs.

Fiscal impact (Office of Legislative Services)

  • Indeterminate state and federal Medicaid cost increase because the bill does not set reimbursement rates or predictable utilization.
  • Context estimates (based on Connecticut’s comparable program and a reimbursement of $12.65 per 15‑minute unit):
    • Estimated increase in New Jersey Medicaid expenditures ≈ $1.2 million total; State share ≈ $600,000 annually (approximate).
  • The Division of Consumer Affairs will incur indeterminate administrative costs to run the certification program; DOH implementation largely expected within existing resources.
  • Potential long‑term offsets: evidence suggests hospital‑ and community‑based violence interventions can reduce recurrent injury costs; net savings are possible but not quantified for NJ.

Timing / procedural notes

  • DOCA must develop/administer the certification program within 6 months of the bill’s effective date; DOH participates in working group formation.
  • Reported out of committee with amendments Dec. 9, 2024 (1st reprint); currently at 2nd Reading per available status.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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