Governor Murphy Announces Plans to Return the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services Back to the Department of Human Services

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy will today deliver to the Legislature his reorganization plan to transfer the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) from the Department of Health (DOH) to the Department of Human Services (DHS). The move reverses a Christie administration decision made last year. "This administration is fully committed to ensuring that government delivers programs and services to our residents in the most effective and efficient manner possible. That means restoring DMHAS at the Department of Human Services so that we put mental health and substance use disorder services back where they belong and under the same roof as Medicaid and social services." The reorganization is part of Governor Murphy’s overall commitment to advance integrated care in New Jersey. That commitment includes proposing a $100 million budget investment to combat the opioid epidemic by focusing on key tools such as data, improved outpatient treatment options, and addressing social risk factors like employment and housing. The Governor also included funding in the budget to support the implementation of the Substance Use Disorder waiver to improve access to opioid and other substance abuse treatment options. DOH will continue to oversee and prioritize the development of a single license for providing integrated behavioral and physical health care. In addition, for the current time, the psychiatric hospitals will remain in DOH. The Department has begun to undertake rigorous improvement efforts at the state’s psychiatric institutions, and a more detailed action plan for these improvements will be made public at a later date. Effective October 1st, 2018".

For more information, please visit the state’s website at https://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/news/562018/approved/20180621a_dhs.shtml.