Requires Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services to facilitate establishment of four new recovery community centers.

A2431

ASSEMBLY, No. 2431

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires Division of Mental Health and Addiction
Services to facilitate establishment of four new recovery community centers.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning recovery community centers and
supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� The Assistant
Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the
Department of Human Services shall facilitate the establishment of four new
recovery community centers in New Jersey.

���� For the purposes of this
section, �recovery community center� means a non-clinical, peer-to-peer support
center for people in recovery from an alcohol or other substance use disorder,
which assists clients in maintaining sobriety and reestablishing ties to the
community.� Services provided through recovery community centers include, but
are not limited to, peer-facilitated recovery support groups, recovery coaching
and mentoring, telephone recovery support, family education programs, mental
health wellness groups, writing groups, art therapy, music classes, social and
recreational events, on-site child care, volunteer training opportunities,
advocacy training, life skills training and support, computer and Internet
access, general educational development test classes, and job readiness and
career preparation classes.

���� b.��� The assistant
commissioner shall be authorized to accept funding as may be made available
from any source to effectuate the purposes of this section, and may award
grants to appropriate entities to establish or support the establishment of new
recovery community centers.� An entity seeking to establish or support the
establishment of a new recovery community center under this section may seek to
obtain grants or other funding as may be available for that purpose from any
source, including the division.

���� c.���� No later than one year
after the effective date of this act, and annually thereafter, the assistant
commissioner shall report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the status of its efforts to
facilitate the establishment and operation of four new recovery community
centers pursuant to this section.� Each report shall include recommendations
with regard to:� (1) establishing new recovery community centers in addition to
the four to be established pursuant to this section, including identifying
communities which may benefit from the establishment of a new recovery
community center; (2) establishing sustainable revenue streams for new and
existing recovery community centers; (3) establishing links between recovery
community centers and appropriate support services and resources; and (4) any
legislative, executive, or agency action that may facilitate the establishment
of new recovery community centers and improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness
of services provided through existing centers.

���� 2.��� The Assistant
Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the
Department of Human Services shall adopt, pursuant to the �Administrative
Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), such rules and
regulations as may be necessary for the implementation of this act.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires the
Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services
in the Department of Human Services to facilitate the establishment of four new
recovery community centers in New Jersey.� There are currently two recovery
community centers providing services in New Jersey:� Eva�s Village Recovery
Center in Passaic County and Living Proof Recovery Center in Camden County.

���� Recovery community centers are
non-clinical, peer-to-peer support centers for people in recovery from an
alcohol or other substance use disorder.� The centers assist clients in
maintaining sobriety and reestablishing ties to the community through a variety
of services which include, but are not limited to, peer-facilitated recovery
support groups, recovery coaching and mentoring, telephone recovery support,
family education programs, mental health wellness groups, writing groups, art
therapy, music classes, social and recreational events, on-site child care,
volunteer training opportunities, advocacy training, life skills training and
support, computer and Internet access, general educational development test
classes, and job readiness and career preparation classes.�

���� The bill permits the division,
and any other entity seeking to establish or support the establishment of a new
recovery community center under the bill, to seek and accept such funding and
grants as may be available from any source.

���� The assistant commissioner
will be required to submit an annual report to the Governor and to the
Legislature detailing its efforts to establish four new recovery community
centers, including any recommendations for supporting, expanding, improving,
and establishing new recovery community centers.