Ask Governor Murphy to Fund 988

URGENT ADVOCACY NEEDED

Ask Gov. Murphy to Support 988, Fund Crisis System of Care in New Jersey

In less than three weeks, the three-digit 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline will go live nationwide. This is an essential first step to reimagining crisis care in New Jersey, but much work remains.

Thanks to your support, legislation to establish a framework for the 988 crisis system (S311/A2036) is on the cusp of becoming law! The Senate passed S311 unanimously, and the Assembly will vote on its counterpart (A2036) tomorrow. Additionally, the newly introduced NJ FY23 Budget contains $12.8 million for the 988 hotline and $16 million to create mobile crisis teams; both are crucial to ensuring 988 can connect residents in crisis to local services, receive timely and appropriate care, and remain in their communities. With user fees on cell phone bills removed from the original 988 bill, budget funding is even more critical.

S311/A2036, in combination with funding in the FY23 Budget, would be a significant and sorely needed step toward NAMI NJ's vision of 988, though we will need to keep fighting for sustainable long-term funding.

Please fill out this contact form and ask Governor Murphy to sign S311/A2036 and to support funding for the 988 hotline and mobile crisis teams to ensure a mental health crisis receives a mental health response. While personalized messages are most effective, you can use following template to get started:

Dear Governor Murphy,

My name is (your name) and I am an advocate with NAMI NJ. As (a person/family member of a person) with a mental health condition, I am asking you to sign S311/A2036 and support budget funding for the 988 hotline and mobile crisis teams.

Too often, a person in a mental health crisis ends up in the emergency room or involved in the criminal justice system. That’s not acceptable, and this bill and budget funding give us an opportunity to change that. S311/A2036 will create a mental health crisis response system to ensure that any person in New Jersey, no matter where they live, has access to crisis care when they need it most. Funding for the hotline and mobile crisis teams will ensure our residents receive timely and appropriate care in their communities -- avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and interactions with law enforcement.

By providing a mental health response to mental health crises, we will help families like mine and our broader community. It’s time we give people the help they need, and this legislation and funding will make that possible.

Please sign S311/A2036 and support budget funding for the 988 hotline and mobile crisis teams.

Meredith Masin Blount

Executive Director

Mark T. Williams

President