NEWARK, NJ — Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced new measures on July 15 to promote access to mental health and substance use disorder services and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a new program to make it easier for recent graduates of social work and counseling programs to start practicing.
In a series of recent actions, the division took steps to expand New Jersey’s mental health workforce and access to treatment by:
- Creating a program to grant temporary emergency licenses to individuals who recently graduated with a master’s degree or doctorate in social work or counseling but who have not yet been able to take and pass their licensing exams due to the COVID-19 emergency.
- Granting psychologists practicing under supervision a one-year extension of their permits, allowing them to continue to practice.
- Creating a new pathway for alcohol and drug counselor-interns to provide telehealth and telemedicine services by obtaining a temporary certification.
- Permanently granting advanced practical nurses more autonomy to treat individuals with substance use disorders through maintenance and detoxification treatment.
These emergency programs are just the latest temporary licensure and certification programs launched by the division to strengthen New Jersey’s health care workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to facilitate recent graduates’ entry into the workforce despite their inability to take licensing examinations due to the pandemic. Prior programs focused on increasing the number of doctors, nurses, respiratory care specialists and other medical professionals needed to fight the COVID-19 virus.
“The COVID-19 pandemic not only threatens our physical health but also increases risks to mental health,” Grewal said. “The actions announced today will help ensure that New Jersey has a robust mental health and addiction workforce capable of delivering the services that our residents need during these difficult times.”
While it is too early to measure the pandemic’s full impact on the public’s mental health and rates of substance abuse, recent surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Census Bureau found that the percentage of New Jersey respondents who reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder within the previous week ranged from 31.1 percent to 39.6 percent during a period from April through June.
“The mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the profound impact it has had on so many of us, including our health care workforce, could far outlast the virus itself, so addressing this crisis within a crisis is paramount to the well-being of every New Jerseyan,” said Paul Rodríguez, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs. “Responding to the mental health harm done by the COVID-19 crisis is every bit as important as protecting physical health, and we thank all health care professionals for their service during this difficult time.”
“No one is immune to feelings of isolation, anxiety and despair during the COVID-19 crisis, but for individuals already struggling with mental health or substance use disorders, the impact can be devastating,” said Sharon Joyce, director of the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies. “It is critical that this vulnerable population continue to have access to the therapeutic and addiction recovery services that serve as lifelines to so many.”
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