Rep. Lance: New Jersey Wins Under Lance Mental Health Law

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 -- Rep. Leonard Lance, R-N.J. (7th CD), issued the following news release:

Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced that New Jersey has been selected to participate in a demonstration program to expand access to community mental health services and strengthen the quality of care for those living with mental and behavioral health issues. The demonstration program was created under Lance's Excellence in Mental Health Act, which was signed into law in 2014.

"Too many Americans are not receiving the mental or behavioral health care treatment they need. This program will help New Jersey change that by expanding and improving access to high quality care. This is good news for New Jersey families and is another important step in fixing our Nation's broken system. The momentum is now the side of reform. I was proud to help enact the Excellence in Mental Health Act into law as well as the Helping Families In Mental Health Crisis Act into law just last month. And I am very pleased to see that New Jersey leads the Nation in developing the new solutions, treatments and tools that will change mental and behavioral health care for the better," said Lance, one of the leading mental health care reform voices in Congress.

New Jersey will receive a planning grant to work with interested community mental health centers, Federally-Qualified Health Centers, VA clinics and other mental health organizations to design a state program that meets the new quality standards for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers. Lance has been a champion for putting community mental health centers on more equal footing with other health centers by improving quality standards and offering patients increased services like 24-hour crisis psychiatric care, counseling and integrated services for mental illness.

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