July 17, 2025
The New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness (NJCEH) and the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies (NJAMHAA) are proud to announce that The State of New Jersey has authorized legislation that approves behavioral health treatment to be provided in homeless emergency shelters. The Department of Health, Office of Licensing and the Department of Health and Human Services/Medicaid have confirmed that behavioral health treatment can be integrated into homeless emergency shelters and, furthermore, the services can be billed to Medicaid.
According to the law (NJ Stat.26:2H-12.109a), licensed behavioral healthcare providers shall be authorized to provide behavioral healthcare services to clients within homeless emergency shelters on the condition that:
1. The services are made available to all residents to whom such services are applicable.
2. The services are provided in an environment that ensures, as much as the shelter layout and structure allow, ongoing visual and auditory privacy for individual or group counseling services.
3. Residents not receiving behavioral health care shall retain privacy and the right to not be disturbed during these services, as much as the shelter layout and structure allow.
4. Participation in any behavioral health care program by clients residing in a shelter is strictly voluntary.
This collaboration validates the increasing recognition that since 85% of the homeless population are in shelters, incorporating programs to address social determinants of health in those shelters will improve both short- and long-term outcomes for the 50% of shelter clients who need behavioral health services. These statistics were determined through a survey conducted and scored by Mathematica Policy Research.
The on-site model mitigates the hard fact that the homeless population is expensive and difficult to treat. Outside the shelters, they are subject to the daily physical and emotional trauma of their situations, making it challenging for them to stay connected and keep community-based appointments. Getting their treatment at shelters will greatly increase the likelihood of consistent and meaningful treatment.
“This is an opportunity for us to build an integrated network that bridges the work of these two systems,” said Connie Mercer, Executive Director of NJCEH. “Both Behavioral Health and Emergency Shelter systems have unending commitment to serve and treat all in need with the most professional staff.”
“The leadership of NJAMHAA and NJCEH are committed to working with every provider willing to help build the network that will integrate behavioral health treatment into the emergency shelter environment. We know this is an opportunity to deliver life-changing service at a reasonable cost,” Mercer added.
“For decades, NJAMHAA has advocated to bring mental health and substance use services to individuals who need them on-site — ‘meeting them where they are’ — and that certainly includes emergency shelters,” said Debra L. Wentz, PhD, President and CEO of NJAMHAA. “Since so many homeless individuals have behavioral health issues and conversely, those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders may be at risk of becoming homeless if they do not receive the services they require, this is a ‘marriage made in heaven’ to bring these services where they are needed. I have great confidence that through our collaboration with the NJCEH, tremendous strides will be made toward realizing this critical goal.”
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The New Jersey Coalition to End Homelessness is a statewide, social impact organization [a 501(c)(3) non-profit] with one goal: to eradicate homelessness in New Jersey. Toward that end, the Coalition will advocate, educate and organize for emergency and permanent solutions to homelessness. The Coalition is leading the charge for systemic change and “boots on the ground” solutions to ensure that homelessness in New Jersey is rare, brief, and non-recurring.
