[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2427

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 21, 1996

By Assemblyman DeCROCE, Assemblywoman MURPHY, Assemblymen Bucco and Dalton

An Act concerning State psychiatric facilities and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. As used in this act, "nursing direct care staff" means a Human Services Assistant, Human Services Technician or a nurse licensed pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes. 

    2. a. The Department of Human Services shall provide in-service, on-site training pursuant to this section for all nursing direct care staff and support staff who have direct contact with patients, including but not limited to, housekeeping, engineering, grounds, and food service staff, at a State psychiatric facility listed in R.S.30:1-7.

    b. The chief executive officer, or his designee, of a State psychiatric facility shall designate and train employees from within the facility to be the instructors for the in-service, on-site training program established pursuant to this section.

    c. The in-service, on-site training shall include:

    (1) sensitivity training to encourage nursing direct care staff to interact with patients;

    (2) an abuse prevention program which is designed to train nursing direct care staff and support staff to recognize probable incidents of or behavior that constitutes patient abuse or professional misconduct, educate and empower employees and patients and which shall include discussions in ward community groups concerning abuse, rights of staff and patients, and procedures for reporting abuse pursuant to P.L.    , c. (C. )(now pending before the Legislature as Senate Bill No. ¹1542 or Assembly Bill No. 2426 of 1996¹ );

    (3) cultural training which addresses racial issues; ¹and¹

    (4) ¹[ an equivalency degree program, pursuant to section 3 of this act, for Human Services Assistants and Human Services Technicians who do not hold a high school diploma; and

    (5)]¹ an extensive orientation program for new employees.

    d. Nursing direct care staff and support staff employed on the effective date of this act shall successfully complete the training program, as provided in ¹[paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (5) of]¹ subsection c. of this section, within 18 months of the effective date of this act.

    e. Nursing direct care staff and support staff hired after the effective date of this act shall successfully complete the training program, as provided in ¹[paragraphs (1), (2), (3) and (5) of]¹ subsection c. of this section within one year of their date of hire.

    f. Subject to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, if an employee does not successfully complete the training program as provided in this act, within the allotted time periods specified in this act, he shall be subject to salary and promotion limitations or demotions, and in the case of deliberate noncompliance with the training program, removal from employment.

    g. Nothing herein shall preclude the Commissioner of Human Services from providing training pursuant to this section to a person employed by a private entity under contract with the State to provide contracted services at a State psychiatric hospital.

    3. a. A Human Services Assistant or Human Services Technician employed on the effective date of this act, who does not hold an equivalency degree or high school diploma, ¹[shall] may¹ complete that degree or diploma as part of ¹[in-service, on-site training by January 1, 1999] training which shall be conducted in a manner determined by the Commissioner of Human Services¹.

    b. Effective January 1, 1999, a Human Services Assistant or Human Services Technician shall not be hired unless he has successfully completed one year of schooling in a four-year or two-year ¹accredited¹ college ¹ , in appropriate courses approved by the Department of Human Services,¹ or one year of nursing in an accredited nursing program.

    c. Effective January 1, 1999, any Human Services Assistant who has successfully completed one year of schooling in a four-year or two-year ¹accredited¹ college ¹ , in appropriate courses approved by the Department of Human Services,¹ or one year of nursing in an accredited nursing program shall earn a minimum base salary of $25,000, based on a ¹[35- hour] 40-hour¹ work week.

    ¹d. Effective January 1, 1999, any Human Services Technician who has successfully completed one year of schooling in a four-year or two-year accredited college, in appropriate courses approved by the Department of Human Services, or one year of nursing in an accredited nursing program shall earn a minimum base salary of $27,500, based on a 40-hour work week.¹

    4. The Commissioner of Human Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.

    5. This act shall take effect 60 days after enactment.

Requires Department of Human Services to provide in-service, on-site training at State psychiatric facilities.