SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1541

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: NOVEMBER 4, 1996

      The Senate Human Services Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 1541.

      This bill provides that a clinical treatment staff or nursing direct care staff member of a State psychiatric hospital shall not have direct supervisory responsibilities over any immediate family member. Immediate family member includes the staff member's spouse and children, the staff member's siblings and parents, the staff member's spouse's siblings and parents and the spouses of the staff member's children.

      The bill also requires a clinical treatment staff or nursing direct care staff member of a State psychiatric hospital to promptly notify the chief executive officer of the hospital if the staff member also is employed outside of the State psychiatric hospital. The notification shall include the name of the employer and the number of hours per day or week, as applicable, that the staff member is so employed. The notification to the chief executive officer shall be confidential, and the information shall only be used for the purpose of ensuring that the outside employment does not create a conflict or interfere with the staff member's duties and responsibilities at the State psychiatric hospital.

      The bill provides that if a staff member does not comply with the notification requirement, subject to the provisions of Title 11A of the New Jersey Statutes, the staff member shall be subject to salary and promotion limitations or demotion, and in the case of deliberate noncompliance with the notification requirement, removal from employment.

      The provisions of this bill address the findings and recommendations of the Senate Task Force on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital regarding staff supervision. The task force found that staff supervision is problematic and fraught with conflict of interest, and that staff scheduling is not necessarily in the patient's best interest.