N.J. Admin. Code § 10:37I-5.9

Current through Register Vol. 57, No. 1, January 6, 2025

Section 10:37I-5.9 - Staffing requirements

(a) The PA shall employ staff with demonstrated attitudinal qualities, skills and competencies in knowledge areas, such as, but not limited to:

1. Ability to provide up-to-date information about bioneurological aspects of major mental illnesses and the medications used to treat these illnesses;

2. Ability to provide information on the impact of substance use and abuse on the course of mental illnesses; risks associated with mixing various psychotropic medications with other mood altering substances and knowledge of Al-Anon resources geographically accessible to the family when needed;

3. Knowledge of diathesis-stress research on communication patterns and environmental stimulation as it relates to relapse rates and symptomology;

4. Knowledge of mental health and social resources in the county and the ability to draw upon local expertise as needed;

5. Knowledge of principles of adult education and group process;

6. A genuine regard for families of persons with mental illnesses, who have not caused their relative's illness, who have valuable insights and who can have a strong positive influence on their ill member's recovery;

7. Able to design and deliver workshops and presentations;

8. Responsive to the feelings and concerns of family members;

9. Ability to reach out to minority families and serve them effectively;

10. Ability to teach families new skills and coach them in using their skills in multiple environments as circumstances require;

11. Ability to provide assertiveness training to family members on how to present themselves to professionals in the mental health system;

12. Experienced and comfortable with providing services in the family home and other off-site service provision;

13. Flexible with regard to time and place in order to accommodate the individual needs and preferences of family members;

14. Ability to establish a referral network and to provide technical assistance to professionals within the mental health system and other community groups regarding the value of seeing the person with a serious mental illness as part of a family unit deserving attention and support (for example, religious groups; health care providers); and

15. An understanding of how to provide respite in a family home and to train respite workers as necessary;

(b) Each PA shall employ qualified staff sufficient in number to serve the needs of its geographic region. Staff shall have skills, which will enable them to educate families and collaborate with them in the rehabilitation process, support them in coping with their relative's illness and enhance their effectiveness as caregivers. IFSS staff shall help families maintain an environment that is conducive to the recovery process and to enjoy a better quality of life during the course of the illness.

1. The PA shall hire at least one full time employee who shall function as a Family Support Specialist and not be shared with other PA program elements.

2. Each Family Support Specialist shall have an earned Master's degree in a mental health clinical discipline and possess a minimum of three years experience providing mental health services to people with severe and persistent mental illness and their families.

i. If the PA employs additional voluntary or paid family support staff as part of its IFSS program, then the Family Support Specialist shall have a supervisory role over this additional staff.

3. Additional family support staff and consultants employed by the PA in its IFSS Program shall, at a minimum, have a Bachelor's level degree in the behavioral health sciences and two years experience working in the mental health field or a registered nursing degree/diploma and two years experience working in the mental health field.

i. Bachelor's degree level staff shall be supervised by the Master's degree level Family Support Specialist.

4. IFSS PAs shall consider employing knowledgeable people with first hand experience in living with a loved one with severe mental illness on a paid or volunteer basis. A Bachelor's level degree may be waived for knowledgeable and experienced family members.

5. IFSS PAs shall also consider employing people with knowledge and experience regarding minority or underserved families in the geographic area.

6. IFSS PAs shall involve families in the staff selection process.

(c) Respite workers employed by the PA must at a minimum have a high school diploma and be specifically trained to provide respite services.

N.J. Admin. Code § 10:37I-5.9

Recodified from N.J.A.C. 10:37I-5.10 and amended by R.2003 d.475, effective 12/15/2003.
See: 35 N.J.R. 3011(a), 35 N.J.R. 5553(b).
In (b), added a new 5 and recodified former 5 as 6. Former N.J.A.C. 10:37I-5.9, Assessment, service preferences and record documentation, recodified to N.J.A.C. 10:37I-5.8.
Amended by R.2009 d.186, effective 6/15/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 6898(b), 41 N.J.R. 2476(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (a), inserted a comma following "areas", and inserted ", but not limited to"; in (a)14, substituted "person with a serious mental illness" for "ill family member"; in the introductory paragraph of (b), deleted "sufficient numbers of" following "employ", and inserted "sufficient in number to serve the needs of its geographic region" and inserted a comma following "skills"; in (b)2i, inserted "a", and substituted "role over this additional staff" for "experience"; and in the introductory paragraph of (b)3, inserted a comma preceding and following "at a minimum", and inserted "/diploma".