New Jersey § 30:4-177

§ 30:4-177.

The Legislature finds and declares that: a. It is in the best interest of the State to preserve, strengthen and maintain families

who have a family member with a serious mental illness living at home, and these persons,

regardless of their disability, have the right to belong to a family unit in which

enduring relationships can be fostered. b. Families are the major providers of support, care, and other services for their

family member with a serious mental illness living at home. Consequently, families are continually searching for ways to support family members

with a serious mental illness in their homes in order to prevent placement in a State

or private institution, homelessness or inappropriate incarceration. c. Many families who have a family member with a serious mental illness experience

exceptionally high financial outlays and extraordinary physical and emotional challenges,

isolation, stigmatization and daily stress. Supporting families in their effort to care for their family member with a serious

mental illness at home is efficient, cost-effective and humane; failure to provide

needed supports can result in placement of the family member in a costly, inadequate

or inappropriate setting. d. To be effective, family supports must support the entire family, must be easily

accessible, flexible, comprehensive, continuous, culturally sensitive and individualized. They must be designed to promote interdependence, independence, productivity and

integration of people with a serious mental illness into the community. Family supports must also be built on existing social networks and naturally occurring

supports, including extended families, neighbors and community associations. e. A Statewide family support policy for persons with a serious mental illness must

acknowledge that families themselves are able to define their own needs and select

their own services; these family supports must be chosen by families, controlled

by families and monitored by families. f. Adults with a serious mental illness should be afforded the opportunity to make

decisions for themselves, live in typical homes and communities and exercise their

full rights as citizens. When families serve as the primary provider of care for a family member with a serious

mental illness, the families should be provided the supports they need to sustain

that family member with dignity in a community setting.