New Jersey State Commission of Investigation

Safeguards for patients navigating addiction treatment moved one step closer to state law yesterday. The NJ Senate unanimously approved two bills, S3952 https://lnkd.in/egErvNBA and S3955 https://lnkd.in/etvN3H2m, which will increase oversight of the industry by strengthening the state's patient brokering law and banning deceptive marketing practices. Both measures were recommended by the SCI in a 2024 report https://lnkd.in/gyEX93Mb that found widespread abuses in the treatment industry harmed patients' ability to get sober. #njsci #addiction #investigation

Bills to strengthen New Jersey's patient brokering law and to halt the use of deceptive marketing practices in the addiction rehabilitation industry moved one step closer to becoming law. The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committe on Monday advanced S3952 https://lnkd.in/egErvNBA) and S3955 https://lnkd.in/ekJ5W93X. Both measures were recommended by the SCI in a 2024 report https://lnkd.in/ewncHnpP exposing corruption, fraud and harmful business practices in the treatment industry.

SCI Counsel Lauren Realberg will join a group of accomplished New Jersey female leaders in a panel discussion on Wednesday, March 19, celebrating Women's History Month. Hosted by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the event will be from noon to 2 pm at the Trenton Office Complex. For more information and to register see the flyer below!

The SCI warned about the rise of homemade firearms in a recent investigation and urged state lawmakers to outlaw the possession of gun conversion devices that can turn semi-automatic weapons into rapid-firing machine guns. https://lnkd.in/eA3M-r6v https://lnkd.in/eZD45Er8 #njsci

Great @NJSpotlightnews story about how deceptive marketers in the addiction treatment industry target and take advantage of victims and how lawmakers are looking to ban such practices. A 2024 SCI report https://lnkd.in/edHyzbTk shined a light on this unethical and fraudulent conduct. It also urged the enactment and strengthening of laws to curtail misconduct, penalize bad actors and protect victims. #addiction #investigations #NJSCI

Out of an unfortunate series of events that led to the scathing SCI report, real progress is being made to protect individuals seeking treatment in New Jersey. Last fall, Alina Lodge, William Robbins, LCSW, Surfside Recovery Services, Alyssa Fountain, Peter Lazar, LCSW and Amy Durham led a powerful panel to highlight the ethical, high-quality treatment being provided in the state. Today, we’re seeing the impact of advocacy. Thank you to New Jersey lawmakers for advancing critical reforms to safeguard individuals from fraudulent practices in the addiction treatment industry. Two bills, inspired by the SCI’s 2024 report, have now been approved by a Senate panel! Let’s continue pushing for accountability, integrity, and ethical care in addiction treatment. There is so much more to do, but these steps move us in the right direction.

Aiming to crack down on fraud, corruption, and abuse in the state's substance use treatment industry, the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee advanced two bills sponsored by Senator Joe Vitale, and Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz to better regulate the industry by increasing oversight on patient referrals, and banning deceptive marketing practices. Both S3952 https://lnkd.in/egErvNBA and S3955 https://lnkd.in/ekJ5W93X were unanimously approved by the committee yesterday. #NJSCI #addiction

Great to see NJ lawmakers advancing reforms to safeguard citizens from fraudulent practices in the addiction treatment industry. Two bills inspired by the SCI's 2024 report https://lnkd.in/gyEX93Mb were approved by a Senate panel. "The SCI's reported findings last February were disturbing, and as the state invests more dollars in the treatment of addiction, we need to ensure that patients are actually being treated rather than used for profit," said Senator Vitale (D-Middlesex), the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee. "These bills will combat the corruption that was uncovered, prohibiting the referral of patients to specific facilities for personal profit and the deceptive marketing that is too-often utilized by the industry." #addiction #patient brokering #investigation

The General Assembly approved a bill yesterday (A4535) https://lnkd.in/ePRwuvbY) that will make sober living residences better environments for individuals seeking to maintain their sobriety. The bill integrates several recommendations from the SCI's February 2024 investigative report titled “The Dirty Business Behind Getting Clean” https://lnkd.in/gyEX93Mb exposing fraud, ethical misconduct, and corruption in the addiction rehabilitation industry.??#addiction #fraud

The SCI is pleased to announce A. Todd Mayo, former chair of the New Jersey Legislative Ethics Committee, has been appointed as Commissioner. A former workers compensation and municipal judge, he has more than three decades of legal experience in NJ. https://https://lnkd.in/es-4s2cu #NJSCI #investigations