Establishes Statewide tele-psychiatry program within DHS; appropriates $4 million.

This bill establishes a Statewide tele-psychiatry program within New Jersey's Department of Human Services, appropriating $4 million to provide real-time psychiatric assessments and treatment for patients in mental health or substance abuse crises. The program connects hospitals (referring sites) with licensed mental health providers (consulting providers) via video or audio, enabling timely care without requiring patients to travel. The Department must contract with a partner to implement the program statewide within three years, monitor its operation through annual site visits, and report yearly to the Governor and Legislature on metrics like assessment volumes, patient stays, and changes in involuntary commitments. It specifically requires facilitating linkages with critical access and small rural hospitals to expand access to psychiatric services.