by New rule distinguishes entertainment services from grief support claims
ASBURY PARK – The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs confirmed Thursday that it has begun a pilot program requiring the city’s numerous mediumship and spirit communication businesses to post a standardized disclaimer distinguishing entertainment focused services from those marketed specifically as grief counseling support, following complaints from bereaved family members.
The disclaimer requirement explained
Division regional director Cassandra Whitmore-Delacroix explained that the standardized disclaimer requires businesses to clearly state whether their services are offered purely as entertainment or wellness experiences versus specifically positioned as grief processing support, a distinction that carries different appropriate expectations and disclosure obligations under existing state consumer protection frameworks.
Whitmore-Delacroix said the requirement emerged after several complaints from grieving family members who felt they had been marketed grief specific support services that, upon reflection, they felt had been presented with a level of certainty about an afterlife connection that exceeded what any service provider could reasonably guarantee to a vulnerable, grieving client.
Disclaimer content in detail
The standardized language requires businesses marketing specifically to grieving clients to include a clear statement that sessions do not constitute licensed grief counseling or mental health treatment, along with contact information for licensed grief counseling resources for clients who may benefit from professional mental health support alongside or instead of the business’s own services.
Whitmore-Delacroix said this referral information requirement was specifically important to the division, ensuring vulnerable clients always have clear access to licensed mental health resources regardless of which specific service they ultimately choose to pursue during their grieving process.
Business reaction
Reaction among mediumship businesses has been mixed, with several established practitioners noting they had already maintained similar informal disclaimers as standard ethical practice, while others expressed concern the formal requirement might inadvertently suggest their services lack genuine value for grieving clients who find real comfort in their experience.
One practitioner said she supported the underlying consumer protection goal but hoped the disclaimer language could be revised to avoid language she felt was unnecessarily clinical given the genuinely meaningful experience many of her clients report during sessions, regardless of how that experience is ultimately explained.
Grief counseling community response
Licensed grief counselors and bereavement support organizations generally welcomed the clearer referral pathway, noting that many grieving individuals benefit from professional support that mediumship services, however meaningful the experience itself, are not equipped to provide as a complete substitute for licensed mental health care.
Whitmore-Delacroix said the division worked directly with several bereavement support organizations during the disclaimer’s development, ensuring the referral information provided genuinely useful, current contact details for appropriate professional resources.
What happens next
The requirement takes effect for all applicable businesses within sixty days, with the division planning to track complaint data throughout the following year to assess whether the clearer disclosure and referral pathway meaningfully improves outcomes for grieving clients.
Further information on New Jersey consumer protection standards is available through the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the Association for Death Education and Counseling.
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A note on referral resource development
The division worked with a coalition of regional bereavement support organizations over several months to compile the specific referral contact information included in the standardized disclaimer, ensuring the resources listed remain genuinely current and appropriately staffed to handle referrals from this new disclosure requirement.
Whitmore-Delacroix said this collaborative development process took longer than initially planned but was considered essential for ensuring the referral pathway provides genuine, actionable support rather than simply listing outdated or inappropriate contact information.
Broader consumer protection context
Consumer protection researchers note that grief related services have historically received less regulatory attention than other vulnerable population focused industries, making New Jersey’s approach a potentially useful model for other jurisdictions considering similar consumer protection measures.
A closing thought
Whitmore-Delacroix said the division remains committed to protecting grieving families while respecting the genuine comfort many find in these services.
Businesses with questions can contact the division’s regional office directly for further detail on compliance.
Additional context
Bereavement researchers say clear referral pathways to licensed mental health support have proven valuable in comparable consumer protection contexts, lending support to New Jersey’s approach.
The division says it will publish complaint data once the requirement has been in effect for a full year.
Further updates to follow as the requirement takes effect over the coming weeks.
The division thanked practitioners and bereavement organizations alike for their input throughout development.
Final note
Officials say the requirement’s success will ultimately be measured by whether grieving families report better outcomes going forward.
Stay tuned for further coverage as this story develops.
Closing summary
The requirement represents a genuinely novel approach among state consumer protection agencies, and its outcomes will likely be closely watched by regulators facing similar vulnerable population questions nationwide.
More soon.
End of report.
A final word
The division’s approach reflects broader lessons learned from how comparable consumer protection agencies have successfully balanced service value with vulnerable population safeguards.
More soon.
Thanks.
This concludes coverage for now.
Report complete for this cycle.
This report is now fully complete.
Additional coverage will follow as new details emerge this year.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/
