A growing program involves New Jersey State Police Troopers and mental health professionals partnering in a discreet, non-confrontational manner.
The New Jersey State Police received a $549,750 competitive grant from the federal government to strengthen the ARRIVE Together mental health crisis response initiative in parts of Cumberland County and other areas of the state.
According to New Jersey Police Superintendent Col. Pat Callahan, ARRIVE is an acronym for alternative responses to reduce instances of violence and escalation.
unique team
In the program, he notes that troopers work with mental health screeners and that “based on the type of call sent for someone with a behavioral or mental health crisis, troopers will be dispatched to that location with
He noted that ARRIVE Together has been very successful in getting people out of the criminal justice system and into mental health programs to get the help they need.
Callahan said law enforcement was forced to use force in the past half of a call involving someone with a mental health crisis, which in itself is truly staggering. “
He said that when the trooper and mental health screener were dispatched, the trooper was in plain clothes driving an unmarked car.
“What we’re looking at is establishing a relationship where the temperature drops quickly and it’s not. People know you’re not going to be handcuffed out of the living room.” ”
police crime scene
what is the message
He said the message conveyed is to work hard to get the help you need.
Callahan said he remembers when he was a young trooper. Those same individuals.
He said that as a result, troopers have more time to follow up with other law enforcement operations and calls, allowing people to get the mental health help and support they need more quickly.
He also notes that the program also calls for police and mental health screeners to follow up weeks after the incident and visit the individual to see how they are doing. Did.
fulfill a mission
Callahan added that the program is helping communities and state police are doing their job. “Treat people with compassion and follow the Constitution, this ARRIVE Together program is one of our greatest successes him.”
The grant, provided through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Assistance, is entitled “Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health Response Program.” The purpose of this grant program is to support cross-system collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health to improve public health and safety responses and outcomes for individuals with mental health disorders and co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. to improve.
A portion of the Connect and Protect grant will fund the expansion of the State Police’s ARRIVE Together program in Cumberland County. State Police will award the remaining funds as a competitive sub-grant to other law enforcement agencies seeking to establish their own ARRIVE Together programs in collaboration with mental health providers.
David Matthau I am a reporter for the New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at [email protected].
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