Crime & Safety
Morris Co. Cops Team Up With Mental Health Workers Under New Program
Trained mental health professionals will work with local police to de-escalate situations, through the statewide ARRIVE Together initiative.
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Police departments in communities around Morris County will be partnering with mental health professionals in a statewide effort to provide a more compassionate response to individuals in crisis.
The initiative is called ARRIVE Together — standing for Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation. The goal is to de-escalate situations between police and the public when a person is experiencing a mental health crisis, officials said.
This past week, the police departments of Madison, Morristown, Morris Township, and Morris Plains partnered with the Mental Health Association of Morris & Essex Counties to launch a regional ARRIVE pilot program. This pilot group has been dubbed the "M-Towns."
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Funding is being provided by a statewide grant and the local program is coordinated through the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, officials said.
ARRIVE Together helps provide immediate support to adults and juveniles experiencing mental and behavior health emergencies, and helps police de-escalate situations — ensuring the safety of officers and the public.
Find out what's happening in Morristownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The ARRIVE Together team also follows up on these calls to ensure that the individual is doing well and does not need additional mental health support.
This program is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the mental health specialist rotating around each of the "M-Town" police departments every day.
The second pilot program in the county will include Denville, Montville, Parsippany and Roxbury Police Departments, known as the "Core-4" group. Officials said this program is expected to launch full-time during the week of March 18. Clinicians with the Mental Health Association have been meeting with all eight towns to introduce themselves.
The ARRIVE Together program was first launched in 2021 in Cumberland County. It paired a New Jersey State Trooper with a mental health screener in an unmarked vehicle to respond to emergency calls involving “mental or behavioral health crises.” The initiative has now grown to include all 21 counties in the Garden State, officials said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
