The Union County Board of County Commissioners is proud to announce an expansion of the ARRIVE Together program, as part of Commissioner Board Chairman Sergio Granados’s “Stepping Up to Mental Health” initiative for 2023. ARRIVE Together is a statewide mental health crisis response program coordinated in Union County through the Offices of Union County Prosecutor Bill Daniel and Union County Sheriff Pete Corvelli.
“Stepping Up to Mental Health” is an initiative that has been at the forefront of my “Building a Stronger Union County” theme for 2023. I would like to thank Prosecutor Daniel, Assistant Prosecutor Tiffany Wilson, and Sheriff Corvelli for the success of the program here in Union County,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados. “Thanks to their efforts, we are able to expand the program to additional municipalities and improve mental health crisis response in the Union County community.”
ARRIVE Together launched in Elizabeth, Linden and Roselle Park last year, following an initial pilot program in Cumberland County spearheaded by the New Jersey State Police.
The new expansion of the program brings ARRIVE Together to the additional Union County municipalities of Plainfield, Westfield, Cranford, Berkeley Heights, Fanwood, Scotch Plains, Mountainside and New Providence.
All together the Union County program now includes 11 municipalities, the most of any county in New Jersey.
“When we saw the success of the the pilot program last year, I knew I wanted to work together with Chairman Granados and the Commissioner Board to expand the program to benefit more residents in need, across our entire county,” said Prosecutor Daniel. “The experience of working alongside mental health professionals complements and enhances the training received by police officers.”
The ARRIVE Together program provides individuals in crisis with help as quickly and effectively as possible. When 9-1-1 is called relating to a mental health crisis, the program sends response teams consisting of local police officers who are trained in crisis intervention, along with mental health professionals who can help de-escalate the situation and avoid the use of force.
The ARRIVE Together teams also follow up later to ensure the person is receiving the help they need. In addition, the program provides for teams to connect with individuals in their community who may benefit from outreach efforts.
For information on more mental health resources and services all Department of Human Services activities, visit online at ucnj.org/dhs or call the Action Line, 908-677-5405.
A video presentation about the ARRIVE Together program in Union County is available on YouTube at https://youtu.be/AZ_QMl5Nj6Q.
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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.
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