Morris County’s ARRIVE Together program has expanded to include 25 additional municipalities, nearly covering the entire county. This initiative, led by Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and other local officials, aims to enhance police responses to individuals in crisis by integrating mental health professionals into emergency situations.
The new municipalities joining the program are Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham Borough, Chatham Township, Chester, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Harding Township, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Long Hill Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Mount Arlington, Mountain Lakes, Netcong, Pequannock Riverdale Rockaway Borough Rockaway Township Washington Township and Wharton. Mount Olive Township offers similar services through a separate federal grant.
This marks the fourth rollout of the program in Morris County since its pilot launch in November 2023. The ARRIVE Together initiative is a collaboration with the Mental Health Association (MHA) of Essex and Morris Counties. It provides immediate support during crises and follows up with affected individuals to connect them with necessary services such as mental health access and substance use treatment.
The program also includes the ARRIVE Critical Incident Model which ensures that mental health professionals are available around the clock for incidents involving barricaded individuals needing medical or mental health intervention.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin highlighted New Jersey’s role as a national model for integrating behavioral health into law enforcement responses. “ARRIVE Together partnerships have made New Jersey a national model for changing the way we respond when law enforcement intersects with behavioral health emergencies,” he said.
Tiffany Wilson from the Office of Alternative and Community Responses praised Morris County’s expansion efforts: “The countywide expansion of ARRIVE shows Morris County’s commitment to increasing access to the benefits law enforcement and residents are already seeing from the program.”
As of June 25th this year Morris County has recorded 1 226 interactions through this initiative according to data from OAG’s ARRIVE Together Data Dashboard.
Prosecutor Carroll emphasized the importance of safety in civilian-officer interactions: “Morris County law enforcement recognizes the importance of ensuring the safety of every person involved in a civilian-officer interaction.”
The ARRIVE Together initiative is funded by a state budget appropriation facilitated by New Jersey’s Office of Attorney General overseen by OACR aiming at providing public health-centered resources for law enforcement.
