Mental Health Experts Will Accompany Montclair Police On Some Calls

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Police Department officially launched its Alternative Response to Reduce Instances of Violence & Escalation (ARRIVE) Together program last week.

According to the MPD, the program is designed to “enhance our response to behavioral health crisis calls by integrating professional mental health support into our public safety efforts.”

The initiative was developed in collaboration with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and mental health professionals from Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville.

Here’s are some things to know about the new initiative, Montclair police said:

“The ARRIVE Together program includes several models—such as co-response, referral/follow-up, and close follow-up—to ensure the most appropriate and effective approach to each situation. It is now operational across all counties in New Jersey, serving approximately 64% of the state’s residents. Through this initiative, trained mental health professionals are partnered with police officers to jointly respond to calls involving individuals experiencing mental health distress. The primary objective is to safely de-escalate crises while providing immediate, compassionate care and connection to services.”

“Pairing officers with mental health professionals will ultimately provide better support and service to both the community and the responding officers,” Chief Todd Conforti said.

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