HUNTERDON COUNTY, N.J. — Nearly 30 participants completed a specialized crisis intervention training program in Hunterdon County last week aimed at improving law enforcement responses to mental health emergencies.
Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson and Sheriff Frederick W. Brown welcomed the graduates of the county’s eighth Crisis Intervention Team training, known as CIT NJ State Program Class #401.
The five-day program provides officers and clinicians with in-depth instruction on issues including mental illness, behavioral health and developmental disabilities, as well as how those factors affect police response during crisis situations.
The training is based on an international model that emphasizes collaboration between law enforcement, mental health professionals and community advocates to better respond to individuals experiencing psychiatric crises.
New Jersey’s CIT program operates as a county-based partnership focused on improving both law enforcement practices and the broader mental health system when first responders encounter individuals in crisis.
The training was coordinated by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office and featured instruction from a range of professionals in law enforcement and behavioral health.
Participating organizations included Hunterdon Health Behavioral Health, the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey, Rutgers Behavioral Health, Autism New Jersey, Prevention Resources Inc., Progressive Center for Independent Living NJ, Veteran’s Haven North, J.A. Montgomery Consulting, Open Door Recovery Center, Courtyard Adult Services, the Tri-State K-9 Crisis Response Team and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Officials said the graduates are returning to their communities equipped with skills to better serve residents during times of crisis.
