FLEMINGTON, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson and Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick W. Brown welcomed nearly 30 law enforcement officers and mental health professionals to the county’s sixth Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training last week.
The five-day interactive program provides participants with a comprehensive understanding of mental illness, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities — and how these factors can affect police and clinician responses during a crisis. The training follows an internationally recognized model that emphasizes collaboration between law enforcement, community mental health providers, and advocacy organizations.
New Jersey’s CIT initiative operates as a county-based partnership of professionals committed to improving how the criminal justice and mental health systems respond to individuals in psychiatric crisis who encounter first responders.
The session was coordinated by members of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office and the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office, and led by Retired Chief Edward C. Dobleman, CIT-NJ Director at Legacy Treatment Services. Additional instructors included experts from Hunterdon Behavioral Health, Rutgers Behavioral Health, SAFE in Hunterdon, Prevention Resources, Inc., Progressive Center for Independent Living NJ, Veteran’s Haven North, Brain Injury Alliance, Tri-County CMO, and several other regional and state organizations.
“Congratulations to all the CIT graduates from last week,” officials said in a joint statement. “They are bringing vital skills back to their communities to serve their residents at the highest level in times of crisis.”
