Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin Announce ARRIVE Together Program’s 10,000th Interaction

VIDEO: ARRIVE Together Initiative Reaches 10,000 Interactions

TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today recognized a milestone in the State’s Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence and Escalation (ARRIVE) Together initiative. Launched in December 2021 to create better outcomes when law enforcement officers respond to calls with a mental health element, ARRIVE Together is now available in all 21 of New Jersey’s counties, currently serves more than 71 percent of the state’s 9.5 million residents, and is continuing to expand. This June, the program marked its 10,000th interaction.

Since ARRIVE’s inception, there have been no serious injuries to officers or those they are assisting.

“When we first launched ARRIVE Together, we recognized not only its potential to save the lives of countless New Jerseyans experiencing mental health crisis, but also the power to strengthen the bonds between our law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” said Governor Murphy. “Since then, we have made strategic investments to safely and efficiently expand the initiative in communities throughout our state and ensure our officers and mental health professionals are able to continue this critical collaboration. The results have been deeply encouraging, and I look forward to the continued success of this program.”

“In New Jersey, we recognized that law enforcement officers needed new and innovative ways to respond to calls where mental health is a contributing factor. We’re seeing better outcomes for everyone when ARRIVE Together is part of the response,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Our country is experiencing a mental health epidemic, and I’m so proud that ARRIVE is helping to make a difference where it intersects with policing.”

“ARRIVE Together has created real change for New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies that have implemented the program,” said Tiffany Wilson, Director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses. “ARRIVE partnerships have demonstrated the benefits of collaborations between law enforcement and other mental health experts, and has become a model for other work that we do at the intersection of public health and public safety.”

New Jersey’s efforts to create and implement transformative approaches to public safety and mental health have resulted in some of the nation’s most innovative programs. ARRIVE Together is emblematic of its successes.

ARRIVE acknowledges that law enforcement and first responders in general are often the first to recognize a public health concern impacting public safety and are called upon to address it. ARRIVE has demonstrated that when provided, law enforcement will make use of the resources they need and respond accordingly. The program has also shown that when law enforcement works with existing, local, and expert resources rather than trying to create new systems or doing it all themselves, they build relationships that benefit the entire community.

ARRIVE Together models are adapted to fit the needs and resources of the communities they serve. Law enforcement officers respond simultaneously with a mental health professional in communities using the original co-response model. Officers in communities using the close-in-time follow-up model have access to mental health partners available to join officers at a location to provide behavioral health support to individuals in need. The telehealth model allows mental health providers to connect remotely to officers and the individuals they are interacting with. When officers in communities using the follow-up model identify someone who might benefit from such support, a mental health provider will follow up at a later time without law enforcement. As ARRIVE has expanded, multiple counties have adopted a combination of models for the most appropriate and efficient response.

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ARRIVE Together is part of the broad continuum of mental health care and support available to New Jersey residents. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis – in addition to struggling with substance use or having thoughts of suicide – can call the free 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to be connected to compassionate, accessible care and support. New Jersey residents can call or text 988 and chat 988 at 988lifeline.org/chat for round-the-clock assistance.

To learn more about the ARRIVE Together program and the current models operating across the state, please visit www.njoag.gov/arrive.