08/05/2024
North Brunswick, NJ – August 5, 2024 – NAMI New Jersey is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life that occurred in Fort Lee on July 28th. As the facts are still developing and details are still emerging, NAMI NJ is not able to comment on the specifics of the incident at this time. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this incident.
Deadly incidents involving individuals with mental illness and law enforcement are too common and familiar to the NAMI community: families and individuals affected by mental illness. One study found that 23% of individuals injured in police shootings had a mental or behavioral health condition. These individuals were significantly more likely to die (67%) as compared to all those injured in police shootings (55%).
NAMI NJ believes that a mental health crisis deserves a mental health response, and we continue to advocate for a robust crisis system and public education. For New Jerseyans experiencing a mental health crisis, please know that options are available and tragedies can be prevented.
The 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline is available to all Americans during a mental health or substance use crisis and is staffed 24/7 with trained crisis counselors for calls, texts, and chats.
For situations in which a person’s life is at immediate risk, call 911 and ask for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) trained officer to respond. CIT is a 40-hour training that educates law enforcement, providers, and community advocates about behavioral health conditions and promotes coordination between them. (Please note that not every police department has CIT officers.)
In many New Jersey municipalities, partnerships between law enforcement officers and mental health professionals exist through the ARRIVE Together program, in which officers and arrive to 911 calls with a mental health professional. While ARRIVE is not available in all communities and all times, it is expanding and has shown promise in reducing uses of force and arrests and connecting individuals with care. See this link for a complete list of communities where ARRIVE operates.
Families and individuals can also call Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS), which will send out a mental health screener, likely accompanied by law enforcement, to evaluate whether an individual meets the criteria for involuntary commitment. For a complete list of PESS centers in your county, see the following directory.
For adults with developing acute mental health concerns, Early Intervention Support Services (EISS) provides outpatient psychiatric urgent care in every county. EISS is a short-term program designed to prevent hospitalizations and connect individuals with appropriate treatment following program participation. For a complete list of EISS centers in your county, see the following directory.
For children and youth in crisis, parents and caregivers can call the Children’s System of Care (CSOC), available 24/7, which serves individuals under age 21 with mental health and substance use conditions, and intellectual/developmental disabilities and their families. The phone number for the CSOC system administrator, PerformCare, is 1-877-652-7624.
Through CSOC, Mobile Response Stabilization Services (MRSS) can come to your home to provide face-to-face crisis services for your child.
“Navigating a Mental Health Crisis: A NAMI Resource Guide for Those Experiencing a Mental Health Emergency” also provides important, potentially life-saving information for people experiencing mental health crises and their loved ones. This guide outlines what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs that a crisis is emerging, strategies to help de-escalate a crisis, available resources and so much more.
NAMI NJ is also encouraged at New Jersey’s continued expansion of emergency support services for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
New Jersey is currently developing Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams (MCORTs) to be dispatched by the state’s 988 system in cases where a crisis cannot be resolved over the phone. These teams will be available statewide, include a bachelor’s level mental health professional and a certified peer specialist – meaning an individual with lived experience of behavioral health conditions – and come without law enforcement when it is deemed safe to do so. The state is also developing Crisis Receiving & Stabilization Centers (CRSCs) to provide no-wrong-door access to crisis care and divert from emergency room visits and hospitalizations
