TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that an organization in Jersey City was selected to receive grant funds to support the creation of a Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) Pilot Program. Eligible municipalities and community-based organizations participated in a competitive grant process for up to $2 million per municipality. The Anti-Violence Coalition of Hudson County, based in Jersey City, joins the Newark Community Street Team, Reimagining Justice Inc./Paterson Healing Collective’s Paterson Compassionate Care Collaborative Project, the Center for Family Services in Camden, and Salvation and Social Justice in Trenton in establishing CCRT pilots in their respective cities.
Governor Murphy signed the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act (A-5326/S-4250) into law in January. Named for Najee Seabrooks and Andrew Washington, who were killed in separate encounters with law enforcement while experiencing mental health crises, the bill established the Community Crisis Response Team Pilot Program. The Office of Alternative and Community Responses within the Department of Law and Public Safety (LPS) is charged with the program’s oversight.
The CCRT pilots created by the grant recipients will expand the continuum of response options already available through the support of LPS, the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Human Services (DHS) in the hope of providing the most appropriate response for the individual who needs it.
“I am thrilled to see the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act continue to reach into communities across New Jersey, ensuring that we are meeting those struggling from mental health crises where they are with timely intervention services,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “The Jersey City Community Crisis Response Team Pilot Program funded by this grant will enhance our continuum of mental health supports. I commend the unwavering commitment of our community partners who help make these efforts possible.”
CCRTs will help address an identified gap to accessing mental and behavioral health support in the communities receiving the grants. They are intended to provide assistance to individuals reluctant to seek the help and support from traditional law enforcement and emergency medical or mental health systems.
“I am proud to announce funding to create Jersey City’s Community Crisis Response Team Pilot Program. New Jerseyans have been telling us what they need to feel safe – and we are listening,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This program strengthens our commitment to working with community partners to build trusted systems that protect public health and ensure public safety.”
CCRTs will provide in-person interventions, outreach services, de-escalation, stabilization support, resource connection, and personalized follow-up linkages tailored to the unique needs of individuals. By deploying trusted community partners to de-escalate incidents and to connect individuals to needed resources, CCRTs will expand on collaborative approaches led by LPS, DHS, and DOH to fill gaps in services, address barriers to access, and get the most appropriate help to those who need it through an avenue they are willing to accept.
“Each new partnership increases the chances that someone in crisis will receive the help they need from a source they trust,” said Tiffany Wilson, Director of the Office of Alternative and Community Responses. “We’re pleased to have the Anti-Violence Coalition of Hudson County join us in fulfilling our mission to transform our approach to public health and safety to create a safer, healthier New Jersey.”
The program is supported by a fiscal year 2024 State budget allocation.
