As part of its Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office invited staff from The Arc of Essex County to make a presentation that would help first responders become better acquainted with the needs and issues related to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The training provides law enforcement, 911 dispatchers, EMS, paramedics, and mental health professionals with knowledge and crisis resolution skills to respond to individuals in crisis that minimizes the potential for injury, and takes place quarterly throughout the year. Arc staff members in the clinical services and community services departments participated in the training on January 31 at the Essex County Courthouse Government Complex in Newark. As part of the presentation, The Arc of Essex County staff shared information about Arc services and supports.

The Arc thanks the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and CIT-NJ for being proactive in its training regarding the IDD population to help keep all individuals involved in crisis incidents as safe as possible.