ARRIVE Together: A Qualitative Process Evaluation of the New Jersey State Police Co-responding Pilot Program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Services
• Criminal Justice

Background:

• Law enforcement frequently responds to behavioral health emergencies.
• Encounters with law enforcement pose increased risks for individuals with behavioral health conditions.
• Co-responding models integrate law enforcement and behavioral health professionals to improve crisis response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a qualitative process evaluation of the "Alternative Responses to Reduce Instances of Violence & Escalation" (ARRIVE Together) co-responding pilot program in New Jersey.
• To understand the co-responding team's experiences and perceptions of specific deployments and overall program implementation.
• To identify areas for improvement in co-responding models for behavioral health crisis calls.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative process evaluation of a co-responding pilot program.
• Semi-structured interviews with co-responding team members following 10 consecutive encounters.
• Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews by two independent researchers, followed by consensus and SWOT analysis.

Main Results:

• Six major themes emerged: communication, staffing, training, resources, community outreach, and deployments involving minors.
• Participants expressed enthusiasm for the program but highlighted areas for enhancement.
• Key limitations included sample size, short follow-up window, and limited generalizability.

Conclusions:

• The ARRIVE Together pilot program shows potential for improving behavioral health crisis response.
• Further research is needed to evaluate effectiveness, expand to diverse communities, and explore after-response care.
• Insights gained can inform the development and refinement of co-responding models.