New Jersey Human Services announced that 988 Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams (MCORTs) are now operational statewide. The teams respond to non-life-threatening mental health, substance use, and suicidal crises for adults who contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
“Timely behavioral health supports set our residents up for the best possible long-term outcomes. That is why we have made it a priority to invest in our 988 system of care,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “With our newly operational Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Teams, we are building on our already robust continuum of supports to ensure New Jerseyans have access to services they need to de-escalate crises and access needed resources.”
MCORTs operate without law enforcement when safe to do so and are dispatched when 988 Crisis Counselors determine community outreach would help and the caller is interested in such services.
Currently available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, the teams will expand to 24/7 coverage in the future. The department awarded $16 million in contracts to providers serving different regions of the state.
Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman noted that since the soft launch in March, MCORTs have successfully connected individuals to treatment and services for substance use and mental health issues.
The teams include a peer support specialist and a bachelor’s level professional, with remote supervision from a master’s level supervisor. All staff receive training in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and other crisis response techniques.
New Jersey’s 988 contact centers answered nearly 69,000 calls last year and more than 144,000 calls since the lifeline launched in July 2022.