Overland Park committee hears plan for voluntary neurodivergent awareness decals, blue envelopes and mental-health cards

A presentation to the Overland Park Public Safety Committee outlined a voluntary “first responder awareness” program that uses a homeowner decal, a blue envelope for traffic or contact incidents, and Johnson County mental-health cards to help first responders identify and better communicate with neurodivergent residents.

The program’s goal, Sergeant Bratt said, is to “foster safe, trauma-informed interactions between individuals in crisis and first responders” by giving people a voluntary way to indicate special communication needs and preferences. The presentation said eight Johnson County agencies have signed on and additional agencies were expected to join.

Sergeant Bratt described three core elements: a reflective decal placed near a door’s locking mechanism, a blue envelope that a person can hand to…