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Wildwood Crest approves ARRIVE behavioral-health screening MOA to support police responses
Summary
Wildwood Crest approved a memorandum of agreement with Ascenda Inc. to bring the ARRIVE behavioral-health screening program to the borough; presenters said screeners have reduced emergency-room transports and use-of-force incidents in pilot areas and will cover the Wildwoods area under a county rollout.
Wildwood Crest commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a memorandum of agreement with Ascenda Inc. to enroll the borough in the ARRIVE behavioral-health screening program, a coordinated response that pairs clinical screeners with law enforcement on certain mental-health and emotionally disturbed-person calls.
Dave Shutter, identified in the meeting record as a community outreach coordinator with the "Katy County Prosecutor's Office," explained ARRIVE is modeled on longtime crisis-intervention teams and is designed to support officers by providing clinical screening on-scene to de-escalate calls and connect individuals to services. Shutter said the program has been operating since May 2023 in parts of the county and that Ascenda's screeners have helped keep roughly two-thirds of calls out of emergency rooms and reduced use-of-force incidents in jurisdictions where it operates.
Jim (Jimmy) Reed, identified by the presenters as a coordinator of screening services for Ascenda, described how screened individuals are referred for evaluation and transport when appropriate, and said the rollout will include multiple municipal partners and county agencies. Presenters said the program will run initially with three screeners countywide, expanding as capacity allows; Ascenda representatives noted plans to include the sheriff's office and other agencies in coverage.
Commissioners and the police chief asked about officer safety and operational details while screeners are en route; residents who spoke during public comment expressed support for the program. Mayor Don Cabrera noted the mayor must sign final agreements and asked Ascenda staff to leave a copy for the borough's records. The vote to adopt the MOA passed by unanimous roll call.
What happens next: the mayor will sign the MOA, staff will coordinate operational details between Ascenda and borough dispatch, and the borough will provide copies of the signed agreement to relevant partners.
