Jersey City is reassessing its approach to a $2 million state grant designated for mental health crisis intervention, after the city’s initial proposal faced significant backlash. The grant, part of a broader $12 million fund established under the Seabrooks-Washington Community-Led Crisis Response Act, will now be managed by a local anti-violence advocate.
The Seabrooks-Washington Act, named in memory of Andrew Washington from Jersey City and Najee Seabrooks from Paterson—both of whom tragically lost their lives during mental health crises involving police—aims to support community-based crisis response teams.
The initial application from Jersey City was criticized severely, prompting the decision to transfer the responsibility to a dedicated advocate. This new direction is intended to better align with the goals of the funding and address the concerns raised by the initial submission.
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