CNBNews

Woodbury, New Jersey– The Gloucester County Chiefs Association in partnership with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Emergency Response Department and Gloucester County Adminstration and Commissioners, are launching the first Gloucester County Special Needs Registry and Blue Envelope Program in Gloucester County.  The Special Needs Registry will provide residents of Gloucester County the ability to register family members with special needs, both adults and children.  Registration is voluntary and done by family members.  The information will be accessible to first responders only and will provide them with information that can assist in developing and improving their interaction with at-risk and special needs individuals. The information will only be used for this important purpose.  The Gloucester County Special Needs Registry will also serve as a valuable tool for resource allocation, community engagement and fostering a more inclusive and accessible environment for all communities.  

The ongoing Blue Envelope program assists special needs drivers and police officers during interactions. This program allows individuals to pick up a Blue Envelope from their local police department.  The envelope, kept in the vehicle, assists interaction with police. The operator can produce the Blue Envelope, which displays prominent notification to the officer that the driver and/or an occupant has special needs, such as autism, diabetes or deafness. The envelope is designed to contain and consolidate important papers, including driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance card and emergency contact information. This information assists the officer and operator in establishing effective communication and reduces the likelihood of any misunderstanding. The front of the envelope contains information for the operator/occupant on what to expect during a motor vehicle stop, and the back of the envelope contains a special needs awareness guide for police officers. 

Harrison Township Police Chief Ron Cundey of the Gloucester County Chiefs Association states, “The Gloucester County Police Chiefs Association is proud to collaborate with the Prosecutor's Office and Emergency Response Department to provide this valuable tool to the citizens we serve.  The Special Needs Registry and Blue Envelope Program will allow our officers, along with other emergency response personnel, to provide enhanced assistance to those folks who have mental or physical impairments that may cause difficulty in communicating during emergencies and other interactions with first responders.”

The launch of the Special Needs Registry and education regarding the Blue Envelope Program, as well as a corresponding Resource Fair, are being held on Saturday, April 27^th at Riverwinds Community Center in West Deptford from 11:00am-1:00pm. Assistance will be available for community members seeking to take advantage of the Special Needs Registry and Blue Envelope programs. The following providers and organizations will be participating in the Resource Fair:

• Inspira Hospital System
• Fifty Shades of Purple Against Bullying
• Gloucester County Board of Elections
• Project Alert
• Riverwinds/YMCA swim lessons
• Friends of the CACGC
• Gloucester County Chiefs Association
• 2^nd Chance Boutique
• Advanced Abilities 
• Regional Integrated Special Needs Center
• OCD Support Group
• Heart to Heart Homecare
• Pro Phoenix

Acting Prosecutor Christine Hoffman emphasizes that “The implementation of these valuable, stigma-free programs to benefit and support our at-risk/special needs community members are the direct result of care, concern and commitment from a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders, including our County’s Administration and Commissioners. At-risk/special needs individuals and their loved ones will receive maximum benefits from the voluntary entries in the Special Needs Registry due to the existence of countywide CAD (Computer-Aided Dispatch) and RMS (Records Management System) platforms administered by the county’s Emergency Response Department. Collaborative community engagement and support have been at the forefront this past week, with a large gathering of countywide school district leaders, elected officials and public safety representatives on Monday to codify their partnership on 2024 school safety objectives, and Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting for the Gloucester County Child Advocacy Center. These collective engagements and proactive steps forward accent the breadth of efforts that are ongoing to protect and serve all members of our Gloucester County communities.”