Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR)
Tiffany Wilson, Director
The Office of Alternative and Community Responses (OACR) is coordinating the Department of Law and Public Safety’s efforts to address how the Department and New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies respond to the country’s continued mental health and addiction crises. Law enforcement is often the first in the community to see the impact of these crises and the first to be asked to address them, often without the appropriate resources to do so. Traditional law enforcement responses and tools such as arrest, prosecution, and incarceration have proven inadequate in addressing the complexities of substance use disorder and mental health emergencies, often burdening frontline police officers and failing to provide effective solutions for the individual or the community impacted. This lack of success has underscored the need for alternative and coordinated strategies and solutions.
Operating within the Department of Law and Public Safety, OACR supports, coordinates, and creates strategies and collaborations aimed at enhancing public health and safety outcomes in situations where public health and public safety intersect. OACR is working to create a safer and healthier New Jersey for all by incorporating mental and behavioral health interventions, implementing innovative approaches, collaborating with communities, and promoting the well-being of law enforcement officers.
DIRECTIVE 2024-01
AG Directive 2024-01 | March 13, 2024
Directive Creating the Office of Alternative and Community Responses
PROGRAMS
PRESS RELEASES
AG Grewal Announces Over $2 Million in State Funding to Expand, Enhance “Operation Helping Hand” Programs Across the State, Including Establishing New Program in NJ Transit Hubs
For Immediate Release: May 7, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralNJ CARES- Sharon M. Joyce, DirectorFor Further Information: Media Inquiries-Lisa Coryell609-292-4791Citizen Inquiries-609-984-5828TRENTON – Attorney General Gurbir S....
Attorney General Grewal and Colonel Callahan Announce Takedown of Two Fentanyl Pill Pressing Mills in Passaic County
Operation led by the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force led to Seizure of Approximately 2.7 Kilograms of Fentanyl and 1,000 Fentanyl PillsFor Immediate Release: March 1, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralNew...
AG Grewal Announces Action to Promote Access to Mental Health Care for Frontline Healthcare Workers and Low-Income Individuals
Mental Health Care Professionals Can Now Partially Satisfy Continuing Education Requirements with Volunteer WorkFor Immediate Release: February 25, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralDivision of Consumer Affairs- Kaitlin A. Caruso,...
Four Defendants Arrested on Charges They Conspired to Illegally Obtain and Distribute Oxycodone Out of a Pharmacy in Warren County
Former Pharmacist-in-Charge at Panther Valley Pharmacy in Allamuchy, N.J., among those charged For Immediate Release: February, 24, 2021 Office of The Attorney General - Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney General Division of Criminal Justice - Veronica Allende, Director For...
Attorney General Grewal Provides Direction and Guidance to Law Enforcement on Marijuana
For Immediate Release: February 23, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralFor Further Information: Media Inquiries-Peter Aseltine609-292-4791Citizen Inquiries-609-984-5828TRENTON – Yesterday, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills...
AG Grewal Announces Four Regulatory Actions Addressing New Jersey’s Opioid Addiction Epidemic
Newly Adopted Rule Requires Doctors to Co-Prescribe Naloxone to Patients at Risk of OverdoseFor Immediate Release: February 18, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralNJ CARES- Sharon M. Joyce, DirectorDivision of Consumer Affairs-...
AG Grewal Announces Four Regulatory Actions Addressing New Jersey’s Opioid Addiction Epidemic
Newly Adopted Rule Requires Doctors to Co-Prescribe Naloxone to Patients at Risk of OverdoseFor Immediate Release: February 18, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralDivision of Consumer Affairs- Kaitlin A. Caruso, Acting DirectorNJ...
AG Grewal Announces “Excellence in Policing” Initiative to Promote Professionalism, Accountability, and Transparency in Law Enforcement
Initiative Includes New Statewide Policies Regarding Officer-Involved Shootings, Internal Affairs Investigations, Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence, and Other Policing IssuesFor Immediate Release: December 4, 2019 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S....
AG Grewal Announces Settlement with Global Consulting Firm McKinsey & Co. over Its Role in “Turbocharging” the Opioid Epidemic
NJ will receive about $16 million in nationwide deal worth $573 millionFor Immediate Release: February 4, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralNJ CARES- Sharon M. Joyce, DirectorDivision of Consumer Affairs- Kaitlin A. Caruso, Acting...
AG Grewal Announces Multi-Million Dollar Settlement with Insys Therapeutics Founder John Kapoor over His Role in Fueling the Opioid Epidemic
Money Recovered in the Settlement Will Help Fund the State's Response to the Opioid Epidemic For Immediate Release: January 21, 2021 Office of The Attorney General- Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney GeneralNJ CARES- Sharon M. Joyce, DirectorDivision of Consumer Affairs For...