The Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) is a NAMI NJ program dedicated to ensuring that law enforcement officers and recruits receive mental illness education, and to promoting cooperation and communication between county criminal justice and mental health systems throughout the state.

Each county affiliate has at least one NAMI liaison who can be called upon to teach a basic class in mental illness awareness for law enforcement. The class can take from one half hour to two hours, depending upon the needs of the audience. The class includes a brief history of the treatment of mental illness, a 12 minute video about its biological nature, a review of symptoms and warning signs, a discussion of the 1989 Psychiatric Emergency Screening Law and its significance for police officers, and an explanation of the DOs and DON'Ts for law enforcement dealing with mental illness crisis situations.

For more information about the program please contact Phil Lubitz at 732-940-0991, or plubitz@naminj.org.

Click to view the
NAMI NJ Do and Don't Card for Law Enforcement Education:

Program Materials:
[These materials have been developed and copyrighted by NAMI NEW JERSEY, and are available free of charge to any individual or agency. We ask that you contact Kathleen Considine, NAMI NJ Director of Affiliate and Profesional Training, at kconsidine@naminj.org (800-706-0316) before downloading this material and let us know how you will be using it.]

PowerPoint Presentation:
        "Mental Illness - What it is, what it isn’t. How to deal with people who have it."
12-page Class Handout:
        "Police Response to Mental Illness Crisis"
Our Stories:
        True stories of New Jersey residents and their courageous battle with mental illness
Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System
        What Families Can Do
LEEP Speakers Handbook