Dare County is offering a communication tool through a new program aimed at helping those who may have a condition or disability like autism or dementia, when they encounter the police.
The Blue Envelope Program is offered through a partnership between Outer Banks Health Hospital, Dare County, and local law enforcement agencies.
The blue envelope will be presented to an officer during any interaction, and shows what the person is diagnosed with, and what challenges they may have.
“There's a card inside that has the person’s name and contact information of a loved one or family member,” said Jennifer Schwartzenburg, the director of Community Outreach with Outer Banks Health.
Schwartzenburg said her coworker initiated the idea of the county having a Blue Envelope Program.
“We had a team member that brought this idea to us a few months back,” she said. “She had seen it in another state that she used to live in and thought that this would be a good fit for some of the patients that we see at our hospital, and some of the people that we work with in our community.”
Outer Banks Health Hospital has already distributed blue envelopes to local law enforcement and public libraries in the area. People or caregivers can get them for free at those designated places.
Moving forward, Outer Banks Health plans to create something similar with the public schools in Dare County.
