Mental health advocates in New Jersey are criticizing a new program that allows the Burlington County Sheriff's Department to maintain a list of county residents who have severe mental disabilities. It was launched this month and allows caretakers to list names of loved ones suffering from such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, autism, schizophrenia, dementia, and bipolar disorder. The list is made available to police departments and emergency dispatchers.
Advocates say it affords families greater peace of mind.
But critics have raised privacy concerns over the program, which so far has about 30 names and lists psychological and medical conditions, physical descriptions, and contact information. She and others worry that careers and social lives could suffer if the information falls into the wrong hands. Her group recently helped Gloucester County develop a police training program on dealing with the mentally ill. Another mental health advocate said he also questions the Burlington County program. Others said they want the database to be put together with strict guidelines to verify that the people listed in the registry do have a mental disability.