Last year, the Lehigh County Chiefs of Police Association and LVHN, now part of Jefferson Health, introduced the Blue Envelope Program. The initiative seeks to aid in communication between drivers with communication challenges and police officers during traffic stops.
After less than a year of existence in Lehigh County, the program will now expand to Northampton County. The Northampton County Chiefs of Police Association has announced their partnership, bringing the program to more than thirty new departments.
Ryan Hay, Administrator of Emergency Operations at LVHN, said the launch of the Blue Envelope Program in Lehigh County earned significant interest from neighboring counties.
Primarily aimed at drivers with autism, the program provides participating drivers with a blue envelope to carry in their vehicle. The front of the envelope indicates whether the driver is verbal or nonverbal, and lists instructions on what to do during a traffic stop. On the back of the envelope is a list of tips for police officers to ensure the interaction is as stress-free as possible for both parties.
A paper inside the envelope explains more about the program and gives emergency contact information for the driver. Also explained on the paper is the difficulty many drivers with autism face regarding understanding or responding to questions.
Jill Colabroy, MD, of Lehigh Valley Physician Group, says the tool can give officers and drivers a starting point for communicating, while both reducing fear and increasing awareness.
Blue envelopes, available in both English and Spanish, can be obtained from Lehigh or Northampton County police departments, at Lehigh Valley Physician Group Family Medicine, Pediatrics or Internal Medicine offices, or through LVHN.org/blueenvelope.
