MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, in coordination with County Human Services Director Jennifer Carpinteri, has initiated a new Morris County Identification Card program for residents, from ages 18 to 54, who lack valid forms of ID needed to access essential medical, mental health, social services, and employment programs.
The Sheriff’s new free ID Program, to start the week of June 26, will operate as a walk-in service on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., in the Sheriff’s Office at the Morris County Courthouse in Morristown.
County residents, from 18 to 54, also can call (973) 285-6600 to make an appointment to get a county ID card. In addition, the Sheriff’s Hope One program, which interfaces with needy and struggling persons, will help connect residents with the new ID card offering.
“We want to help our county residents in the at-risk community, who may have few resources and not much of a support system, get the services they need to make them whole or get them on the road to recovery,’’ said Sheriff Gannon. “Making sure they have valid identification can make all of the difference in the world to our county residents.’’
The county Department of Human Services, through recent discussions with program personnel and clients, found an identification system void for homeless residents and many other persons (in the ages 18 to 54 range) who do not have a valid drivers’ license or some other form of required identification.
Carpinteri’s Human Services team, in searching for a way to assist these county residents, approached the Sheriff’s Office.
“Fortunately, Sheriff Gannon recognized the value of this critical need and with his typical solution-based approach, volunteered to partner with the Department of Human Services to offer county identifications to residents who require them,’’ said Morris County Administrator John Bonanni.
A lack of proper identification can make it difficult for some county residents to obtain needed medical services and psychiatric services, and to participate in alcohol detoxification services or intensive outpatient counseling programs. A lack of valid identification also causes problems for residents seeking housing, temporary assistance benefits, and employment.
It has even prevented persons seeking help through Hope One from getting into treatment programs.
“We needed to take a sophisticated approach to this dilemma, to help find a way to ensure our special needs population has identification needed to open doors to the many services available to our residents here in Morris County,’’ said Human Services Director Jennifer Carpinteri. “We had to find a partner to fill the gap created by the lack of identification and Sheriff Gannon stepped right in to help.’’
To make an appointment for an ID card or learn more about the program, call (973) 285-6600 or click here.
To learn more about Hope One, click here.
To learn about the county’s full range of social services, click here.
