YOUNGSTOWN — Work is progressing on the Mahoning County Blue Envelope Initiative, an effort to help law enforcement become better aware of diagnosed conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, dementia or anxiety among individuals they encounter.

Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova spoke to the Mahoning County commissioners Wednesday about the Blue Envelope Program during a staff meeting at the commissioners’ offices in the county administration building. She explained the program to commissioners and Chief Deputy William Cappabianca of the sheriff’s office.

“The Blue Envelope Program works by allowing individuals to readily display the Blue Envelope logo or present a Blue Envelope upon contact with law enforcement or other community service personnel,” according to a flyer produced by the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.

The Blue Envelope Initiative will involve creating and providing items such as envelopes, brochures, lanyards, key chains and bracelets.

The prosecutor’s office works with all of the county’s law enforcement agencies and will help them explain the Blue Envelope Initiative, DeGenova said. She wants to roll it out in March, which is Disabilities Awareness Month.

DeGenova said the public will be informed through the prosecutor’s office’s social media accounts, news articles and public service announcements so individuals who can benefit from the program can learn where to obtain their Blue Envelope and instructions for the program.

She expects the Blue Envelope and other materials to be available at local police stations, DeGenova said. Among places the envelopes can be useful are in a person’s car, DeGenova noted.

She said it can be extremely important to understand the reason why a person is behaving unexpectedly.

“If I’m suffering from an anxiety disorder and I’m stopped by a police officer, I may seem nervous, but it may be because I suffer from this condition. If the police officer knows, they can account that behavior to a condition instead of someone who might be noncompliant or aggressive. It’s going to help law enforcement to understand the situation and the background as quickly as possible when they are walking up to a car by the side of the road,” she said.

The program is voluntary, DeGenova said.

Examples of items that could be placed in the blue envelope are a photocopy of the person’s driver’s license, vehicle registration and current insurance card.

The program will operate in conjunction with the Mahoning County Special Needs Registry, which was launched by the prosecutor’s office in 2022. That program helps police and fire crews responding to a location where a person with special needs resides. It currently has more than 100 participants.

That program provides dispatchers with information that can be instantly relayed to first responders when a call for services takes place.

DeGenova has said the database can also reveal situations that might upset a special needs person.

“When the officer is dispatched, the 911 operator will let them know what the special needs are and what the triggers are,” she said.

The registry also provides first responders with a photo of the disabled person. The photo can help first responders quickly identify the registered person.

erunyan@vindy.com