Police and Social Workers as Members of New Crisis-Management Teams

Abstract

SEVERAL PROGRAMS OF POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKER COOPERATION IN DEALING WITH FAMILY CRISES ARE DESCRIBED AND ONE IS PROBED IN DEPTH. SOME OF THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH PROGRAMS ARE IDENTIFIED. THE TRADITIONAL CONFLICT BETWEEN POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKERS IS GIVING WAY UNDER THE NEED TO DEAL EFFECTIVELY WITH THE EXTENSIVE PROBLEM OF FAMILY CRISES. AFTER CITING THE PREVALENCE OF VIOLENT FAMILY CONFLICTS WHICH DEMAND POLICE INTERVENTION, SEVERAL PROGRAMS WHICH EMPLOY POLICE AND SOCIAL WORKER COOPERATION TO BLOCK AND HOPEFULLY REMEDY REPETITIVE AND ESCALATING FAMILY CONFLICTS ARE DESCRIBED. PROGRAMS FROM THE MILWAUKEE, SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, AND SAN JOSE AREAS ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED, AND PROJECT OUTREACH, A PROGRAM CONDUCTED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, IS EXAMINED IN SOME DEPTH. BEGUN IN 1973, PROJECT OUTREACH INVOLVES CRISIS INTERVENTION AS WELL AS SHORT-TERM COUNSELING OF UP TO 10 SESSIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO DEAL WITH SERIOUS FAMILY TENSIONS BY COORDINATING THE POLICE, MENTAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES IN THE AREA SERVED. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS TAKE TURNS RIDING WITH POLICE OFFICERS IN UNMARKED POLICE CARS DURING PEAK PERIODS FOR FAMILY CONFLICTS. A TYPICAL INCIDENT AND OUTREACH RESPONSE TO IT IS DESCRIBED IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROGRAM IN ACTION.IN THE PROGRAMS DISCUSSED, RESULTS SHOWED A DECREASE IN THE FREQUENCY OF POLICE CALLS TO THE SAME FAMILIES. SOME PROBLEMS LIKELY TO ARISE IN THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS DESCRIBED ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.(RCB)