crisis

Police Social Workers

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Social workers in police stations and on police department pay roll? It seems like that could go two ways depending on the person in the position. Personally I would think that working at the police station but being employed by an outside agency would lead to greater community difference.

Many towns in and around the Chicago area employ the use of police social workers. It sounds like a wonderful resource in crisis intervention scenarios. But from the content of the story that I have linked at the bottom of this post, it sounds like they are advocating for police social workers to do services that other community agencies already do.

The issue I have with social workers being employed by the police station is whether they will remain true to their unique social work ethical standards and values. In a working environment, you really want to acquiesce with the workplace culture and I would worry that social workers wouldn’t want to challenge fellow coworkers regarding the different types of work that they do and the level of advocacy they conduct with individuals versus the community as a whole.

In the end, I think it is a great resource opportunity for communities to consider. However, the community needs the money  and long term financial stability to be able to hire highly trained workers. Then maybe the social workers will be able to become trainers for the police that they work with in collaboration.

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160201/news/160209974/

Restrictive Measures Part 2

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I’d like to solidify my interest in addressing this topic. I am trying to find out why agencies that address community crisis do not employ the professionals or the training needed to address crisis events in a more broad client population.

My first contact was with DHS about some of my questions regarding community crisis and using police as an intervention tool. I had phone and email contact with Brett Loescher, a policy manager for the state of WI.

What I garnered from that contact was that people needing restrictive measures have a history of aggressive behaviors, so community crisis programs don’t serve them. It was suggested that hospitals and institutions were available for clients with more aggressive histories. But there was an attempt made to point out that de-institutionalization is valued over long term institutional residency. It was an unfamiliar topic when I questioned whether police were being contacted as a crisis tool in community crisis programs. I don’t think I came away with any new insights or answers to my questions.

Through education and research, I know that de-institutionalization began in the 70’s. However I don’t buy in to the suggestion that we are de-emphasizing institutional care as much as people like to talk about it.

It’s becomes a paradox when community crisis agencies don’t use behavioral supports in serving clients. Specifically those whose history may prove problematic for agency-specific services or the skills of unlicenced professionals. Medication is chemical restraint and it is part of the intervention or management of mental illness. But when an agency seeks to hire professionals that only receive internal agency training, how knowledgeable are professionals on the complex effects of medications and keeping updated on the daily mental/physical/environmental changes of clients?

Currently I am following the Post Crescent on their series about addressing children’s mental health. They covered a story about police departments not having crisis intervention training. So that presents another question; when you know that you don’t have the authority or training to handle a situation and you call the police, what are you really expecting?

My next contact will be with police departments.

Restrictive Measures: Part 1

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I’ve been slowly adding to a topic about community crisis and the use of restrictive measures. It seems to be a very controversial topic to discuss or mention. However, the alternative is not mentioning it and using more trauma-inducing methods of intervention. I feel like I have way too many questions to be addressed in just one post. So this will be an ongoing series of posts and fact-finding interviews with community leaders.

My biggest questions in this topic are: Why more community crisis agencies don’t apply for the state approval to use R.M.s? Why agencies are hand selecting specific clients while others are forwarded to hospitals or institutions? Do these agencies use the police as their crisis intervention technique?

The requirements and approval process for using restrictive measures are located in the following statutes and codes. WI statutes: 50.02(2), 51.61(1), 51.61(1i) and administrative codes: HFS 83.21 (4n), 94.10  Restrictive measures should be considered the method of last resort. The preceding methods include behavioral supports such as crisis intervention or de-escalation.

I started my experience with restrictive measures during a graduate school internship. Working with youth that had aggressive behaviors that warranted behavioral supports and R.M.s. Restrictive measures were built into their behavior intervention plans with prior approval for using specific measures. Most often, any physical contact with a client would be defensive, such as blocking a punch or holding their arms so they couldn’t injure themselves or others while they were verbally calmed down.

The state’s long-term care department made accusations about the agency using too many R.M.s with clients and I was able to review their documentation and prove that their use of R.M.s was drastically below what had been assumed. One reason for that is because they employed amazing people that knew how to build a trusting relationship with clients.

After ending my internship and going out into the surrounding communities to find employment, I discovered that while trauma-informed care was the hot new issue in research and training; other agencies that handled crisis and mental health were not using behavioral supports or crisis interventions in the same way as my internship agency. In fact, I found this local, state, and national epidemic of agency professionals using the police to intervene in crisis situations.

My first contact was Bret Loescher at DHS who is a Restrictive Measures Policy Manager. Both email and phone conversations.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Crisis Response Starts with Service Awareness

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Police being called to assist in mental health crises is one of the issues that isn’t mentioned in the linked article below. Yes, police are called in these instances however, it should not be the first response for a mental health crisis call.
In my community, NAMI conducts a crisis intervention team (CIT) training. This training is also offered to other professionals and community members. The main failure in other communities is when consumers are not aware of other available resources for crisis response. The Fox Cities has a 211 number you can call that provides a list of community services which also includes the county crisis line.
If a family member called someone without a weapon who had a professional license and training, situations could be handled through dialogue and the therapeutic relationship that develops when professionals meet with clients in intake appointments. Using community crisis services may also offer insight into the client who may already have history with a professional. Also, many people who have experienced trauma can see police presence as a triggering event, furthering the breakdown of a crisis response.
I don’t necessarily blame police, I blame their training protocols and the quickness in which a weapon is used when responding to a situation. In no way do I think police shouldn’t remain vigilant or protective of their own safety. However maybe there can be less of an emphasis on the fact that police carry guns and guns can exacerbate a crisis situation. There are tazers and rubber bullets that can also be used when people are able to properly assess the level of immediate danger.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/12/29/why-police-calls-involving-the-mentally-ill-often-end-in-tragedy/

Police and Social Workers Team Up

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In the area that I live, there is a volunteer crisis response team. They work in partnership with the county’s crisis hotline and also the police. This is a prime example of how crisis response should be handled.
I also like that the crisis team of police and social workers in the linked story below primarily focus their efforts on community outreach and establishing relationships with people in need of services.
Not enough agencies do proactive community outreach with the client populations they serve. And sometimes, crisis services are disconnected from each other or only select clients qualify for certain services.
There is still institutionalization in this country. Clients with aggressive behaviors are not served in community-based agencies, rather they go to hospitals or institutions. I believe that needs to change. I believe trained, licensed professionals need to stand up for these clients and attempt to prevent institutional crisis responses.
What are your thoughts? Does your community respond to crisis in a collaborative and professional way?

Source: Police and Social Workers Team To Help The Troubled

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