Crisis situation and law enforcement go hand in hand and only recently, the concept of utilizing social services as a way to deal with situations that the police deal with have come into being. Law enforcement agencies across the country are looking at and implementing what is called "community oriented policing" or "problem oriented policing." Departments are finding that they are spending just as much if not more of an officers time on "service calls" as opposed to actual crime.
People in times of crisis almost always come into contact, one way or the other, with the police department. Many times, it is a conscious decision and they reach out for help from the police. However, we have found that even when people do not consciously ask the police for help, they somehow end up coming into contact wit the police. Why is that? We are socialized to look up to police officers or to dial 911 in an emergency. Police officers are a consistent presence in the community. They are on the streets, in our schools, and visibly present in the community. Not only when your house is burglarized, but when your teen runs away, your friend commits suicide, or a family member is out of control and your fear for your safety as well as your sanity. Police response is immediate and if they can't help you, chances are they know who can. Police response offers immediate assistance, restores the peace, and gives you a sense of security during times of crisis. When all else fails, people turn to the police.
It is with that understanding that police social work programs now exist and more and more departments are turning to community mental health providers for their assistance. This need continues to grow with the present state of our health care system. More and more people are back in the community rather than in structured facilities or programs. This calls all of us as mental health providers to approach these questions from a systems point of view and to manage are clients with the resources available within the community and this can often include law enforcement.
It is important to distinguish what population the police are usually addressing. The techniques and approaches we will be focusing on are for clients who other treatment providers have labeled resistant, can't afford treatment, can't get themselves to treatment, or who are in denial that they are in need of help. Coping mechanisms for these people include acting out in the community where others notice something isn't right and police are called, or severe alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence victims who are isolated and unconnected with resources. Children who are in trouble with the law and are causing problems in the community and within the home fall into this group. Those who suffer mental illness or are victims of child abuse or elder or are helpless are also included.
By establishing a solid working relationship with police departments, mental health providers can begin to reach these people that otherwise may go unreached and whose situations deteriorate and can easily become a life and death situation. By educating and training law enforcement in areas such as mental illness and the mental health system, they learn how to "play the game" to get the services the clients need. Mental health is still a very misunderstood social problem that due to ignorance, scare police. It is also an area that doesn't always involve crime so that they have received no formal training and they don't see it as part of their job. Or it goes unrecognized.
Having a good working knowledge of the criminal justice system and of the social service systems allows for the two disciplines to work hand in hand to achieve the same goal. Law enforcement can be used as a means of leverage to help motivate clients into accepting the help that they need. Working with a law enforcement agency presents you with a great opportunity to monitor and track client's level of functioning which can also help prevent involuntary hospitalizations, future violations of the law, and in determining if and when a client becomes a danger to himself or others.
Taking a team oriented approach and enlisting the cooperation of all the systems involved, cases can be managed and monitored after the crisis situation. This can be of great assistance the next time a similar crisis situation erupts and in preventing future crises.
What we have found in working with the police is that they welcome ways that can make their jobs easier and more effective. They want to see people get the help they need so that they don't require police assistance. With their expertise of the law and our expertise about social service systems, great things can be accomplished.