Internal Perceptions: A Look at the Fayetteville Police Department's Partnership with Social Workers
Date of Graduation
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
School of Social Work
Advisor/Mentor
Kimberly Stauss
Keywords
co-response;crisis intervention;law enforcement;mental health;police;social work
Abstract
The development of co-response models where law enforcement partner with social workers or mental health clinicians to respond to individuals in mental health crises or with other social needs is on the rise throughout the United States. The Fayetteville, AR Police Department (FPD) developed their program with a University of Arkansas School of Social Work (UA) intern in 2021. The newly created Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) now has two full-time, two-person co-response teams along with two social work interns and has plans for growth. This study looks at FPD sworn and civilian employees’ perceptions of embedding social workers/advocates into their department. Results and discussion highlight factors that have made the program work thus far, lessons learned, and suggestions for program improvement as it continues to grow.
Citation
Gute, M. (2023). Internal Perceptions: A Look at the Fayetteville Police Department's Partnership with Social Workers. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/4978