In 2021, the University of Arkansas School of Social Work partnered with the Fayetteville Police Department to pair officers with social workers trained to assist individuals experiencing mental health crises. Initially, the officers supported the establishment of the Crisis Intervention Response Team but had some reservations. Now that the co-response teams are fully operational, police officers say they believe the program benefits the community and aids them in fulfilling their duties.
The officers’ changing perspectives on the program were highlighted in the latest issue of the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. The article was authored by U of A social work professors Mark Plassmeyer and Kim Stauss, who helped launch the program and continue to collaborate with the Fayetteville Police Department on the co-response initiative. They spoke with Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis at the Carver Center for Public about their findings.
If you’re a student interested in learning more about police social work and crisis response, the lead social worker with the Crisis Intervention Response Team will teach Police, Social Work and Theory next semester at the U of A. Plassmeyer says he is happy to share more information. Reach him at mpplassm@uark.edu.
