Career As a Police Social Worker

by Brenda Scottsdale, studioD

Some police departments employ social workers to provide services in areas such as domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse, child abuse, juvenile delinquency and elder abuse. Social workers provide crisis intervention, interview child victims, provide mediation services and give referrals for treatment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median annual wage for all social workers, regardless of employer, was $42,480 as of May 2010.

Critical Incident Response

Some police departments hire their own social workers to conduct critical incident stress debriefing, or CISD, within 72-hours of a trauma, such as a mass murder, natural disaster or large scale industrial accident occurs. The goal of a CISD is to provide immediate mental health intervention for a group of people experiencing a severe stress reaction to minimize the number of people who develop post-traumatic stress. Police social workers conducting a CISD teach trauma victims coping skills, educate them regarding the healing process, help them realize they aren't alone and let them vent their emotions. (see reference 4)

Crisis Counseling

The police encounter victims of child abuse, rape, torture or physical assault on a regular basis, and calming these victims is sometimes beyond their expertise. Police social workers use six basic techniques to calm the victim down so she can give the police an accurate statement and begin to heal. These techniques include helping the victim define the problem; ensuring her safety; providing support; helping her examine alternatives; making a safety plan; and helping her get to the services she needs.

Expert Witness

Police social workers often serve as expert witnesses during court proceedings, especially with regard to family proceedings. In court they are typically asked to provide expert opinions, draw conclusions and respond to hypothetical statements. For complex issues, she might prepare charts or slides to illustrate points. Although she is speaking as an expert, she must translate technical terms into layperson's jargon for the court to understand.

Education and Training

One of the key roles of a police social worker is to train law enforcement officials on issues such as how to respond to rape victims, how to de-escalate a potentially violent situation, how to talk to child victims and how to look for potential mental health and substance abuse problems. In addition to providing information on the most effective techniques, police social workers prepare role playing scenarios to help law enforcement practice their skills. They might also provide followup and consultation, answering questions as they arise in daily work.

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