Book Description

This monograph explains the concept that underlies police family-crisis intervention training and discusses some guidelines and problems in organizing such a program. In order to explain the importance of the term "family crisis intervention" as originally defined, the author discusses two areas of human behavior that relate to this police function: interpersonal conflict management and crisis intervention theory and practice. The second major section of the monograph focuses on organizational and operational considerations in introducing family-crisis intervention training in a police agency. Given that organizational change inevitably stimulates ambivalence in the personnel affected by the change, police managers must respect and address this ambivalence if the change is to be achieved effectively. The change must also have clearly defined incentives and rewards. Means must be found to reward the high degree of competence required in police family crisis intervention. Three models for police family crisis intervention are profiled, followed by descriptions of three training models: intensive training, field training, and combined intensive and field training, which holds the greatest promise if properly conceived and implemented. In discussing police agency relationships with other agencies, the monograph advises that an effective strategy of family crisis intervention requires the establishment of working relationships between the police and other agencies of the helping system.