Next time you call the Fayetteville Police Department, depending on the kind of help you need, you just might meet one of the embedded social workers who are part of the department's Crisis Intervention Team.  

That's because FPD and U of A's School of Social Work recently partnered to create a unique, proactive program to better serve the Fayetteville community and some of its most vulnerable populations.  

Together with School of Social Work faculty, the FDP secured a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice — just one of 33 departments to do so nationwide — to embed a social worker with the department's Crisis Intervention Team program as a pilot in summer 2021.  

This approach has already resulted in more than 400 referrals to the program, giving the community more access to legal aid and mental healthcare, and providing resources related to housing, drug rehabilitation, food insecurity and more. 

"We are incredibly proud and honored to be part of such a vital partnership and program that is actively helping our campus and surrounding community," said Kathryn Sloan, dean of the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, which is home to the School of Social Work.  

"Every time the Crisis Intervention Team helps someone, they are forever changing and bettering that person's life — but in many cases their help has repercussions that also positively impact families, communities, our city and ripple far beyond," she said.  

In one recent instance, the Crisis Intervention Team helped a woman struggling with methamphetamine use to create a care and recovery plan instead of charging her with possession. She's been sober since connecting with the team, has a plan to prevent relapse, and now knows who to contact if she needs more help. 

In another case, the team helped a man who was struggling with suicidal ideation and alcohol abuse. With the help of the team, he created a safety plan, voluntarily checked into inpatient care, received psychotherapy and medication, and after discharge, expressed gratitude for getting the help he needed. 

"I can confidently say that without the School of Social Work's assistance, we would not have received the grant award, hired an M.S.W. graduate or assisted over 400 individuals experiencing a crisis in getting the vital assistance they need," said FPD Lieutenant Tim Shepard.  

What's more, a similar partnership has now been established between the School of Social Work and the Springdale Police Department — and the school is receiving numerous inquiries about the program from police departments in neighboring states, too.  

In Fayetteville, the Crisis Intervention Team pilot came full circle this summer when Steven Greathouse, a U of A Master of Social Work graduate, joined the team full time as its lead social services advocate.   

"While I get to serve in the role of helping people, I genuinely learn something new from each individual I interact with," Greathouse said. "Any feedback on how we are doing — whether positive or negative — allows me to better understand the city of Fayetteville and why it is so strong." 

FPD's Shepard also credited the School of Social Work's clinical associate professors Ananda Rosa and Whitney Payne, assistant professor Mark Plassmeyer and professor Kim Stauss for their help to secure the grant and launch the program that became the Crisis Intervention Team, which he said has already "far exceeded my expectations." 

Likewise, Rosa said the partnership with FPD has been equally valuable to the school and its students, and she commended FPD's openness, collaboration and "strong sense of camaraderie and accomplishment."  

"[The partnership] presents a unique opportunity for students to gain valuable hands-on experience in the community and to be a vital part of paving the way for similar partnerships in other communities," Rosa said. "As social work practitioners and faculty, the value of this partnership lies in relationships that are forged and the hope to support FPD in their efforts to serve the community, and by utilizing data gathered to further help secure funding and other resources for the FPD." 

That hands-on field work experience was vital for Greathouse, who first started with the FPD as an intern while completing his master's degree in the School of Social Work. 

 "Providing the public with crisis-responding social workers gives our community the opportunity to not only resolve the crises they are experiencing, but to obtain the services required for preventing future crises as well," Greathouse said. "It is a proactive approach to community policing that prioritizes and helps some of our community's most vulnerable populations." 

Greathouse said he has also capitalized on the opportunity to use his expertise and experience in the program to guide other M.S.W. students and connect them to the Fayetteville community.  

"[These students] are learning how to apply theory to practice in real time, and seeing their levels of enthusiasm for the work we are doing is one of the most fulfilling parts of my job," Greathouse said.   

Within the next five years, Greathouse said the FPD would like to have at least seven Crisis Intervention Team members offering the community 24/7 coverage. 

"In 10 to 20 years, I hope to still be working within the field of social work in the criminal justice system — especially if it means continuing to build and maintain the program at the Fayetteville Police Department," Greathouse said.  

"Our officers, detectives, dispatchers, records staff and administration are clearly dedicated to the overall safety and wellbeing of our community, and it is an honor to serve Fayetteville alongside them as part of the FPD family," he added. 

As FPD's Shepard looks to the future of the program, he said he hopes this model for community support also becomes a best practice for police departments throughout the state of Arkansas, where such programs and resources can often be "inexcusably lacking."  

Shepard said he also looks forward to seeing how the program will shape the work and leadership of the FPD and its officers.  

"I hope that the program will give our officers a way to get people the help they desperately need, and in doing so, keep officers from becoming numb or jaded due to feeling helpless to assist the most vulnerable in our community," he said.  

For now, the program's success and partnership with the School of Social Work has left quite an impact on Shepard and how he sees his work.  

"Working with the School of Social Work on this program has been the most rewarding aspect of my career and one of the only bright spots during a turbulent, unprecedented time," Shepard said.  

"The knowledge imprinted on me through conversations with [U of A] staff has pushed me to look at the issues facing law enforcement from different viewpoints, which has hugely impacted how I approach my leadership role at the department," he added.  

As the Crisis Intervention Team's successes mount, the program's growth, partnership with the School of Social Work and assistance to the FPD will be paramount in keeping Fayetteville, as Greathouse said, the strong and thriving community it is.