National Conference on PSW

History of the Annual National Conference on Police Social Work

The first National Conference on Police Social Work was held in October 2021. The conference emerged from the Bloomington Police Department (Indiana), Social Work & Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project Network members, due to the high volume of calls for guidance on Police Social Work that the Bloomington Police Department was receiving. It attracted more than 100 stakeholders and professionals, all interested in learning about social work and law enforcement practice. The Bloomington Police Department created the conference in 2021. The Bloomington Police Department employed full-time police social worker in 2019 to address non-criminal situations and build community connections and trust.

In 2022, the Bloomington Police Department renamed the conference the National Association of Public Safety Social Workers. In 2023, the conference came under the umbrella of the Social Work & Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project, and reclaimed its original name, the National Conference on Police Social Work. The SWLE Project is now collaborating with the founding members of the conference in the Bloomington Police Department to advance the ethical and effective integration of social work services into law enforcement agencies by preparing social workers and social work interns to assume roles in the field of police social work. At the heart of the SWLE Project is bridging communities to establish relationships and build trust after the murder of George Floyd.

The conference combines the vision of the Bloomington Police Department and the SWLE Project to move forward in 2024. The National Conference on Police Social Work offers the opportunity for national leaders from the law enforcement and social work fields to explore and share successful methods and best practices for social workers and police departments to work together. The conference seeks to bridge communities at the national and state level in the 21st century through education, training, research, professional development, and networking. The conference brings together social workers, law enforcement, educators, students, and community members through leading edge content from experts in the fields of social work and law enforcement.

Social Work CEUs and Connecticut POSTC credit will be offered.