National Conference 2025

We are pleased to announce that our class offerings for the 2025 PSW Conference also include the following:

There’s Been An Active Shooter – Now What?
On October 25, 2023, Lewiston/Auburn, Maine survived a mass casualty event, which has now been listed as one of the top ten deadliest mass shootings in the United States, and a 48-hour man hunt for the person responsible. Then on Monday, life resumed as normal. Lynne Schmidt, LMSW-cc will share their personal experiences during the mass shooter event and areas where their agencies supported and failed their staff in the following days. This presentation will offer Trauma-Informed Practices in the hopes to encourage and help other agencies implement crisis policies to be better prepared.

Mezzo Matters: Bias, Bridges, and Building Better Narratives
This presentation explores the psychological and narrative-driven factors that contribute to divisions between police, social workers, and the communities they serve. The first half delves into cognitive biases and psychological mechanisms that drive societal fragmentation, offering insight into why these divisions arise. The second half focuses on practical strategies for communicating effectively with individuals and groups holding opposing views, emphasizing empathy and constructive dialogue. The presentation concludes by demonstrating how uniting narratives can foster long-term community cohesion. By identifying stakeholder archetypes and engaging with them thoughtfully, attendees will learn how to shape narratives that build trust and resilience. This interdisciplinary approach equips police officers and social workers with tools to navigate complex social dynamics and foster stronger, more unified communities.”

Situational Awareness
Situational awareness involves the perception of elements in the environment, comprehension and analysis of what these elements mean and how they relate to one another, and mitigation of any potential risks or dangerous events. This presentation will explore basic safety concepts, verbal and nonverbal indicators of potential danger, and the importance of perception and planning. Additionally, this presentation will highlight ways to maintain safety before, during, and after interactions with clients/subjects to ensure that everyone goes home safely at the end of their workday.

LEAD with a SMILE (LEAD – Law Enforcement Assisted Deflection, SMILE – Social Workers, Motivational Interviewing, and Law Enforcement)
In 2016, the West Columbia Police Department in South Carolina began an Outreach program in which master-level social work students follow up on officer referrals to provide resource connections for individuals whose interactions with officers are rooted in unaddressed substance use, mental health, poverty, or other social service-related needs. In May 2024, WCPD was one of six departments across South Carolina to be awarded a sub-grant through a Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-Based Program (COSSUP) grant. In partnering with the SC Department of Mental Health, Clemson University, and SC Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, the Outreach program expanded to include pre-arrest deflection, crisis intervention, and long-term case management services. This expansion aims to increase our ability to serve our community through immediate response, hands-on individualized care, and increased engagement within the mezzo and macro levels of social work practice. Throughout our presentation, we will discuss the evolution of our program, the essential role of motivational interviewing, and how the intervention of pre-arrest deflection through social work services facilitates individuals’ connection to critical resources, reduces the burden on the criminal justice system, and fosters a more supportive, community-centered approach to addressing complex social issues.

PSW-Led Quick Response Team: Addressing Homelessness, Substance Use and Mental Health through Prevention and Partner Collaboration
Police Social Worker (PSW) roles, while unstandardized, generally provide resources and referrals to individuals following law enforcement contact. Quick Response Teams (QRTs) provide immediate response and linkage to care to individuals following an overdose. Multidisciplinary collaboration across police and social service sectors has traditionally been lacking. Recognizing the intersectionality between substance use, mental health and homelessness, a northern Michigan community, led by the Traverse City Police Department (TCPD), sought to augment traditional PSW and QRT models by developing a PSW-led, city-wide, collaborative, multidisciplinary team of over 50 treatment providers offering comprehensive linkage to care for individuals post-overdose and those identified as at-risk. Individuals who participated in the voluntary program received wrap-around care including substance use treatment, harm reduction, mental health, housing, disability, employment services, and support from numerous other community agencies within the justice, health and community systems. During this interactive workshop, participants will learn about the development, successes and barriers of the TCPD QRT program. Participants will then use this model to describe successes and shortcomings (“potholes”) of their own PSW role, and seek actionable ways to fill gaps related to capacity, follow up, agency partnerships, bridging the gap between law enforcement and community, and supporting vulnerable people.

Sustainable Futures for Police Social Work: Using Data and Practical Multi-Level Skills for Success and Growth
Public safety social work has grown significantly in the 21st century in large and small cities across the country. As embedded police social work positions are established, agencies are faced with figuring out how to sustain and grow such positions. Quantifying outcomes from police social work using realistic data collection can lead to the development of new community resources and provide a political rationale for keeping and growing such positions. Specialized skills training for social workers focused on group facilitation, training, advocacy, and community engagement will provide new value to communities, enhance public safety efforts, and make a compelling case for growth. Public safety social work programs that emphasize and use realistic data collection and engage in group (mezzo) and community, organization, and policy (macro) skills may be well-positioned to help agencies justify programs to navigate 21st-century public safety challenges. This presentation will provide 1) a brief overview of emerging trends and research on public safety social work, 2) explain the practical value of data collection and share a free model with participants, and 3) a model of practical tips and mezzo and macro skills coaching designed to sustain a strong multi-tiered police social work program.

Front Lines & Autism- Linked Up with LINKED
LINKED- Autism Safety Project is committed to building strong partnerships between the first responder and special needs communities, ensuring that everyone has access to the support and resources they need to stay safe in emergency situations. This workshop discusses why building relationships between first responders and the special needs community is crucial for fostering trust and understanding.  We will actively engage in discussions and shared experiences that can help bridge the gap. We will discuss why education and resources to should be used to create opportunities for interaction with first responders is essential. LINKED programming provides a mutual understanding and collaboration. Our initiatives not only improves response strategies but also empower the special needs community, ensuring they feel supported and included.

Bridging Social Work and Law Enforcement: Practical Strategies for Effective Collaboration
The Bardstown Police Department has emerged as a leader in integrating social work into law enforcement, enhancing officer well-being and strengthening community trust. This interactive workshop equips social work and law enforcement professionals with evidence-based tools and best practices to optimize service delivery. Designed for practitioners at all levels, the workshop focuses on actionable strategies for crisis intervention, utilizing therapy animals like Maverick for support, and implementing trauma-informed care for diverse populations. Participants will engage in role-play scenarios, group discussions, and hands-on activities to build practical skills, foster collaboration, and develop tailored intervention plans. By emphasizing “how-to” approaches, the workshop offers participants clear, actionable insights to address real-world challenges in law enforcement and social work contexts. Learning outcomes include mastery of crisis de-escalation techniques, integration of therapy animals, application of evidence-based interventions, and peer collaboration for enhanced service delivery. This workshop reaffirms Bardstown’s commitment to advancing police social work, empowering professionals to deliver culturally competent, impactful services that promote resilience, justice, and community well-being.

Impact on Decreasing Cumulative Stress on Both First Responders and Our Care Team Partners: Through Peer Support and Other Self-Care Strategies
This presentation will take a look at cumulative stress in the workplace and how to minimize the impacts on oneself: Specifically for First Responders and the care team partners who care for these First Responders. Strategies used on a micro and macro level will be discussed. Including, but not limited to, the utilization of internal and external resources. This will include peer support teams and one’s own self-care strategies.

How am I doing? Self-Reflection and Self-Care
The “How am I doing?” bumper sticker serves as a simple yet profound reminder for self-reflection. For professional helpers – police officers and social workers – it can serve as an analogy for self-care by prompting regular check-ins on emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Just as a driver may glance at their vehicle’s dashboard to assess how things are running, professional helpers can use this concept to gauge how they are handling the stressors and demands of their work.  This presentation will review the stressors of being professional helpers and will explore the essential strategies for checking in and managing self-care through difficult work.

Peer Support: An Evidence Based Practice
This course will provide individuals with an overview of how to establish a PEER Support Team at one’s own police department. Including how to structure the team, who to include, what legal implications are there (if any), and how to sustain a viable positive PEER Support Team. This presentation explores the critical role of peer support programs in fostering resilience and wellbeing among law enforcement professionals.

Using the Opioid Settlement Funds to Support Your Work
Nationally, over $50 billion dollars are being distributed to states and territories through the Opioid Settlement Funds in the next decade. Funds are allocated to 52 states and territories, and thousands of local governments based on agreements, with the majority being required to be used for opioid remediation. Much of this money, especially at the local level, remains unspent and available to police/social worker teams. This presentation will familiarize participants with the major sections of the master opioid settlement agreement, provide examples of how money can be spent and provide advocacy and research tools to find the money in their community.

Prioritizing Wellness and Maintaining Balance with Stress Reduction Techniques
This abstract outlines a comprehensive presentation that aims to address the issue of the lack of wellness or the importance of maintaining balance within the dimensions of wellness and support a better work-life balance. The primary objective of the presentation is to enhance the understanding of the 8 dimensions of wellness, identify the individual’s current work life balance and implement the newly learned stress reduction techniques to create a more balanced lifestyle. Individuals will learn different techniques or methods to incorporate for day-to-day stress reduction. Those techniques will include but are not limited to the following: mindful meditation, yoga, journaling, therapy, physical fitness regimes and maintaining social bonds. This presentation will also include interactive demonstrations of breathing exercises as well as yoga poses. The presentation aims to empower individuals by fostering ways to maintain balance and prioritize wellness with variations of techniques to cope with stressful professions and conditions. This presentation will overall promote long-term healthy habits.

Affirming and Effectively Working with Transgender, Nonbinary, and Other LGBTQ+ People
Learn key concepts relevant to working with transgender, nonbinary, and other LGBTQ+ people. We will provide a brief history of police interaction, contemporary community concerns, and the roles implicit bias and minority stress theory play when police, social workers, and other community providers interact with members of the LGBTQ+ community. Come with your questions. We will provide opportunities for you to reflect on and learn from prior interactions as well as engage in role plays to hone your skills.

Data-Driven Care: Program Evaluation and Measuring Success in Police-Social Work Collaborations      
Funders and community stakeholders alike need data to know that police social work programs are working. However, there are challenges inherent in tracking outcomes for work that involves collaboration among multiple systems with different data collection practices and different definitions of success. In this session, we will discuss how to define success, and offer examples of what to measure, how to measure it, and how to report those results. We’ll share our experiences working with seven police departments, including the data needed for various funding partners, town and county Boards, and the public.

Police and Peers: Best Practices to Embed Community Members with Lived Experience into Your Law Enforcement Agency
This panel will explore the importance of embedding individuals with lived experience in law enforcement agencies to bridge the gap between police and the communities they serve. By highlighting best practices and actionable strategies, it will showcase how peer integration can enhance prevention, treatment, and support for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). The presentation will feature insights from law enforcement, behavioral health, and nonprofit leaders. It will focus on the innovative efforts of the Connecticut Community and Law Enforcement for Addiction Recovery (CLEAR) team and their work at the Watertown Police Department. The CLEAR program is a deflection model that fosters a collaborative response to addiction, strengthening connections to care and support for those with SUD. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on embedding peers within their agencies, learning from real-world examples and expert guidance. The session will also introduce the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI)’s new guide on embedding peers, offering a step-by-step framework to assist agencies in implementing these strategies. Participants will leave prepared to address the unique needs of their community members affected by substance use.

Strengthening Community Ties through Police Department Partnerships with School Districts
This presentation explores the collaborative efforts between police departments and school districts aimed at enhancing safety and fostering a supportive environment for students.  In our small suburban community, we’ve developed a collaborative model to strengthen ties between the police department and our schools.  A crucial aspect of these initiatives is the focus on fostering positive relationships between police officers and young people through various programs. By sharing these strategies, we hope to inspire other communities to develop tailored approaches that promote safety, engagement, and mutual respect between law enforcement and youth.

Unified Front: Applying the Co-responder model to integrate Social Work and Law Enforcement
This presentation examines the co-responder model as a framework for integrating social work practices within law enforcement operations. Attendees will gain insights into the roles of each profession, the challenges of collaboration, and strategies for effective joint interventions. We will discuss confidentiality, diversion from the criminal justice system, strategies for building rapport with those presently in crisis, the great importance of strong community partnerships, the value of conducting home visits, victim advocacy, and basic navigation of mental health statutes.  Examination of how each profession must adopt a basic understanding and practices of the other. Through compassion, and a problem-solving method we aim to advance the lives of those in crisis and improve outcomes for the community and police department.