HAYWARD (CA) - POLICE DEPARTMENT - PROJCT OUTREACH - A PROGRAM OF FAMILY CRISIS INTERVENTION - FINAL EVALUATION REPORT

• NCJ Number: 16626
• Author(s): T E WHALEN; S CALCAGNO
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 60 pages
• Grant Number(s): OCJP 1452-1
• Sponsoring Agency: California Office of Criminal Justice Planning
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

ASSESSMENT OF A POLICE PROJECT TO DECREASE TIME SPENT ON FAMILY DISTURBANCE CALLS AND TO INCREASE THE ABILITY OF POLICE TO HANDLE THESE CASES THROUGH TRAINING IN INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES, INDICATING PROGRAM SUCCESS.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM WERE TO REDUCE BY ONE-FOURTH THE REPEAT FAMILY DISTURBANCE CALLS, TO REDUCE TIME SPENT ON FAMILY DISPUTES BY 20 PERCENT, TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF POLICE TO HANDLE FAMILY DISTURBANCE CALLS, TO DETERMINE WHICH OF TWO APPROACHES UTILIZED WERE MOST EFFECTIVE, AND TO BRING THE PROBLEMS OF FAMILIES FREQUENTLY NEEDING CRISIS INTERVENTION BY POLICE TO CLOSURE. EVALUATION MEASURES CONSISTED OF A REVIEW OF POLICE RECORDS OF FAMILY DISTURBANCE CALLS, A QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED TO POLICE AFTER A 20-HOUR TRAINING COURSE, A PRE-POST INSTRUMENT TO ASSESS ATTITUDE CHANGES, AND OPINIONS OF POLICE AND CLIENT FAMILIES. THE TWO APPROACHES TO HANDLING FAMILY CRISIS CALLS CONSISTED OF COUNSELORS RESPONDING ALONG WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND REFERRALS TO COUNSELORS BY POLICE. A COMPARISON OF RESULTS WITH THE YEAR PRIOR TO THE PROJECT INDICATED A 22 PERCENT REDUCTION IN FAMILY CRISIS CALLS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE SHOWED MARKED CHANGES IN ATTITUDE, AND A POSITIVE VIEW OF THE TRAINING RECEIVED. THE COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVE COUNSELING APPROACHES SHOWED FEW DIFFERENCES IN CLIENT OUTCOMES, WHILE REPEATED CALLS FROM FAMILIES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. SANTA CLARA