WHO WE ARE
Values
RESILIENCE: We believe that the population we serve is inherently resilient. We know that the compounding effects of trauma, grief and community barriers can limit feelings of adequacy and the ability to thrive, making participants “vulnerable.” By providing opportunities for meaningful engagement and reducing community barriers, we aim to foster individuals’ recognition of their own resilience, empower participants, support community agencies, and improve the lives of the people we serve.
PARTICIPANT-LED GOALS: We believe in Housing First as a principle of prioritization. Housing is often a participant’s immediate goal and the foundation for long-term stability; research shows that without housing, other interventions, like recovery, are less likely to succeed long-term. Because community barriers can limit access to affordable housing, we recognize it may not be a participant’s first goal achieved. We honor each participant’s self-determination to work toward goals in multiple areas, such as recovery, housing, mental health, physical health and the justice system, concurrently.
COLLABORATION: We believe that one person or agency alone cannot solve system barriers, and we therefore value the partnerships that we maintain across multiple systems. We recognize that excellent coordination of care exists beyond the RESILIENCE Program and honor the partners we work with, respecting their varied mission statements. We believe that in most situations, everyone can be at least “a little bit right” and value the ability of partners to work together to meet the needs of the whole person we serve.
CONFIDENTIALITY: We believe it is in our participants’ best interest to share information for the purposes of coordination of care, make agency referrals and create opportunities for engagement, according to the sharing preferences outlined by participants. We believe in a shared release and also respect the right of participants to limit information sharing. In turn, we limit the sharing of each situation to only partners who “need to know,” including the primary team partners and secondary agencies if their services are relevant for discussion. We value confidentiality and maintain protection of information unless there is a risk of harm to any person.
ACTION: We believe that we can make a difference to change the systemic barriers faced by community agencies and participants. By reducing agency silos and creating networks of collaboration, we believe that our community is stronger together. We acknowledge policy limitations and avoid placing blame. We value the voice of everyone involved in the RESILIENCE Program, including participants and partner agencies. We believe in hosting actionable, purposeful meetings with tangible solutions, working around and through problems that arise.
TRAUMA-INFORMED ACCOUNTABILITY: We believe that accountability is an expression of love and maintain expectations for our participants to engage with PSWs and make progress on client-led goals, at a pace that aligns with their individual abilities. We believe that all people and professionals should understand the profound impacts of trauma and work to create safe environments, recognize signs of trauma, foster trusting relationships, avoid stigmatizing language, and promote collaboration. We believe in being clear, consistent and reliable in our actions, explaining the limits in how we can help, offering choices, encouraging autonomy, and following through on commitments.
BOTH/AND ENFORCEMENT: We believe that vulnerable individuals should not be criminalized, and also recognize that a person’s behaviors may not be allowable in certain circumstances. We support participants being held to the same behavior standards as other individuals in our community, and recognize that participants may go to jail. While we are not a jail alternative program, we support providing jail alternative options when possible and continuing coordination of care while incarcerated.
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY: We believe in real solutions and working around and through “potholes,” or gaps in service provisions between agencies. We recognize that some solutions can occur at a local level, and others might include federal policy changes or multiple system collaboration. We aim to work together with our community partners to change policies at any level we are able in order to better serve our population and fill these potholes, and to make adaptations to support our local community if federal policy change is not an option right away.
Pillars
We believe our participants are inherently resilient, and by reducing barriers and creating meaningful opportunities, we aim to foster and cultivate the strengths they already hold.
WHAT WE DO
Daily Operations
Police Support Services Workers (PSWs)
- Conduct follow up and field response, and coordinate with community agencies
- Goal of the position is to reduce law enforcement contacts for vulnerable people
- Facilitate whole-person coordination of care without a predetermined “agenda”
- Collaborate with community agencies to solve barriers and support participants
- Encourage partner agency prioritization of and response to participants, sometimes nicknamed “community dispatch”
- Division of Duties - Police Social Worker Coordinator vs. Police Support Services Workers (link, waiting on final)
Field Response
- PSWs respond with officers in the field for de-escalation and crisis response
- Office coordination available for participant history and partner coordination
Follow Up
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PSWs follow up at least quarterly, with high-acuity individuals receiving more frequent contact. Engagement is related to goal-setting, coordinating care and making referrals, and actively offering support for substance use, mental health and housing.
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It should be noted that PSWs do not provide tangible support, such as housing, transportation, money, or other physical or financial support. The PSWs aim to connect individuals with community resources to meet their needs, such as the Homeless Response System.
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Individuals are marked “inactive” if their needs are met or they leave the area, and “closed” if inactive for more than six months. They can be re-opened at any time with new needs by signing new program paperwork, as long as they remain eligible.
Overdose Response
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A team of up to four individuals, including the PSW, an officer, a Peer Recovery Coach and/or an ATS Treatment Representative will respond to all overdoses within 72 hours, with the goal of 24 hours
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The PSWs will reach out to the victim or their support person via phone or text for the first contact. If no contact can be made via phone, engagement will be attempted in person.
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Four overdose contacts are provided to any OD victim or their support system. Victims in the city limits are automatically eligible for the RESILIENCE Program.
Meetings
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Occur about once a month
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Are open to all partners to discuss community “potholes” and solutions
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End with a confidential portion with only primary partners, during which each active participant’s goals and next steps are discussed
What to Expect as a RESILIENCE Program Participant
“Human beings become more capable of dealing with their problems as they feel more adequate.”
- Dr. Dawn Apgar, PhD, LSW, ACSW
As a Program Participant, you will:
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Complete an information sharing agreement that gives broad sharing permission between agencies you work with now and ones you may need later
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Follow up with PSWs at least every three months to work toward goals you identify
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Receive follow up after an overdose
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Continue to be involved until your needs are met or you leave the area
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Have opportunities to engage with other participants and providers
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Be expected to participate in your goals to the best of your ability, and check in with the PSWs at least every 3 months
Participant Benefits of the RESILIENCE Program
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Focus on prevention of crisis and support in long-term well-being
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Less fragmentation of care (“falling through the cracks”)
What to Expect as a RESILIENCE Program Partner
“The benefit of an interdisciplinary team is to streamline work by sharing information.”
- Dr. Dawn Apgar, PhD, LSW, ACSW
Partnership Levels
- Primary Partner: One of 10 agencies with access to all identifiable participant information, according to the sharing preferences of each participant
- Secondary Partner: One of 51+ agencies with limited access to participant information who collaborate to solve community problems; includes law enforcement, and are included in participant discussions when their services are relevant
All RESILIENCE Program Partners will:
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Complete an informal partnership agreement
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Collaborate with PSWs and 60+ agencies
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Attend RESILIENCE Program meetings when possible to solve community “potholes”
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Coordinate resources for vulnerable people who choose to participate and complete a shared Consent to Share Information
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Make referrals to the RESILIENCE Program
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Connect RESILIENCE Program Participants with resources your agency provides
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Maintain the confidentiality of any information shared about Program Participants
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Be recognized as a Secondary Partner on the partner list and consent form.
PRIMARY PARTNERS have additional requirements including required meeting attendance, shared responsibility for coordination of care, and increased information sharing through a formal agreement.
Benefits of the RESILIENCE Program for Partners and the Community
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Better coordination across agencies
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Impartial discussions about service gaps and actionable solutions
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
The RESILIENCE Program defines success with the following objective and subjective measurements.
The full document of program measures can be found here.
RESILIENCE
- Law enforcement contact and call frequency
- Community overdoses and overdose fatalities
- Participant status changes and outcomes
- High utilizers, top arrestees, and high-contact locations
- Status changes and reasons for inactive/closed folks
- Referrals made, completed, and currently engaging
- Referral trends over time
- Barriers to referral completion
Empower (Community)
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Partner meetings
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Potholes discussed and filled
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Community education provided
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Participant and partner feedback
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Collaboration quality and engagement
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Retention in positive community activities
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Participant success stories
Improve the Lives (of Participants)
- Participant stability and goal achievement
- PASSPORT initiative engagement
- Wellness progress and life satisfaction
Individuals Engaging (Participation)
- Program flow and participation status
- Eligibility breakdown and demographic information
- Overdose response and follow-up
- PSW engagement, frequency, and acuity
Network of Collaborative Enrichment
- Participant meeting discussions
- Agency representation and partnership
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who can refer?
Anyone! On the main page of the website click the “Make A Referral” button. Note: The program is voluntary. PSWs encourage individuals to connect vulnerable people directly with services that can meet the requested need prior to making a referral.
Why is this a police program?
Law enforcement is often the first response for mental health, substance use, or housing crises. Nearly half of all calls relate directly to these needs. Embedding social workers and partnering with community agencies connects people to care, addressing root causes of repeated police contact and promoting long-term stability.
Is this an overdose response program?
Yes, the program includes overdose response within 72 hours. The Good Samaritan Law protects people experiencing overdose. Don’t Run, Call 911!
What is harm reduction?
Practical, “outside the box” solutions that reduce harm and promote engagement in meaningful activities.
How long do participants stay involved?
There’s no time limit. Participants can stay involved until their needs are met or they leave the area.
So, if I participate, can I “get out of jail free”?
No, the RESILIENCE Program isn’t a jail diversion or alternative program. You don’t even need law enforcement contact to participate. We believe in “both/and” enforcement, so all participants are held to the same community standards as everyone else.
The PSWs try to get to the root cause of an issue, but a person may go to jail.
Can I fail the Program?
No, the RESILIENCE Program is for anyone who meets the eligibility requirements. If you have needs, we’re here for you. We do aim for accountability.
Someone is newly homeless in my area and I want them moved along. Can I call the PSWs?
Yes, and have them call the Homeless Response System as well – 844-900-0500. We provide trauma-informed city limit camping restrictions.
What will the RESILIENCE Program pay for? Will the RESILIENCE Program give me housing?
No. The RESILIENCE Program connects participants to community partners who meet these needs.
Is the RESILIENCE Program Street Outreach?
Street Outreach supports people experiencing homelessness to get into housing. The PSWs support the whole-person without pre-planned goals. See this overview here.
What are the risks of participation?
While many participants see positive results, no outcomes are guaranteed with the program. Some personal information may be shared (with consent) to coordinate care with partner agencies.