ProCare Police Crisis Worker Program
In collaboration with Resurrection Behavioral Health, ProCare Centers, the Melrose Park Police Department has a Police Crisis Worker. The Police Crisis Worker assists with police cases that may require any kind of social service referral and/or assistance with mental health issues. The cases handled by the Police Crisis Worker may include, but are not limited to, the elderly, homeless, mentally ill, substance abusers, juvenile issues, and domestic disputes. The Police Crisis Worker offers outreach services to those referred by the department by calling and/or engaging individuals in brief crisis counseling. The Police Crisis Worker is also available to provide individuals with referrals for additional services.
Currently the Police Crisis Worker is available at the police department most weekdays with flexible hours (due to the nature of crisis work), and can be reached at (708) 681-4357 when not at the department. This program is designed to contribute to the community of Melrose Park by assisting the Police Department in providing outreach services to those who are in need.
Along with the duties described above, the Police Crisis Worker is also available to offer presentations. The following is a schedule for presentations offered by the Police Crisis Worker.
| Tentative Presentations (one every quarter) |
| Quarter One - (January through March) |
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Crime Prevention/ domestic violence awareness (passed, but further presentation(s) on this topic can occur during one of the other quarters if wished) |
| Quarter Two - (April through June) |
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Educating parents on teaching children about drugs and gangs (in collaboration with the police department’s Drug Awareness month in May, possibly done with the Juvenile Division)
Presentation for the officers: undecided, topic can involve substance abuse/ addictions
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| Quarter Three - (July through September) |
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Working with the Elderly Population (in preparation for the October’s senior safety month)
Educating the officers and the community regarding geriatric issues
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| Quarter Four - (October through December) |
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Mental Illness Awareness (in collaboration with the Disability awareness month during October),
Educating the officers and the community regarding mental illness and the petition process
- Resource: National Alliance on Mentally Ill (NAMI): www.nami.org
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Presentations for the officers can occur prior to roll-call for fifteen minutes, or at other scheduled times for a longer duration of time. Presentations for the community can occur on a group or individual basis. Many more resources are to follow if these are topics that are of interest to the police department.
Teresa Walker, LSW
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