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The Clearwater Police Department is proud to be a replication site
- and the only one in the State of Florida - for the Child Development-Community
Policing Project, a program of the Yale
University Child Study Center and the National
Center for Children Exposed to Violence. Local participating
agencies in this program are:
The goals of CD-CP are:
- To
lessen the impact of traumatic experiences on children through
early intervention
- To
educate the community of the effects chronic exposure to violence
has on children
- To
broaden parental knowledge of trauma, its symptoms and local resources
available to children and their families
- To
heighten the awareness among police officers about the needs of
children who have been exposed to violence, abuse, neglect, and
other trauma
- To
establish closer working relationships between police officers,
mental health clinicians, and child protective service workers.
Program Overview
In 2001, the police department partnered with Directions for Mental
Health Inc. (local non-profit community mental health agency), the
Pinellas Juvenile Welfare Board, and Pinellas Safe Start to establish
a CD-CP program in Clearwater. The team responds to violent or traumatic
events where children have either been exposed or victimized via
a 24/7 hotline referral number. Officers train clinicians about
police procedures during formal training sessions and during ride-alongs
in the field. Clinicians provide officers with information about
the effects of trauma/violence on children and families. The clinical
staff implements the clinical model of acute crisis response developed
at Yale and make referrals when extended clinical services or other
interventions are necessary. The team of mental health clinicians,
victim advocates and officers meet regularly in an effort to provide
the best possible solutions
In 2005, a full-time mental health clinician was assigned to the
Clearwater Police Department to administer the program. Clinicians
work closely with their law enforcement partners to address physical
and psychological safety of children who have witnessed or been
victims of violence. They help children feel listened to and regain
a sense of control. Clinicians and officers educate parents and
children about emotional, cognitive and behavioral effects of violence
on children and adults and ways parents can help their children.
Clinicians assess children and their parents for signs that they
are having difficulties functioning and/or exhibiting signs of posttraumatic
stress. Clinicians with law enforcement provide brief intervention
to help children and families handle the crisis and link to them
to long term services.
Visit the national CD-CP site at http://www.cd-cp.org/.
For information on the CD-CP program in Clearwater,
please contact Melissa Hall, CD-CP Clinical Coordinator, at (727)
562-4456 or melissa.hall@myclearwater.com
or Lieutenant George Koder, (727) 562-4300 or george.koder@myclearwater.com.
Return: Community
Policing Home
rev: 12/05
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