CRISIS INTERVENTION

In collaboration with the Greenbelt Police Department, CARES offers the Greenbelt community crisis intervention services.  Persons in dire need of counseling services due to crimes against themselves or loved ones can request assistance from the CARES Crisis Intervention Counselors (C.I.C.s).  The C.I.C.s can be reached through the Greenbelt Police Department or via voice mail at 301-345-6660.

I. History and Purpose of Position

The Crisis Intervention Counselor position was developed in 1997 as a collaborative effort between CARES, the Greenbelt Police Department and the City of Greenbelt in order to provide the immediate and continual support of professional counselors to Greenbelt police officers when dealing with cases where individuals were in psychological distress.  Since then the position has evolved and grown to include community outreach and a variety of community support activities.

II. Definition of Position

The Crisis Intervention Counselor (CIC) is responsible for providing emergency and short term counseling services to individuals or families who have had contact with the Greenbelt Police Department (GPD).  The CIC also handles other crisis referrals to Greenbelt CARES as needed.  The CIC has extensive contact with the local police department, community and human service agencies, and the general public.  The CIC works in the office at Greenbelt CARES and responds to a diversity of cases involving critical incidents.  The CIC is supervised by the Youth and Family Services Bureau Director in collaboration with the Greenbelt Police Department Chief.

III. Responsibilities of the CIC

The CIC performs the following primary duties:

¨      Responds to police officer’s specific requests for assistance at the incident scene

¨      Interacts with police, victims, families, and other people at the incident scene in order to help bring accurate communication between all parties involved

¨      Helps victims at the scene connect with family and friends

¨      Helps clients utilize appropriate resources toward the resolution of problems

¨      Maintains a comprehensive database of resources for area services and provides referrals and information for a variety of services: counseling, health, medical, psychiatric services, legal and financial

¨      Provides follow-up services, such as individual short term counseling and referrals, when needed

¨      Offers community outreach and psycho-educational programs