By: Cayden Hartman
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) — The Fayetteville Police Department announced Tuesday that it would be partnering with the University of Arkansas School of Social Work.
The two groups are working together to provide a master’s level internship program for students within the graduate program with the goal of providing more community services.
“This program will facilitate in connecting citizens with community-based supportive services and identify human service needs for the residents of Fayetteville,” according to a post on the Fayetteville Police Department Facebook Page.
The Department announced the goals it’s looking to accomplish with program:
- Reduce the criminalization of people who suffer from substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues.
- Identify victims of crime who would benefit from additional community resources and or counseling.
- Enhance and increase the community’s trust in the Fayetteville Police Department.
- Collect Data to evaluate program effectiveness.
School of Social Work Director Alishia Ferguson said that she hopes that this program will impact policing.
“Hopefully in the future we are moving towards more of these activities that will help police officers not to criminalize non-criminal behavior, mental health issues, drug use and those sorts of things,” said Ferguson.
Ferguson said that the program would serve as a good basis for social work students.
At this time only one student from the social work graduate program is interning with the Fayetteville Police Department.