Maria, a 34-year-old woman, arrives at a community crisis shelter late at night. She is visibly distraught, reporting that she fled her home after a severe argument with her partner, during which she feared for her safety. Maria expresses feelings of hopelessness, saying, “I have nowhere to go, and I can’t keep doing this.” She also mentions that her partner has never physically harmed her but has threatened her during previous arguments. She has no family nearby and limited financial resources.
Maria appears hesitant to share too many details but agrees to stay for the night.
Initial Post:
1. In the role of a crisis worker at the shelter, you are tasked with engaging Maria, assessing her immediate needs and emotional state, exploring her crisis, ensuring her safety, and collaborating with her to help her begin to develop a plan for her next steps. Reflect on the following issues and explore potential solutions for each: What strategies would you use to initiate contact and build rapport with Maria? How might you help her feel comfortable enough to share more details about her situation?
2. Using the Hybrid Model, how would you explore and define Maria’s immediate crisis? What questions might you ask to assess the severity of her situation?
3. Considering Maria’s limited resources, what alternatives could you explore with her? How would you help her create a realistic and actionable plan to regain control over her situation?
4. Which assessment tools (e.g., Triage Assessment Form, Lethality Potential Assessment) would you use to evaluate Maria’s current state, and why?
Project
Designing Research Methods for Law Enforcement Stress
In October 2024, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) faced renewed scrutiny when Officer Dustin Dean, previously reprimanded for firing non-lethal rounds at a TV crew during the 2020 protests, was placed under investigation again. New body camera footage revealed Dean firing a 40 mm non-lethal launcher at protesters, raising concerns about the cumulative stress experienced by officers during prolonged civil unrest and its impact on decision-making. (Note, this 40 mm non-lethal launcher typically utilizes projectiles composed of foam, rubber or sponge, and is commonly used for crowd management, compliance, or training purposes).
Assignment Instructions
1. Research Design: Propose a comprehensive research design to assess stress levels among LMPD officers involved in the 2020 protests and subsequent investigations. Consider the following elements:
· Data Collection Methods: Identify appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, physiological assessments) to gather data on stress indicators.
· Sampling Strategy: Determine how you will select participants to ensure a representative sample of the affected officers.
· Ethical Considerations: Outline measures to protect participants’ confidentiality and well-being during the study.
2. Measurement Tools: Select or develop specific instruments to measure stress levels. Justify your choices based on their reliability and validity in similar research contexts.
3. Data Analysis Plan: Describe the statistical or thematic analysis techniques you will employ to interpret the collected data.
4. Potential Challenges: Identify possible obstacles in conducting this research (e.g., participant reluctance, data accuracy) and propose strategies to mitigate these issues.
Create a 10-slide presentation summarizing your research proposal. Submit it either as a PPT or PDF slides.
Textbooks
· Shane, J. (2019). Stress Inside Police Departments. Taylor & Francis. https://ccis.vitalsource.com/books/9781000762891
· James, R. (2024). Crisis Intervention Strategies (9th ed.). Cengage Learning US. https://ccis.vitalsource.com/books/9798214125787
· James et al. (2025). Crisis intervention strategies (9th ed.). Chapters 3 & 4
· Shane, J. (2020). Stress inside police departments (1st ed.). Routledge Chapter 2
· QuestionPro. (n.d.). Research design: What it is, elements & types.
· Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (n.d.). Disaster responder stress management.