| This study describes police social work as it is conducted in a multitude of programs. Professional relations between social workers and police officers were examined, employing an open-system theory, to clarify the manner in and degree to which these disciplines interact when providing services. Social workers' perceptions of the police were also explored. Areas in which integration could be augmented, and recommendations for doing so, were identified.;Subjects generally described police social work very favorably. They reported good rapport with police officers, positive evaluations of role enactment, and satisfaction with police, services, and role allocation. In particular, a number of perceptual variables had significant relationships with these measures. Perceiving officers as service recipients appeared to disadvantage workers, perhaps reflecting difficulties in social workers' ability to serve populations other than those clients for whom they have been trained. Professional contacts with other police social workers were also negatively associated with satisfaction. Perceiving a higher degree of officer utilization of services, according police greater prestige, and having more frequent communications with officers, were positively related to the dependent variables. The necessity of expanding education and preparation for police and social workers regarding their own and the other's role was repeatedly supported.;Forty-six police social workers, representing 23 police social work departments, were interviewed. Selected job functions were evaluated and classified in terms of role expectation and allocation (i.e., police or social work role). Social workers' perceptions (e.g., of the police as recipients of service, of the percent of officers who refer cases), and the many other variables employed in this study, were tested for the existence of significant relationships. Specific hypotheses examined relationships between independent variables (i.e., worker training, experience, age, sex; accessibility to, communication with, and prestige accorded to, police colleagues) and dependent variables (i.e., social worker rapport with officers, and social worker satisfaction with police, services, and role allocation). |
