In the Child Development Fellowship for Police Supervisors, fellows spend 3 full days in training activities and observations to become familiar with developmental concepts, patterns of psychological disturbance, methods of clinical intervention, and settings for treatment and care.
Supervisors also provide basic knowledge about police practices to their mental health colleagues.
This helps clinicians understand the roles that officers play in the lives of children and families and prepares clinicians to intervene collaboratively with police partners. Police officers and clinical staff are either recruited into the program via announcement of openings, or those with especially needed skills are specifically targeted by organization administrators for inclusion in the program. The program also has established a 24-hour consultation service. This service allows police officers to make referrals and obtain immediate clinical guidance, especially in the aftermath of children's traumatic experiences. These participants work with children and adolescents who may have experienced chronic exposure to violence and are becoming involved in delinquent activities.