Social work's role in implementing de-escalation alternatives to law enforcement responses

Summary This paper discusses the Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting (ACCORD) program, which was developed in response to the nationwide community organizing in the summer of 2020 following multiple police killings. ACCORD aimed to reduce law enforcement involvement in non-violent mental health-related 911 calls. The program employed an interdisciplinary team comprising a social worker and an emergency medical service provider. This study focuses on a qualitative evaluation of the program's implementation, using semi-structured interviews to gather insights from ACCORD team members and supervisors. Findings Qualitative interviews were analyzed using an adaptation of Applied Thematic Analysis, which uncovered key barriers and strengths of the ACCORD model. Barriers included scarcity of services and fragmentation of existing services for mental health crises, especially in rural areas. Areas of strength included collaboration, given the interdisciplinary nature of ACCORD, and the versatility of the Social Work component of the intervention. Application The study highlights the value of comprehensive crisis intervention services and the role of social workers in providing support, advocacy, and de-escalation for individuals in mental health crises. It underscores the need for expanded community-based mental health programs, especially in rural areas, and emphasizes the importance of effective collaboration and communication among various service providers. This research contributes to the growing call across the nation to re-imagine crisis response in the hands of mental health professionals and agencies, outside of law enforcement.