Transcript

Speakers: Host, Dr. Grace Telesco

HOST: Welcome to the CJHS410 mental health and crisis interventions in criminal justice podcast. Each weekly podcast is an interview with a subject matter expert who will provide a brief overview of the weekly objectives and how you can apply them in the field of criminal justice.

Now let me introduce you to our subject matter expert, Dr. Grace Telesco. Dr. Telesco has served over twenty years at the New York Police Department, holds a PhD in social work and a master's in criminal justice.

What is human service delivery and how does it relate to criminal justice?

DR. TELESCO: So I think that, you know, when you look at the two words, human services, you want to think about, okay, some type of a service is being provided to whom? To human beings. And criminal justice is a human service delivery organization which has many subsystems. So policing for example, is one of them.

The police work 24/7 and human beings call the police for various services. The police are not just there to protect and serve and that is it. There is - it is a bigger picture and human service delivery is their bigger picture, I would say, and policing is only one of the systems within the larger criminal justice system and so as we go through the weeks, we'll talk about, you know, how these different subsystems work and operate to deliver human services to various individuals and groups.

HOST: Do mental health services and crisis intervention comprise a significant part of the criminal justice system?

DR. TELESCO: It actually does involve a lot of the various criminal justice objectives. So, you know, because we talk about - and we will throughout the course -things like substance abuse, things like mental illness, where the police or corrections or the courts might be involved in various ways to intervene in someone's crisis: because maybe they are the victim of a past crime and they are in crisis because of it, there is a disaster that happens that effects an entire community, or something as simple as a person who is sick-an elderly person who is sick and may be reaching out to the police for some help.

So I think, in answer to your question, yes. It comprises a very large percentage of the various kinds of service-delivery options that happen within criminal justice.

HOST: What are the characteristics of effective mental health services and crisis intervention delivery?

DR. TELESCO: The first thing that comes to my mind is as a characteristic that is needed no matter what kind of a criminal justice professional you are, whether you're a cop, corrections officer, court officer, court prosecutor, or judge. It's compassion, effective listening skills, patience.

So the characteristics that are the most effective in delivering mental health and crisis intervention services are things that one might say are kind of common sense but maybe not so common.

HOST: How can the government help promote crisis intervention and mental health services?

DR. TELESCO: The government plays a major role because criminal justice professionals are, in fact, agents of government. So if I am a court officer (and I am actually) I have been sworn as an officer of the court to uphold not only the constitution of the United States but also the constitution of that state where I work.

So therefore, whether I know it or not - and most professionals know it - we are agents of the government. So the role of government is critical because in fact it is the government who is providing this criminal justice system if you will.

HOST: Consider these concepts as you read your materials, complete your assignments, and answer this week's discussion questions. Follow up with your instructor if you have any questions.

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