Melissa Stone
Special guest
Melissa Stone is Bloomington (Indiana) Police Department's first Police Social Worker (PSW).
Melissa completed her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana in 2014 and has been working in the mental health field since 2009.
She has been a Licensed Social Worker since 2014.
Melissa's background includes working with adults with serious mental illness (bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc.) as well as working with people in the criminal justice system (work release and state prison).
Prior to joining BPD, she was working at Indiana University helping students who were victims/survivors of sexual violence.
Melissa began the role of PSW in March 2019 and has been creating the program to suit the city of Bloomington's unique needs.
Melissa Stone has been a guest on 1 episode.
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Police Social Worker with Bloomington Indiana Police Department: Melissa Stone
March 1st, 2020 | 56 mins 34 secs
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Melissa Stone is a Police Social Worker with Bloomington Indiana's Police Department. Melissa and I discuss: why her department created this new program, the types of calls she responds to, how she interacts with people in crisis, law enforcement mental health, hostage negotiations, her unique role growing up in a working-class home, her decision to become a social worker, and advice she gives other police departments considering a police social worker program.
If you enjoy this episode, you may like previous episodes where I interviewed a first responder, funeral director, forest ranger, working dog trainer, and many other guests with hands-on or misunderstood professions that help shed light on the human experience.