2021 COMBAT Funding: $69,387.00

In The Blue Springs Police's Own Words

The Community Outreach Prevention Strategies (COPS) includes a wide range of support services and preventive measures addressing a variety of issues. Individuals referred to COPS receive a complete intake assessment from a licensed counselor to better identify their underlying needs.

A Spectrum Of Services

COPS includes a spectrum of services:

• individual, group and crisis counseling
• mentoring
• case management in the community
• decision making classes covering drug and alcohol abuse
• self-discipline
• personal safety
• communications
• anger management
• legal awareness
• impulse control
• healthy relationships
• supportive parenting
• vaping prevention

Drug testing is offered as needed and community service projects are available bi-monthly and scheduled as 10 hour days.

Addressing Truancy Issues

COPS offers two different annual summer camps. Program staff work closely with the school district to address truancy issues and assist both students and parents in understanding the need to be present in school.

Keeping Out Of Dangerous Situations

The Community Outreach Prevention Strategies (COPS) program is in a “hot spot” area in Blue Springs. COPS can directly send resources to those areas to work with youth and families who live there and are impacted by those crimes. We address decision making with the families and make positive changes that will help keep them out of dangerous situations.

Help At The Scene Of Homicides & Other Serious Crimes

Our counselors responded to the scene of homicides, suicides and other serious crimes when children and families were impacted to assist them in dealing with the trauma of the incident and then refer them to either our unit or other appropriate outsides services. This can help reduce the probability of future problematic situations.

Early Intervention

The Blue Springs Police Department’s Community and Youth Outreach Unit (CYOU) has two licensed counselors who work with every youth for early intervention Those referred may be law violation, school referral, family referral or a youth asking for help for themselves. Preventing a first-time offender from encounters with the justice system not only prevents the onset of adult criminal careers but reduces the burden of crime on its victims and on society. It saves young lives from being wasted and identifies possible at-risk youth.

The youth attend an intake session accompanied by a legal guardian for a complete assessment and evaluation. Based upon the need and outcome of the first meeting, the counselor will develop an appropriate treatment plan to be completed by the family.

Economic hardships are at times the root of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect. Early intervention is key. Counselors refer families to outside services such as inpatient hospitalization or long-term counseling beyond the time frame available through CYOU. Upon completion of the services, the case is considered successfully closed.

Outreach & Collaboration

Counselors provide outreach on site visits to Blue Springs motel/extended stay units. Weekly visits to these hot spot areas provide an opportunity to assess families for basic needs, provide resources to build upon goals and link to area services.

The collaboration with the Blue Springs School District is imperative for mental health. Signs of Suicide is supported by Blue Springs School district and the counselors conduct numerous suicide prevention programs and assessments, both in office and within the district. Within the school day, there are students in  attendance who are identified by needing an inordinate amount of time from faculty, and the CYOU counselors are present at the schools and meet with them individually, allowing the entire system to work smoothly and more youth get the assistance they need.

Counselors also have weekly individual sessions with youth after school.

Suicide, Bullying, Drug Prevention & More

Police officers and counselors present psycho educational prevention programs on violence, suicide, bullying, social media, drug prevention and opiate abuse at locations throughout the community such as schools, parks, churches, apartments and motels. CYOU offers drug testing and provides the community with monthly service projects.

During the summer when school is not in session, additional programs are available such as Girls on Fire directed at adolescent females designed to improve self-esteem, physical fitness, cyber safety, drug and alcohol abuse, opiate abuse, family dynamics and suicide prevention. Life Sports targets adolescent males and addressed teamwork, aggression, health and fitness, and suicide prevention. Both camps cover dating relationships, domestic violence and bullying.

A Resource For Addressing A Multitude Of Issues

Tying all of these programs together at CYOU gives youth, families, community and the school district a resource that is readily available to assist them with the many issues that arise and also help prevent poor decisions that lead to criminal activity and encourage a proactive healthy lifestyle.

Individualized Treatment Goals

COPS program uses multi-systemic therapy (MST) to help families and youth develop highly individualized treatment goals to ultimately develop resistance strategies and appropriate behaviors, reducing the likelihood that they will begin using or experimenting with drugs or alcohol or engage in bullying or criminal behavior. MST views the individual as part of a complex network of interconnected systems that include the individual, family and extra familial factors such as peers, school, neighborhood and community.

Early Intervention Saves Young Lives

The goal of intervention in a child and families’ life is to give families, communities and the system the opportunity to intervene and prevent onset of antisocial behavior and justice system involvement. Intervening early saves young lives from being wasted and prevents adult criminality reducing the likelihood of becoming serious and violent offenders reducing crime on society and taxpayer billions of dollars

COPS Desired Outcomes

• higher satisfaction from those receiving services
• decreased long-term rates of re-arrest
• decreases in long-term rates of days in out-of-home placements
• improved family relations and functioning
• increased mainstream school attendance and performance
• decreased adolescent psychiatric symptoms
• decreased adolescent substance use
• increased family cohesion and adaptability
• increased family supportiveness
• decreased family hostility
• prevention of other criminal offenses