National Conference on Police Social Work

History of the National Conference on Police Social Work

The first National Conference on Police Social Work was held in October 2021. The conference emerged from the Bloomington Police Department (Indiana), Social Work & Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project Network members, due to the high volume of calls for guidance on Police Social Work that the Bloomington Police Department was receiving. The conference attracted more than 100 stakeholders and professionals, all interested in learning about social work and law enforcement practice. The Bloomington Police Department created the conference in 2021. 

The Bloomington Police Department renamed the conference the National Association of Public Safety Social Workers in 2022. In 2023, the conference came under the umbrella of the Social Work and Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project, and reclaimed its original name, the National Conference on Police Social Work. 

The conference combines the vision of the Bloomington Police Department and the SWLE Project to move forward in 2024. The National Conference on Police Social Work offers the opportunity for national leaders from the law enforcement and social work fields to explore and share successful methods and best practices for social workers and police departments to work together. The conference seeks to bridge communities at the national and state level in the 21st century through education, professional development, and networking. The conference brings together social workers, law enforcement, and community members through leading edge content from experts in the fields of social work and law enforcement. 

The 5th National Conference on Police Social Work will be held May 27-29, 2026 in the Student Center, at Southern Connecticut State University. 

Keynote Speaker: Kevin Fischer

Kevin Fischer is the Executive Director of NAMI Michigan and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) International Michigan. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Crisis Intervention Team International is a community partnership of law enforcement, mental health and addiction professionals, Individuals who live with mental illness and/or addiction disorders, their families, and other partners to improve community responses to mental health crises.

Tentative Conference Schedule