‘Fourth 1st responder’: Police social workers wear many hats in Hampton

When someone calls 911, police cruisers, fire trucks and ambulances speed to the scene, carrying professionals and volunteers who offer assistance in their respective areas of training.

As they address the priorities of dousing blazes or patching wounds, the people whose lives are adversely affected sometimes are left to stare in stunned silence.

“I’ve always said we were missing a fourth first responder, and it was social services,” Hampton police Chief Thomas Vulakovich said. “We all collaborate. We all work together. And we all play a role in every crisis that occurs in this township.”

His department was among Pennsylvania’s pioneers in employing police social workers. Their duties include providing emotional support during emergencies, just one item in a long list of services to help ensure well-being throughout the community.

“Our top priority is crisis intervention and de-escalation, being able to co-respond with the police officers within the department,” senior police social worker Angela Kenbok said, but she acknowledged: “When people ask us what our typical day is, I can no longer answer that.”

She joined social services coordinator Ashley Wilson and intern Maria Sheerin to present an annual report at township council’s March 27 meeting.

They outlined their group’s mission, goals and accomplishments, including a steady increase in referrals and incidents handled: from 189 in 2020, when Kenbok started as a police department intern, to last year’s 543. Much of the growth can be attributed to township residents taking the initiative to seek support.

“Specifically in 2023, the amount of self-referrals and walk-ins was a lot higher,” she said. “It was almost four times the amount from the previous year.”

Along with emergency response, her team’s offerings include guiding juveniles and adolescents, working toward resolving family conflicts, finding solutions for financial needs and homelessness, and providing referrals regarding geriatric issues, mental health concerns, and alcohol and substance abuse.

“I am in awe of how much you have expanded this program,” Carolynn Johnson, council president, told the social services contingent. “It is unfortunate that there is a need for this, but it is wonderful to see you taking care of individuals who before might not have had this help.”

‘Just me and 1 other social worker’

Four years ago, Kenbok was working on her master’s degree in social work when Yvonne Eaton-Stull, who chairs the applicable Slippery Rock University department, told her: “I have a friend who’s the chief of police in Hampton, and I have this idea.”

“She set up the internship for me, and then Chief (Vulakovich) gave me the opportunity and the foundation to develop the position. I still work with her regularly today,” Kenbok said about Eaton-Stull. “She’s the professor who really created the curriculum of police social work at Slippery Rock.”

Although the concept of such work dates back to the early 20th century — the few women on forces at the time often became advocates on behalf of juveniles — its application in a professional capacity is a relatively modern occurrence for Pennsylvania.

“Back in 2020,” Kenbok recalled, “it was just me and one other social worker, from the city of Lancaster,” which hired Leilany Tran as its first police social worker the previous year. “Leilany was able to share with me literature and data and things she was able to find when she implemented the position.”

Hampton hired Kenbok following her internship, and Wilson joined the staff part-time in May as another Slippery Rock graduate with a master’s in social work.

“It’s been a huge help to me in helping maintain the caseload,” Kenbok said about the additional hire. “I have a pretty strict rule that we follow up with referrals within 48 hours, and we’ve been able to maintain that consistently.”

‘The impact that she has made’

Sheerin came aboard in August, after researching internship opportunities toward her master’s from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work.

“I stumbled across an article on Angela, then I kept finding more and more articles about her,” she said at the council meeting. “So naturally, I Googled her, and it was pretty evident to me the impact that she has made on this community and subsequently neighboring communities throughout Allegheny County.”

Among Kenbok’s goals since her start in Hampton is to promote her type of profession as a possibility in other departments.

“And it’s finally starting to happen,” she told council, with full-time positions created in O’Hara and Ross townships, and Baldwin, Millvale and Sharpsburg boroughs. Similar processes are in the works with Cranberry and Northern Regional police.

In Hampton, offerings by social services extend to presenting educational meetings — topics in 2023 were Megan’s Law and “Stranger Danger” children’s safety awareness — and programs for youngsters, including visits with Scouts and a play camp with police appreciation as the theme.

On the philanthropic side, Wilson organized a “spring cleaning drive.”

“Hampton Police Department and McCandless Police Department had a little friendly competition, where we donated cleaning supplies for North Hills Community Outreach,” she said, noting that Hampton officers came out on top.

In December, a holiday toy drive provided gifts for 27 Hampton families, parents and guardians included, with 18 Hampton staff members serving as sponsors.

Throughout all the activity, the police social workers strive to stay informed.

“We do try to focus on not only attending trainings for social work educational purposes, but also law enforcement. And in return, officers come frequently with us to our training,” Kenbok said. “It’s extremely beneficial for us to train together and understand each of our jobs and duties, and be able to work together successfully.”