When to Involve the Police

When to Involve the Police

If the client gives permission, you can involve police any time. As you are building the young person’s treatment plan, include steps that will involve the appropriate law enforcement agencies and the courts.

If the client does not give permission, what you do may depend on his or her age. For minors who are victims of a crime, the situation may mean that you are legally required, if you are a “mandatory reporter,” to inform the police if you have enough information for local law enforcement to file a report. For older youth, if the client does not want to go to the police, it may be hard to get police or the courts to help.

When to Tell the Youth’s Family Members

If the client gives permission, you may want to inform family members if you know where to find them and their involvement would aid the young person’s recovery.

If the client does not give permission, what you do may depend on the type of program you run and the length of time the young person will be with you. If contacting family is part of the treatment plan the client has already agreed to or a condition for the youth to continue to receive long-term services from the agency, then you might still want to get in touch with family members who could aid the young person’s recovery. If you have only had a short relationship with the young person or he or she will only stay in your shelter for a few days, you might choose not to contact family or to wait until you have a stronger relationship with the victim and he or she has committed to a treatment plan.