Training police in family crisis intervention is intended to demonstrate innovative crime prevention and mental health techniques, utilizing selected police officers. There is evidence that police are currently engaged in a variety of quasi-mental health roles with little or no relevant training and that this lack of training, often personally dangerous, represents an opportunity lost to society for preventing crime and for relieving manpower shortages in mental health.Successful completion of the project, which is organized in three stages (Preparatory, Operational, and Evaluative) over a two-year period, may permit the development of a curriculum for use by other police family crisis units.

Eye-movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new therapy technique originally reported to eliminate traumatic memories (rape, catastrophes) in one session. Early published research has tended to support the technique. However, there is controversy and at least one unpublished recent study by Rothbaum who reported only about one-half of her cases had successful outcomes. The present study was conducted as a preliminary evaluation in 1990. Our results were judged to be unsuccessful in five of eight cases and successful in three cases. Further, the cases with the most pathology improved the least. The techniques, cases, and outcomes are presented to provide additional data on this new and controversial therapeutic technique.

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