Profiles of Multidisciplinary
High Risk Response Teams

Early Teams are defined as those organizations and communities that are doing their work well but have not formed a multidisciplinary team of professionals, i.e. domestic violence and sexual assault advocates; law enforcement; probation; healthcare practitioners; batterers intervention; as well as others identified by each community, to do this work together.

The immediate tasks for teams in the early phase of development are to: understand the research about risk assessment; gather information on the multidisciplinary approach to this work; assemble interested parties from the community to have an initial conversation about working together and creating a formal structure to do this work; create a timeline for the next steps.

Emerging Teams have completed the initial work necessary (see above). This group has now identified the partners and agreed to move forward with team readiness.

The immediate task for these teams is to train all partners in risk assessment. This is the foundation of the work of the team and there must be a shared understanding and interpretation of these principles.

The next steps are to: identify a team leader; agree on team operating principles and communication; understand the role, responsibility and limitation of each partner; create a memorandum of understanding documenting these agreements; and begin meeting to discuss cases.

Established Teams This is a seasoned team: the teamwork has been embraced; the entire team has been trained; the team practices have been identified and a memorandum of understanding is in place; the team is meeting regularly and cases are being presented.

The next phase for this team is to: collect data and analyze its impact; invite new team members if necessary or desirable; meet with other high risk team leaders to discuss limitations, the implications of a homicide, identify best practices and cultivate excellence.

For more information on the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center’s consulting services for high risk case response teams, call 978-834-9710 or e-mail kdunne@jeannegeigercrisiscenter.org.