Code Black for Government Services
Impact
Government at every level provides crucial services to its constituents, sometimes without the option of refusing service to those who abuse and aggress against the staff trying to help them. Problem behaviour is that which causes offence, fear or trauma. This behaviour from current or past staff, clients of services and members of the general public with a grievance can be time consuming and expensive.
Code Black seeks insights into the underlying drivers of the problem behaviours, focusing on the patterns of escalation, the potential reinforcers and risks of persistence, sexual harassment and assault, violence and self-demise. This work helps senior government managers who want to ensure staff safety and welfare choose effective and efficient delivery of public services, meeting KPI’s and performance targets and avoiding damaging publicity for their department by minimising reputational risk through negative media from poorly informed processes and a lack of defensible decision making.
Tackling Aggression
Forensic psychology operates at the intersection of mental health, policing and the law. Forensic psychologists have specialised training in mental health and the law.
Forensic psychologists can work with both offenders and victims of crime, as well as those who are at risk of escalating to more serious offending. The majority of intervention programs are designed with the offender in mind, not those who have borne the brunt of the behaviour and are left with few to no skills to cope or move forward.
Code Black has extensive experience working with those who have perpetrated harms on others. An often overlook need however was the support that those targeted, the victims, required with limited expertise and services being available to actively intervene.
Solutions Focused
All consultations aim to deliver an effective solution for clients, that are practical. Our preferred approach is one of utilising agile deployment practices that enable scaling response to the requirements of the case.
Forensic psychologists provide services at the intersection of psychology, policing and the law. Forensic psychologists have specialised training in mental health and the law.
Government
An individual with a direct manner found not to be guilty of bullying continued
to cause damage and division in a work team. Individuals were taking paid
leave and performance declined dramatically. Psychological injury claims were the next stop at $300,000 for an average claim it is expensive for organisations not to proactively address .
This organisation had to their credit attempted many sensible solutions to restore the team functioning. This was not enough. Code Black provided the forensic assessment that gained insight into the complexities of not only individuals but the operating environment. The organisation (operations, HR and legal teams) was supported to effectively care for effected team members and implement a strategy to empower everyone navigating the path to function effectively in a safe environment.
Unmanageable Employees - Insight and Strategies
Government
Safe Work - Psychological Safety & Compliance
A work team experienced 'mild'
team member aggression through rudeness, inflexibility and challenges to others ... complex personalities and legislative requirements had to be navigated to move forward.... true social complexity was overcome avoiding damaging and protracted legal cases. The team is now performing and growing positively.
Government
Aggressive Clients / Former Employees
A federal government agency
held safety concerns when former employee continued targeting senior officials... Dr Lisa Warren undertook a forensic risk assessment of the person of concern and understood the concerns of those being targeted and their staff to develop the strategy to counter the individuals aggression. A triage plan was implemented to assess quarantened communications and escalate to police.