Ashley's Application for the job of Parkside Mayor

I see running for Mayor of Parkside as applying for a job, and the hiring manager is you—the voter! I want to be sure that my qualifications, viewpoints, and goals are clearly communicated so that the residents of Parkside can make an informed choice on November 2nd.

 I applied for the Interim Mayor spot with hopes that I could use the time as a probationary period in which you could see my work in action prior to voting. I’ve decided that sharing the resume I submitted for the position, as well as the answers I gave to questions posed by council during the interview process.

 If there are rumors or assumptions about my goals, beliefs, or values I want to clear them through direct conversation with you. You are my neighbor and you deserve my respect and my attention.

  My Resume

Ashley Roberts, MSW

 Profile

An organized, intelligent, and personable young professional with education and experience uniquely tailored to prepare her for service in the public sector.

Experience

April 2021- Present

Cross Systems Coordinator, Chester County Prison

Developing and implementing supportive plans of re-entry for those leaving the correctional setting who have multi-system complex needs—including but not limited to severe and persistent mental illness, severe substance use disorder, chronic homelessness, and consistent recidivism. The goal of this position is to reduce the number of people who have severe mental illness in the prison setting, to reduce length of incarceration, and to reduce recidivism. Creation and implementation of the role as a new office within the prison and county at large.

September 2016-April 2021

Protective Services Care Manager, Chester County Department of Aging Services

Investigating allegations of abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation of Older Adults and providing protective services to remove risk to these individuals in accordance with the Older Adult Protective Services Act of 1987 (Title 15. Chapter 6 of the Pennsylvania Code). Mentoring and training team members who had less seniority.

August 2016-December 2017

Clinical Social Work Intern, New Life Youth and Family Services

Providing life skills counseling and supervised parental visitation for families involved with the Chester County Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Preparing documentation for court proceedings. Developing empirically supported programs for anger management education and life skills training.

January 2015-September 2016

Aging Care Manager, Chester County Department of Aging Services

Coordinating and managing supportive services for Older Adults in Chester County, Pennsylvania who need assistance to remain independent in their homes. Coordination of the Caregiver Support, Options, Home Delivered Meal, and Aging Waiver programs.

Education

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Master of Social Work, Advanced Standing

2017

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor of Social Work

2014

key skills and characteristics

· Organizational Leadership

· Program Development and Implementation

· Applied Social Research

· Conflict Resolution

· Training and Community Education

· Policy and Procedure

· Trauma Informed Care

 · Interpersonal Communication

· Emergency/Crisis Response and Management

· Professional Writing

· Fundraising

· Grant Writing and Implementation

· Budgeting and Fiscal Management

Activities, Interests, and other Relevant Experience

·        Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter Planning Committee, 2014-present

·        Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation Fundraising Team Captain, 2013-present

·        Garnet Valley High School Colorguard Co-Director, 2018-2020

·        Chester County Emergency Behavioral Health Team Member

·        FEMA Emergency Management Certification

·        Mental Health First Aid Certified

·        Experienced in Social Work/Police Co-Response

·        Crisis Intervention Team First Responder Certified

Interim Mayor Questionnaire Responses

Ashley Roberts

September 16,2021

1.      Do you believe in defunding the police?

 No.

  A.     If yes, please clarify in detail where that extra money will go towards.

  Not applicable

  B.     If no, could you be influenced by others or groups to defund the police?

  I do not believe in “defunding the police” because the phrase and concept are a misnomer. This idea has been used as a fear tactic and political red herring. Larger government entities have shifted recently to look at their budgets at large to address how direct community services can be funded with the goal of limiting the need for police response in circumstances that are not a matter of public safety. I believe that these are productive conversations, and they are to be had between professionals—including police officers themselves, as they are the ones with the lived experience that can most accurately inform the topic. There is no viable argument for abolishing the system of police. Therefore, I can not be “influenced” toward an argument that, in reality, does not exist.

C.      Have you ever gathered in a group against the police for any reason?

  No, I have not.

  D.     Have you ever posted anything on any social media site disapproving of the police?

  No, I have not. My father is a law enforcement officer and I work closely with law enforcement daily. I have a level of respect for law enforcement that comes from both personal and professional experience.

 2.      Please elaborate on how you feel about the work ethic of the Parkside Police department.

 I am fortunate that my personal interactions with the police department have been few, in that I have not had many incidents in my personal sphere that have necessitated police involvement. In the interactions I have had with our police department, I have been pleased. The officers I have had the opportunity to speak to have been professional and competent.

  A.     Do you feel improvements should be made? Please explain.

  I believe that our police officers deserve continuing development of education and resources to perform their duties to the highest level of their abilities. I have been fortunate in my career to be part of law enforcement theory and education, and I’d like to provide these tools to our officers. For example, “Community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” (US. Department of Justice, 2014- revised from original publication in 2012). This is a theoretical framework for policing that utilizes the inherent, humane skills our officers already have to fortify the relationship between the department and the community. Officers know their residents, and residents know their officers. This allows everyone to begin interactions on a common ground of trust and familiarity, drastically limiting the risk of escalation in most scenarios. This framework has been deployed in cities such as Camden, NJ and Coatesville, PA. These communities have seen a marked decrease in crime rates, as well as an impressive decrease in reports of injury to their officers in the line of duty. In summation, community policing works. It is a low-cost way to decrease the prevalence of crime and increase public and officer safety.

3.      Do you believe there should be Social Workers riding around with Parkside Police officers?

 I’d like to begin by saying that “riding around with” is an incredibly dismissive way to describe the police co-responder model (Introduced by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA in the early 2000s as part of the Sequential Intercept Model), which is what I believe this question is referring to.

 I do not believe that a co-responder model is necessary in a town as small as Parkside. It is not necessary or viable to hire a full-time, or even a part-time social worker for our department, as our population is too small and the number of calls that would benefit from social worker response are too few. Larger departments, such as the City of Philadelphia, are currently developing a co-responder system, which I find to be absolutely necessary as they are fielding thousands of behavioral health calls per day. I have been fortunate to participate in the conversations around the development of these systems in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties due to my role in the Stepping Up Initiative—SAMHSA’s response to behavioral health as it intersects with criminal justice. This experience has shown me the benefit of a co-responder system in large, more complex regions. I do not believe that this is necessary on the smaller, municipal level.

 The Sequential Intercept Model is a 5-point system that outlines the various points at which a person experiencing mental illness can be deferred from incarceration. Under this framework, the police co-responder system is Intercept 1- law enforcement. This is “diversion performed by law enforcement and other emergency service providers (social workers) who respond to people with mental and substance use disorders. This allows people to be diverted to treatment instead of being arrested or booked into jail.” (SAMHSA). In my full-time job, I serve as Intercept 4- Reentry from prisons and jails.

 In Parkside, I believe it is much more reasonable to equip officers with resources to address social issues as they may arise. No one is expecting police officers to act as social workers. This is not what they are, nor what they want to be. However, it is irresponsible to say that police officers will never encounter a social issue while on the job. They will. This is an inherent truth. At the municipal level, officers can connect to county-level services to address the issues that are best handled in the social-services realm, such as suicidal ideation, or opiate overdose response. Equipping officers with the ability to quickly connect to Delaware County’s mobile crisis response team (which was in part, developed by a resident of Parkside), or with Narcan to immediately respond to the imminent risk of overdose before referring to longer-term substance use response, is most appropriate.

 Just like no one is expecting police officers to be social workers, no one wants social workers to take over the role of police. The two systems are perfectly designed to work together toward the best outcomes for all involved. It is not this or that, instead it is both together. Police are trained to address public safety and imminent risk, and social workers are trained to provide longer term treatment and response to limit elevation of social problems to the level of risk to public safety. Officers can be provided with skill-building education to interact with a mental health crisis on scene, and social workers can be trained to conduct themselves with reverence to personal and public safety. In my role as an abuse investigator, I co-responded with police on numerous occasions, and it was always incredibly successful.

 If given the opportunity to serve as Mayor, I would be happy to consult with or respond to situations in which an officer felt the need to involve a social services professional on an as needed basis. A system like this, where the resource is readily available when they are needed, is a much more appropriate and cost-effective system for a town of our size and circumstance.

Resources:

Community Policing Defined:

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p157-pub.pdf

Sequential Intercept Model:

https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/pep19-sim-brochure.pdf

 Additional Questions Asked:

 What do you hope to accomplish in the three plus months you will serve?

Though three months is not a very long term, I'm hopeful that I can use the time to build a level of trust between the community and myself. I understand that I cannot function effectively in any leadership position if my constituents do not trust me. My primary goal is to ensure that residents feel comfortable reaching out to me with their questions and concerns.

I'd like to have a meeting with Chief Murray-- and if possible other officers of our police force-- with the goal of understanding their currant structure, policy, and procedures. It is best for me to learn this information right from the source. I want to hear from them what they feel they need to better to their jobs, and hopefully be able to develop a plan to meet those needs. 

I have many ideas for small community engagement activities that would help strengthen the community as a whole. For example, a monthly story time for young children featuring a book from the Aston Library, a senior coffee hour once a month at the borough hall, a weekly featured police officer on our social media pages so the residents know their officers and begin to build a working relationship with them. Some of these will take more time to develop than what is allotted in the interim term. However, I hope that I can build a foundation upon which we can move forward. 

What do you think is the cause of division in Parkside and how can you improve our sense of community and unity?

I feel that division in our town stems from a lack of trust, closed-mindedness, and fear. We have lost the ability to have a conversation in which ideas are shared, pondered, and compromised. Instead, we are listening to respond rather than listening to understand. Because of this, we are labeling each other by our perceived understanding of the other's beliefs rather than humanizing our neighbors. 

It sounds very simple, almost too simple, but, if I can help people learn to have productive conversations with each other, we can grow so much as a community. 

What makes you the best candidate to be the mayor of our borough?

I am uniquely qualified to serve as mayor of our borough due to the qualifications of my education, experience, and personal history. I have two degrees in social work which help me understand human behavior and interaction. I can assist in facilitating productive conversation which leads to positive action. This education also gives me a background in policy and procedural development. This is a realm of public service that tends to be off putting to some, because it can be overwhelming. I am comfortable with professional and governmental writing. 

In regard to the mayoral connection to the police department, I am qualified due to my experience working alongside law enforcement as a social worker. I am not a police officer, and do not claim to be one. However, I have studied criminal justice theory and I have applied it while serving as a co-responder with police. I also have a deeply ingrained respect for law enforcement that comes from being the daughter of a law enforcement officer and Vietnam veteran. 

How long do you plan to live in Parkside? Are you invested in the future of our community?

Currently, I have no plans to leave Parkside in the near future. I hesitate to give a firm number of years because I know from experience that life can take unexpected turns. However, I am a member of this community and I want to remain. 

I believe that whatever I contribute to this community needs to last for generations beyond me. My goal is to create a community that can benefit the residents if I am here or not. I find it to be selfish and unproductive to act only if I will benefit from the outcome. My goals reach far beyond myself.