--- title: Collateral and Employer Contacts description: "Summary of the Evidence\r\n\r\n•\tThe evidence supporting the effects of collateral (client’s family and social supports) and employer contacts on recidivism is inconclusive.\r\n•\tThere are no empirical evaluations that isolate the effectiveness of collateral and employer contacts.\r\n•\tCollateral and employer contacts are generally highly valued aspects of an officer’s fieldwork.\r\n•\tPositive encounters between officer and client in the community can build rapport. \r\n•\tRapport built through collateral contacts has been shown to increase the likelihood that the family member, close friend, or service provider will contact the officer when concerned about the client.\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Are Collateral and Employer Contacts?\r\n•\tFieldwork is a surveillance mechanism that helps verify a client’s compliance with their programming and supervision conditions. It can include home visits, collateral contacts, and employer contacts. \r\n•\tCollateral contacts occur when an officer contacts and collects information from a client’s family and/or other social supports. This can include family, friends, caseworkers, social workers, etc.\r\n•\tEmployer contacts occur when an officer makes contact (phone call, email, in-person) with a client’s employer or with the client at work \r\n\r\nHow Are They Used?\r\n•\tCollateral contacts \r\no\tFamily contacts happen most often over the phone or during home visits. \r\n\tDuring a home visit, contact information can be exchanged, and the officer can introduce themselves as a resource for the family member.\r\n\tOfficers should develop rapport with the family or social support through the mutual goal of the client’s success.\r\no\tRelationships with social workers, case managers, or treatment counselors are important to remain up-to-date on a client’s progress in programming.\r\n\tContacts with caseworkers or social workers can be done by phone or through in-person meetings with all three parties (officer, caseworker, and client) present.\r\n•\tEmployer contacts \r\no\tEmployer contacts can be conducted over the phone or in-person at a client’s place of employment.\r\no\tEmployer contacts have the potential to jeopardize a client’s employment. This is especially true if in-person contacts are conducted in uniform with bulletproof vest and gun.\r\n\r\nHow Can They Be Used to Monitor Compliance?\r\n•\tBoth collateral contacts and employer contacts can be used as a tool that adds a level of accountability for clients. \r\n•\tThe added level of accountability can serve as motivation for clients to remain compliant between office visits.\r\n\r\nHow Can They Be Used as a Supervision Tool?\r\n•\tCollateral and employer contacts can either reinforce an officer as a change agent or as an authoritative law enforcement agent depending on the officer’s approach when making the contact.\r\no\tOfficers should use rapport-building techniques when conducting contacts.\r\n•\tAn officer being up-to-date and aware of the client’s progress in programming reinforces that they are invested in their client’s change.\r\n•\tCoordinating with counselors/caseworkers can help the officer understand what areas a client might need additional support, so this can inform topics and skills to work on during office visits.\r\n•\tEstablishing open lines of communication with family and other social supports can serve to alert the officer when their client struggles with supervision. \r\n\r\nWhat Are the Costs of Collateral and Employer Contacts?\r\n•\tThere are no financial costs for these contacts. The main cost attached to collateral and employer contacts for the officer is time.\r\n•\tThere may be a negative cost to a client by highlighting their criminal record during employer contacts.\r\n\r\nWhat Do Supervision Staff Think?\r\n•\tSupervision staff report that collateral contacts are\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\talways appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\n•\tSupervision staff report that employer contacts are\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\n\r\nWhat Should You Expect When Using Collateral and Employer Contacts?\r\n•\tThere are no empirical evaluations focused on identifying the effects of collateral or employer contacts on client outcomes. \r\n•\tEvaluations that include collateral and employer contacts do not isolate the effects of those practices.\r\n\r\nIs the Use of Collateral and Employer Contacts an Evidence-Based Practice?\r\n•\tNo.\r\n\r\nWhat Do People Formerly Involved in the Criminal Legal System Think About Collateral and Employer Contacts?\r\n•\tPeople with lived experience in the criminal legal system (the “criminal justice” or “legal” system is referred to as the criminal legal system in this document) report that collateral contacts are\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients.\r\n•\tPeople with lived experience in the criminal legal system report that employer contacts are\r\no\tnever appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all medium- to high-risk clients, except for those in a general violence special population, for whom they are never appropriate\r\n\r\nCommunication That Strengthens the Officer-Client Relationship (Messaging)\r\n•\tOfficers should be aware of potential tension when conducting an in-person home visit or employer visit. \r\no\tOfficers should be aware that showing up at a client’s home or workplace can be embarrassing and stigmatizing. \r\no\tThis tension can be dissipated by a positive and encouraging tone and the use of active listening skills when communicating. \r\n•\tOfficers should explain their intention of making collateral contacts in the client’s life. This is especially important with spouses or other family members who may feel nervous around officers.\r\n•\tOfficers should discuss employer contacts with clients to avoid embarrassment, damaging rapport, or jeopardizing employment.\r\n•\tInformation gathered through collateral and employer contacts should be discussed with the client.\r\no\tInformation received through collateral/employer contacts should be shared with the client.\r\no\tOfficers shouldn’t automatically trust the information received during collateral/employer contact over that given by a client.\r\no\tIf concerning information about a client is communicated during collateral/employer contact, this information needs to be discussed with the client.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSpecial Considerations When Using Collateral and Employer Contacts with Subpopulations\r\n\r\nGang-Involved\tIndividuals who are gang-involved may be more sensitive to the stigmatizing effects of collateral or employer contacts. Officer should take special care to discuss these contacts with the client before making them. Developing transparent working relationships with the family of a gang-involved client may be more difficult due to negative feelings toward law enforcement.\r\nGeneral Violence\tN/A\r\nIntimate Partner Violence\tIt is important that the officer has an open line of communication with the victim of their client’s IPV case. This will allow the officer to be notified if their client is breaking the conditions of their supervision by inappropriately contacting their victim.\r\nSerious Mental Illness\tClients diagnosed with serious mental illnesses are more likely to have more complicated risk/need profiles. As such, these clients will need increased intervention to be successful. Officers should develop communication lines with a client’s service providers to stay current with their client’s progress with treatment. Officers should also be careful when making collateral contacts with the family as many clients with SMI have complicated family dynamics.\r\nSubstance Use Disorder\tOfficers should develop working relationships with any service provider their client is using for SUD treatment. Open communication with these contacts can offer officers important information on their client’s progress. Officers should also establish a relationship with the family of their client with an SUD. Family may be able to spot troubling behavior between regular contacts and inform the officer." url: "https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/collateral-and-employer-contacts/" updated: "2023-06-07" category: "Compliance-Based Practices" tags: - Client Monitoring - Community Work - "Compliance-Based Practices" - Inconclusive Evidence Practices --- # Collateral and Employer Contacts ***Employer Contacts – The evidence is inconclusive Collateral Contacts – The evidence is inconclusive*** Summary of the Evidence - The evidence supporting the effects of collateral (client’s family and social supports) and employer contacts on recidivism is inconclusive. - There are no empirical evaluations that isolate the effectiveness of collateral and employer contacts. - Collateral and employer contacts are generally highly valued aspects of an officer’s fieldwork. - Positive encounters between officer and client in the community can build rapport. - Rapport built through collateral contacts has been shown to increase the likelihood that the family member, close friend, or service provider will contact the officer when concerned about the client.   What Are Collateral and Employer Contacts? How Are They Used? How Can They Be Used to Monitor Compliance? How Can They Be Used as a Supervision Tool? What Are the Costs of Collateral and Employer Contacts? What Do Supervision Staff Think? Special Considerations When Using Collateral and Employer Contacts with Subpopulations   **Similar Topics** ## [Overall Compliance-Based Practice Implementation Considerations](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/overall-compliance/) ## [Drug Testing](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/drug-testing/) ## [Electronic Monitoring](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/electronic-monitoring/)