Social Work and the Courts


Book Description

Social Work and the Courts is a collection of important and cutting-edge court decisions in the field of human services. Pollack presents an array of legal cases in everyday language, with clear explanation of the facts and issues, and in-depth.




The Role of Law in Social Work Practice and Administration


Book Description

This book addresses this relationship between the professions of social work and law and helps social workers develop the knowledge necessary to practice in a legal environment. The author focuses on how the law affects the day-to-day practice of social work; the creation, administration, and operation of social service agencies; and the ways in which social workers and attorneys collaborate to serve the public.




Social Work Practice in the Criminal Justice System


Book Description

The criminal justice system, with its complex policies and procedures and its focus on deterrence, punishment, and rehabilitation, can be a difficult system to understand. Social Work Practice in the Criminal Justice System presents an overview of the criminal justice system, exploring the network of systems which comprise it. Integrating social work values and a commitment to social justice, this textbook explores how social workers can practice to address social problems within the criminal justice system and promotes the development of knowledge, skills and critical reflection in this increasingly important area of practice. In addition to covering the four key areas for social work practice – law enforcement, courts, corrections, and legislation – it covers: Alternative programs and services Special populations – such as juveniles, women and sex offenders Special topics – such as reoffending, wrongful conviction and racial disparities The application of evidence-based practice principles in criminal justice. Looking at the challenges and opportunities of social work practice in the criminal justice system, this is the ideal text for social work instructors, students and practitioners working with or within the criminal justice system. Each chapter includes a summary of social work practice implications, key terms, and suggested further reading.




Practical Social Work Law


Book Description

Practical Social Work Law: analysing court cases and inquiries presents legal issues associated with social work in an accessible format. It approaches the law in a way that is less daunting and more engaging by examining actual court cases and public inquiries, and explores the stories of real people and the legal and ethical dilemmas practitioners will face. The text adopts a problem-centred approach to learning by introducing the reader to key aspects of the law through a series of real-life situations; it addresses basic principles regarding the operation of the law and explores the lessons for good practice. Each chapter addresses a specific area of social work law including family breakdown, safeguarding children, youth justice, adults with disabilities, mental health and mental capacity. Landmark cases, cases drawn from the lower courts, tribunals, and ombudsman’s decisions are included throughout presenting an accessible account of the application of the law. Practical Social Work Law is an essential text for undergraduate, postgraduate and recently qualified social workers who are wrestling with the complexity of the law and the professional dilemmas it poses for their practice. "This book is unusual for a law book in that it is not only a reference book but also a very readable volume...[It] is set out clearly and provides a sound basis for student social workers new to the law and a refresher for qualified practitioners." Catherine Poulter. RSW. Integrated Community Services. Carmarthenshire County Council




Social Work, Criminal Justice, and the Death Penalty


Book Description

Social workers have their hands in a lot of big sociopolitical issues. When it comes to the death penalty, their involvement is especially crucial. Social workers might support those receiving the sentence, engage with the families of those sentenced, participate in mitigation work, examine the critical discourse (psychiatric, psychological, and legal) leading up to and after the sentence, contribute to research surrounding mental health as it relates to the criminal justice system, or even use social advocacy and policy practice to examine the death penalty. In Social Work, Criminal Justice, and the Death Penalty, professionals with backgrounds spanning, law, forensics, academia, and social work combine and explain their experiences surrounding this prominent social justice issue. The book is broken into three sections: Criminal Justice Considerations, Sociopolitical Considerations, and Applied Social Work Considerations. Across each section, chapters provide explicit implications for the social work professional in a criminal justice setting. The resulting volume equips beginning professionals and students with a holistic overview of the intersection of criminal justice and social justice.




Forensic Social Work


Book Description

This extensively revised edition reviews the latest research and practices in forensic social work. Readers learn to integrate socio-legal knowledge when working with diverse populations in a variety of settings. Noted interdisciplinary contributors review the most common forensic issues encountered in the field to better prepare readers to deal with the resulting financial, psychological, emotional, and legal ramifications. Using a human rights and social justice approach, the book demonstrates the use of a forensic lens when working with individuals, families, organizations, and communities that struggle with social justice issues. Each chapter features objectives, competencies, Voices From the Field, a conclusion, exercises, and additional resources. The book is ideal for MSW and BSW courses in forensic social work as well as forensic/legal courses taught in criminal justice and psychology. Practitioners working in a variety of settings who must have a working knowledge of forensic social work will also appreciate this comprehensive overview of the field. Key Features: Highlights working with various populations such as minorities, immigrants, veterans, the elderly, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, substance abusers, trauma survivors, and more. Reviews the field’s conceptual and historical foundation and pertinent laws to better prepare readers for professional practice (Part I). Introduces the most common forensic issues encountered when working in various settings, including health care, social and protective services, the child welfare system, the criminal justice system, school systems, immigration services, addiction treatment facilities, and more (Part II). Provides a wealth of practical guidance via case studies and interviewing, assessment, and intervention tips. Voices From the Field written by seasoned practitioners introduce common situations readers are likely to encounter. New to this Edition: Highlights the 2015 Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Policies and Accreditation Standards throughout the text. Greatly expanded coverage from 26 to 33 chapters with more information on health care, housing, employment, the juvenile and criminal justice system, adult protective services, and the dynamics of oppression. New Part III dedicated t




The Witness Stand


Book Description

Learn reliable techniques to prepare and present effective testimony! “Soon after leaving graduate school I was thrown to the courtroom wolves with no preparation. No social worker should have to go through that,” says Janet Vogelsang, author of The Witness Stand. Few colleges of social work prepare their students for the inevitable involvement with the courts entailed by their profession. This timely book provides you with a blueprint for presenting yourself as a competent and credible professional in court cases. This indispensable guide tells exactly what happens in court, how to counter common strategies for discrediting your profession, and what to do when your client's attorney is obnoxious. The Witness Stand emphasizes the biopsychosocial assessment as the essential tool for a social worker called on to testify in court. Its helpful features include sample forms and affidavits and actual court testimony. The end-of-chapter summaries can be used for rapid review and as a ”to do” checklist for preparing a court case. The Witness Stand offers practical, detailed advice on such matters as: how the legal system works how to handle contacts with attorneys and investigators what to do with documents and files how to prepare your testimony how to handle direct testimony and cross-examination how to define your social work expertise on the stand what to wear when you go to court The Witness Stand can help you deal with the anxiety-provoking complexities of the legal system. Instead of being confused or intimidated by legal arcana, you will be well-prepared, well-organized, and ready to present yourself as the confident, reliable professional you are.




Social Work in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Settings


Book Description

In this completely revised and updated classic, Professors Roberts and Springer, along with 51 justice-oriented and forensic experts, have set the standard of care for mental health treatment and the delivery of social services to crime victims, juvenile and adult offenders, and their families. The second edition of Social Work in Juvenile and Criminal Justice Settings was published almost ten years ago in 1997, and was also translated to Chinese. Now Dr. Roberts, Dr. Springer, and their team of 51 prominent chapter authors have done such a thorough job of updating and finding new authors, that the end result is a comprehensive new book. In this third edition, 16 of the 31 chapters are new and specially written for this book. A growing number of mental health professionals are recognizing the need to examine current evidence-based program developments, assessment, and treatment practices with crime victims and offenders. This book focuses on the multiple roles and practices of justice social workers, also known as forensic social workers and crisis counselors. Many professional social workers, counselors and field placement students work in corrections and probation, forensic mental health, addictions treatment, juvenile justice, victim assistance, and police social work settings. In the words of Dean Barbara W. White (former President, Council on Social Work Education, and NASW) in her laudatory Foreword to this edition: "This groundbreaking book provides the necessary blueprints and guidelines for best practices with crime victims as well as juvenile and adult offenders in institutional, community- based, diversion, and aftercare programs. . . . This is the first all-inclusive, authoritative, exceptionally well-written volume on social policies and social work practices in both juvenile justice and criminal justice settings. . . . This book is a landmark achievement." An increasing number of offenders and victims have been found to be




Drug Courts


Book Description

Drug courts offer offenders an intensive court-based treatment program as an alternative to the normal adjudication process. Begun in 1989, they have since spread dramatically throughout the United States. In this interdisciplinary examination of the expanding movement, a distinguished panel of legal practitioners and academics offers theoretical assessments and on-site empirical analyses of the workings of various courts in the United States, along with detailed comparisons and contrasts with related developments in Britain. Practitioners, politicians, and academics alike acknowledge the profound impact drug courts have had on the American criminal justice system. From a range of disciplinary perspectives, contributors to this volume seek to make sense of this important judicial innovation. While addressing a range of questions, Drug Courts also aims to achieve a careful balance between focused empirical studies and broader theoretical analyses of the same phenomenon. The volume maintains an analytical concentration on drug courts and on the important practical, philosophical, and jurisprudential consequences of this unique form of therapeutic jurisprudence. Drug courts depart from the practices and procedures of typical criminal courts. Prosecutors and defense counsel play much-reduced roles. Often lawyers are not even present during regular drug court sessions. Instead, the main courtroom drama is between the judge and client, both of whom speak openly and freely in the drug court setting. Often accompanying the client is a treatment provider who advises the judge and reviews the client's progress in treatment. Court sessions are characterized by expressive and sometimes tearful testimonies about the recovery process, and are often punctuated with applause from those in attendance. Taken together, the chapters provide a variety of perspectives on drug courts, and extend our knowledge of the birth and evolution of a new movement. Drug Courts is an essential reference for courses in criminology, the sociology of drugs and deviance, and the philosophy of law and punishment.




Social Work Case Management


Book Description

This new practice text provides a series of readings focusing on case management in a number of fields and in a variety of settings with different client populations. Each chapter examines a major component of case management practice by presenting information about an innovative program from a different location around the country. In conjunction, these readings provide a road map to social work case management.In addition to offering up-to-date practice approaches and examining the functions and skills of case management in depth, the authors provide the policy information needed for putting this traditional form of social work practice into today's service delivery context.