Forensic and Legal Social Work
This interactive workshop will provide social workers with an overview of the practice areas of Forensic Social Work and Criminal / Juvenile Legal Social Work, with an emphasis on processes, populations, professional skills and responsibilities, and ethical dilemmas for social workers working with system-involved clients. This information is especially relevant for social workers engaging client populations that interface with the criminal and juvenile legal systems, including but not limited to: assessing and treating survivors or offenders of domestic violence, sexual offenses, substance use/addiction, and youth violence. Service settings may include prisons or jails, residential centers, outpatient settings, supervision services (such as diversion, probation, or parole), or other linked systems, such as child welfare. Participants will gain an improved understanding of the major processes – policing, courts, and corrections / re-entry – and the related dynamics that clients (and their families) face, and engage in a number of activities and discussions to practice and enhance abilities to work with clients.
Skills / Knowledge
- social work
- forensic
- legal