A Professional's Guide to Forensic Social Work and the Courts

• Overview

Forensic social work is a burgeoning specialized area of practice in which social workers combine clinical and legal practice skills and engage with interdisciplinary professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, judges, and psychologists, especially when involved in the courts. You will gain a greater understanding of forensic social workers and forensic social work practice and the civil and criminal legal process, and the important role forensic social workers do and can play in providing clinical and policy practice expertise, expert testimony, and care coordination. Special attention will be given to assisting interdisciplinary professionals in gaining a basic understanding of the law and the legal system in regards to civil and criminal law and its case application. You will better understand the multifaceted role that forensic social workers do and can play in legal court settings.

Learning Objectives:

• You will be able to discuss forensic social work in history.
• You will be able to review the civil and criminal court process.
• You will be able to explain the future of forensic interdisciplinary collaboration.

Authors

Christine Heer, Esq., MSW, Christine M. Heer, LLC
Tina Maschi, Ph.D., LCSW, ACSW, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service

Agenda

Forensic Social Work: Conceptual Overview

• Definition

• Forensic Social Work in History

• Conceptual Framework

• Common Populations and Practice Contexts

• Knowledge, Roles, Activities, and Interdisciplinary Professional Contacts

The Legal System: An Overview of the Civil and Criminal Court Process

Ethics and the Law:

• Brief Overview of Ethical Issues

• Ethical Legal Decision-Making Model

Understanding the Law

• What Is 'Law?'

• Civil and Criminal Law Systems: Who, What, Where, When, and Why?

- Civil Law

- Criminal Law

Summary and Wrap-Up:

• The Future of Forensic Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Maximizing Forensic Social Worker's in the Legal System/Courts

Questions and Answers