Chapter 1: Defining Collaborative Forensic Social Work with Diverse Populations Flashcards
What types of settings utilize forensic social work?
Community based child and family services Health care Education Child welfare Mental health Substance abuse Social services Juvenile justice Criminal justice systems
What professional skills are important for social workers in these settings?**
it’s imperative that social workers supplement their specialized practice expertise with knowledge of the laws and policies that influence their client populations.
It is imperative that practitioners integrate their understanding of collaboration, the law, and specialized skills with generalist social work practice
FSW need to be well versed in collaboration because we are working with other professionals. They also need to be familiar with a certain policies and laws that can be related to a case and some legal knowledge.
The social worker must have multicultural competence
Multidisciplinary practice skills
Lobbying skill set
What are the definitions of forensic social work?
Barker and Branson - “a professional specialty that focuses on the interface between society’s legal and human service systems”
Hughes and O’Neal- specifically relating to the intersection of mental health and law, in which social workers “function in this space in which mental health concepts and the law form a gestalt.”
Roberts and Brownell- in terms of knowledge & skills needed for the specific populations served, particularly victims and offenders. “The policies, practices, and social work roles with juvenile and adult offenders and victims of crime”
Green, Thorpe, and Traupmann- “Practice, which in any manner may be related to legal issues and litigation, both criminal and civil.”
What types of legal issues (civil or criminal) involve social workers?
Clinics and psychiatric hospitals for criminal defendants being evaluated/treated on issues of competency and responsibility. Anything related to legal issues and litigation, both criminal and civil; child custody issues, involving separation, divorce, neglect, termination of parental rights, implications of child/spouse abuse, juvenile/adult justice services, corrections, and mandated treatment all fall under this definition. Page 6
What is the role of collaboration in forensic practice? What types of stakeholders are involved in this process? *****
It allows us to assume multiple professional roles, functions, and activities.
This strategy is designed to improve clients’ social functioning and environmental conditions through collaboration with clients, professionals, and other stakeholders.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is an “effective interpersonal process that facilitates the achievement of goals that cannot be reached when individual professionals act on their own”
Forensic workers need to be able to have multicultural competence because of the different ranges of people that they will be working with (vulnerable populations). Being able to collaborate in FSW is unavoidable, one must be able to work with other teams in order to come out with the best outcome for the client
What is interdisciplinary team practice ?
It consists of:
a group of professionals from different disciplines
a common purpose
The integration of various professional perspectives in decision making
Interdependence
Coordination and interaction
Communication
Role division based on expertise
“”Effective interpersonal process that facilitates the achievement of goals that cannot be reached when individual professionals act on their own”
Able to address sociolegal issues with the help of a variety of professional in a group problem-solving process which makes it possible to examine the problem from all angles
How does the systems perspective apply in this field (micro, mezzo, or macro social work practice)?
Micro level systems:
must accommodate all individuals who are participating, whether accused, aggrieved, or employed, and respond to their diverse characteristics and abilities.
Need to develop practice skills grounded in an understanding of clients in their contextual identities and lives
Mezzo:
Must be vigilant regarding unintended structural biases that favor or accommodate individuals with certain backgrounds or characteristics over others
Macro:
Consideration diversity points of social work in the nation
