FORENSIC SOCIAL WORK

WHAT IS FORENSIC
SOCIAL WORK????
Forensic social work is the application of social
work to questions and issues relating to law and
legal systems. This specialty of our profession goes
far beyond clinics and psychiatric hospitals for
criminal defendants being evaluated and
treated on issues of competency and
responsibility. A broader definition includes social
work practice which in any way is related to
legal issues and litigation, both criminal and civil.
Child custody issues, involving separation,
divorce, neglect, termination of parental rights,
the implications of child and spouse abuse,
juvenile and adult justice services, corrections,
and mandated treatment all fall under this
definition.
WHAT IS FORENSIC
SOCIAL WORK????
A forensic social worker tends to work
directly in the community with families,
individuals and the homeless as a liaison to
the criminal civil justice system. They will often
assist those that are exposed to parental
divorce, poverty, community and family
violence, juvenile offending, criminal activity
and the hardships that people often endure.
The professional aspect of a forensic social
worker is considered to be different than a
traditional social worker, in that they work as
an interface between human services and
society’s legal system.
FUNCTIONS OF FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK
Law and Social Work
Forensic social work is when the law and social work
intersect usually in clinical practice and in the fields of
child protection, youth criminal justice, domestic
violence, mental health, and corrections. It is a
specialty that requires enhanced professional training.
FUNCTIONS OF FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK
Inter-Professional Practice
Forensic social work (FSW) is an emerging sub-
specialty of social work practice. The training in
FSW can benefit those in the legal community and
social work. Social workers with the specialized
training and certification are hired to work in law
offices as part of an inter-disciplinary and inter-
professional team.
FUNCTIONS OF FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK
You as the Expert Witness
Forensic social workers bring expert evidence
into the court room through written reports
such as risk assessments, parenting
assessments, access assessments, child
wishes statements and Inter-generational
and trans-generational Impact Reports.(c)
FUNCTIONS OF FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK
Working in the Field

Forensic social workers work as part of an

investigative team with various legal
authorities, police services and corrections to
assist families in terms of protecting children,
youth, and adults who have come in
contact with the justice system.
FUNCTIONS OF FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK
Sharing and Learning
Forensic social workers are consultants,
mentors and change-makers work with other
professionals in many systems and in services
that are linked to the justice system and
advocate for social justice change by
challenging policy and legislation.
 CAN ANY SOCIAL WORKER BE A
FORENSIC SOCIAL WORKER?

Forensic social work is based on specialized knowledge drawn

from established principles and their application, familiarity with
the law, painstaking evaluation, and objective criteria
associated with treatment outcomes. What the social worker
offers must be of utility and couched in language to which the
court can relate. The conclusions and recommendations must
withstand critical review and rebuttal from opposing parties.
 CAN ANY SOCIAL WORKER BE A
FORENSIC SOCIAL WORKER?

They are often directly involved with law

enforcement personnel, attorneys, nurses,
doctors and victim advocates. In addition,
they work closely with family members,
clients and judges along with nearly every
aspect of the court system.
 FUNCTIONS OF THE FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK PRACTITIONER MAY INCLUDE :
• Providing consultation, education, or training to:

• Criminal justice, juvenile justice, and correctional systems

• Lawmakers
• Law enforcement personnel
• Attorneys, law students, and paralegals
• Members of the public
 FUNCTIONS OF THE FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK PRACTITIONER MAY INCLUDE :
• Diagnosis, treatment, and recommendations:

• Diagnosing, assessing, and treating criminal and juvenile justice populations

• Diagnosing, treating, or making recommendations about mental status,
children's interests, incapacities, or inability to testify
• Serving as an expert witness
• Screening, evaluating, or treating law enforcement and other criminal justice
personnel
 FUNCTIONS OF THE FORENSIC SOCIAL
WORK PRACTITIONER MAY INCLUDE :
• Other functions:

• Policy and program development

• Mediation, advocacy, and arbitration
• Teaching, training, and supervising
• Behavioral Science Research and Analysis

Forensic social work practitioners engage only in forensic activities within their
areas of competence and expertise.
WHAT IS A SOCIAL WORKER'S POSITION IN
CRIMINAL JUSTICE?
Social workers help people solve problems and may be
licensed to treat mental illness. In addition to schools,
hospitals, other health facilities and substance abuse
clinics, social workers can also be found in the criminal
justice system.
Criminal justice social workers may work in jails, prisons,
community-based organizations and primary health
care agencies that serve ex-offenders, and in the
courts.
COMPASSION VS. PUBLIC SAFETY
Social workers must have compassion and
empathy for the people they work with
A person who commits a crime because of
mental health issues may need to be treated
differently than an offender who committed
the crime in full awareness that what he did
was wrong.
The social worker can help other members of
the legal system, such as lawyers and judges,
as well as juries understand the difference
between the two offenders.
FAMILY ISSUES
Some social workers may work with children
and families who have entered the criminal
justice system.
The social worker might help a woman who
was a victim of domestic violence to find a safe
place for herself and her children, or apply for
benefits such as food stamps.
Other social workers help children in the foster
care system. They may handle adoptions or
locate and work with foster families when
children have been removed from the home
by the court because of neglect or abuse.
 WORKING WITH MINORS
Juveniles who are in the system because they
have committed or been the victim of crimes
may need the assistance of a social worker for
issues such as a minor’s ability to testify. Other
issues relevant to minors include their ability to
make medical decisions, child custody issues or
the necessity to appoint a guardian if a parent
dies or becomes incapacitated. Social workers
in the criminal justice system who work with
children often become advocates for different
legal standards for children as compared to
adults, according to the National Association of
Social Workers
 OTHER ROLES
Although any social worker might be required to
provide courtroom testimony, social workers in the
criminal justice system have many roles. Some work
as researchers to obtain relevant information about
a particular case. Others serve as probation officers
or case managers. A social worker in a jail or prison
might function as a therapist for prisoners. Forensic
social workers could draft reports about defendants
that include information about the defendant’s
decision-making capabilities, medical and mental
health, education or test results, according to a
November 2012 article in "NASW News." Other social
workers provide therapy to sex offenders, perform
conflict mediation or act as victim advocates.
 CONCLUSION
• The field of forensic social work presents constant challenges, and
social workers who enter this field without the proper academic,
professional, and emotional preparation may find it to be difficult to
sustain. However, in supporting underserved individuals through some
of their most harrowing and difficult experiences, and by tackling
some of our society’s most problematic systems and policies, criminal
justice social workers play a vital and in many ways a rewarding role in
the improvement of our society.
 REFERENCE
• https://work.chron.com/social-workers-position-criminal-justice-23582.html
• Encyclopedia of social work
 THANK YOU
BY : AIVIN,ERIKA & STAR