The Role Of Law In Social Work Practice And Administration

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.

The strong nexus between law and social work is beyond dispute: the law informs day-to-day social work practice and administration, and social workers are employed by the courts. Moreover, they work collaboratively with attorneys in legal aid offices, public defenders'offices, and other law enforcement settings, interviewing clients, preparing reports for use in court, interpreting social science information, and providing consultation on how best to approach client problems. This book addresses the 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.

This comprehensive guide to Canadian law and legal processes examines all of the major legal situations social workers may encounter - including child abuse, family violence, adoption issues, health care, mental illness, and immigration status - ensuring that students are well-versed in theirown legal rights and obligations and know what to expect when testifying in court.

Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, second edition, is a guide to Canadian law and legal processes designed specifically for social workers. This core text examines all of the major legal situations social workers may encounter-from child abuse, family violence, and adoption issues to health care, mental illness, and immigration status-ensuring that students are well-versed in their own legal rights and obligations and know what to expect when testifying in court. Each chapter opens and closes with a realistic case example and provides a comprehensive list of legislation relevant to the area under discussion. New to this second edition is a chapter focused on adoption law as well as an expanded pedagogical program, which includes chapter-opening learning objectives, chapter-ending discussion questions, and a list of key terms with definitions.

This completely rewritten and updated new edition of a practical text continues to provide a firm introduction to law and legal processes and their relation to social work practice. Using Clinton's welfare reform act of 1996, Albert provides a conceptual framework to illustrate how socio-legal problems emerge in the welfare state, and presents the skills base necessary for effective social work response. A new section on socio-legal issues highlights many fields where social worker-lawyer partnerships can occur, such as civil rights and advocacy, the death penalty, liability for neglect in nursing homes, informed consent and medical treatment, and much more. Filled with techniques for reading and understanding judicial opinion, legislative statues, and bills, this new edition will appeal to all professors of law and social work courses, as well as courses on the welfare state.

A core function of social work is to assist, empower and protect the most vulnerable in society. Every day social workers make difficult decisions in complex and challenging situations. They work in organisations that have clear statutory duties. It is essential therefore, that social work students know what their responsibilities are. Familiarity with law, legislation and legal processes is consequently fundamental to sound social work practice. This bestselling book helps social work students gain this foothold in understanding law as it applies to social work practice. It avoids complicated legal jargon remote from the everyday realities of practice, offering instead a grounding in legally-appropriate, rights-based social work. It covers the full range of social work law, including services for children and families and child protection, adult care law, youth justice, court work, professional regulation and human rights.

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"This is the first book to give social workers the tools to understand their clients' legal needs and rights and to address them collaboratively and effectively. Lyn Slater and Kara Finck ground their text in a comprehensive grasp of the legal system and the inequities of race, class, and gender that shape clients' experiences. Social Work Practice and the Law is a powerful call for social workers to be passionate and skillful advocates for their clients. Essential reading for social workers and lawyers alike who serve low-income people entangled in systems that so often fail them." Dorothy Roberts, JD Kirkland & Ellis Professor, Northwestern University School of Law Author, Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare Based on the author's innovative and nationally recognized prototype for inter-professional work at Fordham University, this is the only volume about social work and the legal system that is written from the social worker's perspective. Devoid of "legalese," the book is designed to help social workers develop the ability to reappraise, question, and challenge the law to best serve their clients. It aims to promote the development of a more strategic relationship with the legal system-a partnership that can achieve more creative and just solutions to social problems. Exhaustive in scope, Social Work and the Law identifies current national and international trends and legal movements that support and invite inter-professional, critically competent social work participation. The book also identifies and explains the essential knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary for the attainment of collaborative critical competence when interacting with the legal system. Each chapter includes vivid case studies based on actual collaborations that illustrate the application of theory to practice. Chapters also include legal, social work, and evidence-based resources. Key Features: Promotes a proactive approach to the ways in which social workers can use law to promote clients' best interests Addresses all domains of social work practice-child welfare, housing law, educational access, disability law, benefits, and more Offers abundant case studies taken from the authors' real-life work Devoid of "legalese" and written from a social worker's perspective