Social Work Practice and the Law: Becoming a Collaborative and Critically Competent Practitioner
English
By (author): Arthur O'Sullivan Kara R. Finck Lyn K. Slater Stephen Perez Steven Sheffrin
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