Working With Social
Workers
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Child
Advocacy
Jess Sucherman, J.D., Alyssa Patzoldt, J.D.
Tyra Moore, LICSW, LCSW-C
Kimberly Daulton, LICSW, LCSW-C
August 2013
Overview of the Training
•
•
•
•
Who We Are and What We Do
Social Work Practice Foundation
Improving Advocacy
Ethical, Legal, and Practical Issues with
Incorporating Social Workers
• Skills for Effective Partnering
Who We Are
• Children's Law Center envisions a future in which
every child in the District of Columbia has a solid
foundation of family, health and education.
• Our Values
•
•
•
•
•
•
Holistic Representation
Impact
Creativity
Teamwork
Tenacity
Respect
What We Do
• The GAL Project
• Best Interests Representation
• Healthy Together
• Families First
• Pro Bono Program
The Social Work Project
• Program development and structure
• A spectrum of social worker involvement
• Consultation
• Integration
Models of Legal/Social Work
Collaboration
• Agency
• Multidisciplinary
• Interdisciplinary/Employee
• Consultant
• Integrated
Social Work Practice
Foundation
NASW Code of Ethics Preamble
• The primary mission of the social work
profession is to enhance human wellbeing and
help meet the basic human needs of all
people, with particular attention to the needs
and empowerment of people who are
vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty
• Social workers promote social justice and
social change with and on behalf of clients.
“Clients” is used inclusively to refer to
individuals, families, groups, organizations,
and communities.
NASW Code of Ethics Preamble
• Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic
diversity and strive to end discrimination,
oppression, poverty, and other forms of social
injustice.
• Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of
people to address their own needs.
• Social workers also seek to promote the
responsiveness of organizations, communities, and
other social institutions to individuals’ needs and
social problems.
NASW Code of Ethics
• The mission of the social work profession is
rooted in a set of core values.
•
•
•
•
•
•
service
social justice
dignity and worth of the person
importance of human relationships
integrity
competence
Client Specific Ethical Principles
•
•
•
•
•
Self-determination
Confidentiality
Who is the client?
Cultural competence and social diversity
Termination
Type of Social Workers
Micro Social Work
Macro/Mezzo Social Work
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Politics
• Community Organizing
(Mezzo)
• Research/Evaluation
• Advocacy/Policy
• Education
• Supervision/ Consultation
(Mezzo)
• Program Development
(Mezzo)
• Administration (mezzo)
Child welfare
Case Management
Mental Health
Hospitals/Clinics
School
Veteran Affairs
Military
Elder care
Prisons
Corporations
Social Work Education and Licensure
• Education
• Bachelors of Social Work (BSW)
• Masters of Social Work (MSW)
• Doctorate of Social Work (DSW)
• Licensure
•
•
•
•
Bachelors Level
Masters Level
Advanced Generalist Level
Clinical Level
Social Work Practice
•
•
•
•
•
•
The value of relationships
Use of self
Strengths based/solution focused frame work
Process, not just outcomes
Empower versus enable
Informed rational decision making
Challenges to Social Work Practice
•
•
•
•
Layers of bureaucracy
Jurisdiction/Agency specific stressors
Vicarious trauma and burn out
Personal capacity
Improving Advocacy with
External Social Workers
Advocacy Through Collaboration
• Why collaborate at all?
•
•
•
•
Mobilize resources
Expedite timelines
Consensus as a means of best interests
Better outcomes for clients
• Thinking beyond collaboration
• Increased quality in legal arguments
• Robust expansion in advocacy
Improving Advocacy
•
•
•
•
•
Making the most of relationship
Understanding and managing conflict
Embracing the global perspective
Increasing cross-training
Understanding the limits of social work
practice.
Improving Advocacy
• Recognizing advocacy perspectives
• Managing confidentiality
• Respecting and appreciating social work skill
set
• Understanding credentialing
Incorporating Social
Workers in a Legal
Organization
Caveats
• There are many ethical, legal, and practical
issues with incorporating social workers into
legal organizations
• This is an overview and highlights how CLC
has addressed these issues
• This is dependent on particular organization
needs and local rules and laws
Interdisciplinary Model
• Social worker is an integrated member of the
team.
• Social worker is obligated to adhere to
lawyer’s professional standards, including
confidentiality.
• Social Worker is not an independent provider
and uses his/her skills to support the work of
the law office.
Ethical and Legal Issues
• Confidentiality/Informed Consent
•
•
•
•
ABA Model Rules 1.6 and 5.4
Mandated Reporting
Confidentiality walls
CLC’s jurisdictional solution
• Conflicts
• Legal issues
• Social work issues
• CLC’s approach to conflicts
Ethical and Legal Issues
• Social worker as lawyer’s agent
•
•
•
•
ABA Model Rule 5.3
Represented party contact
Confidentiality
Legal standards drive advocacy
• Social workers in court
• Practice conflicts
• Values implications
Practical and Logistical Issues
•
•
•
•
Role clarity
Lack of consensus
Loss of autonomy
Making use of limited social worker resources
Practical and Logistical Issues
• Supervision
• Cross training
• Hiring social service staff
•
•
•
•
What do you need?
Salary
Interviewing
Interns
Effective Partnership
Skills for Effective Partnering
• Collaboration can be challenging!
• Social workers and lawyers need to develop
self awareness in order to partner effectively.
• There are a variety of skills that can enhance
collaboration in the best interest of client
outcomes.
Skills
•
•
•
•
•
•
Role Clarity
Positive Communication
Trust
Shared decision-making
Empathy
Acceptance
Skills
•
•
•
•
Cross training
Shared Language
Process in place to protect client confidences
Understanding of people outside of
organization
• Difference in world view
Questions? Contact Information
D.C.’s Children’s Law Center
616 H Street, N.W., Suite 300,
Washington, DC 20001, (202) 467-4900
www.childrenslawcenter.org
Questions?
Kimberly Daulton, Director of Social Work
ext. 516, kdaulton@childrenslawcenter.org
Tyra Moore, Senior Social Worker
ext. 557, tmoore@childrenslawcenter.org
Jess Sucherman, Supervising Attorney
ext. 575, jsucherman@childrenslawcenter.org
Alyssa Patzoldt, Supervising Attorney
ext. 532, apatzoldt@childrenslawcenter.org
Children’s Law Center works to give every child in the District of Columbia
a solid foundation of family, health, and education. We are the largest provider
of free legal services in the District and the only to focus on children.
Our 80-person staff partners with local pro bono attorneys to serve
more than 2,000 at-risk children each year. We use this expertise to advocate
for changes in the District’s laws, policies, and programs.
Visit www.childrenslawcenter.org to learn more.