Two supervisors are better than one!
Interdisciplinary supervision: A crosstraining social work and law
therapeutic jurisprudence model.
Karen Keroack, LCSW
Florida State University, College of Social Work
University of Florida, Levin College of Law
Unifying philosophy for
social workers and lawyers

Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) defined:
It examines the therapeutic and
antitherapeutic consequences that flow
from legal rules, legal procedures, and
the behaviors of legal actors.
(Stolle & Wexler, 1997, found in Madden & Wayne, 2003)
“TJ”
Basic proposition:
The law should promote therapeutic
outcomes for the individuals, families,
and communities affected by it.
Provides a common orientation to legal
situations
An innovative approach to examine legal issues
from a systems perspective
Supports collaborative interdisciplinary practice
and creates a venue for individuals to engage in
dialogue and creative problem solving
Our legal advocacy clinic




Who do we serve?
Why are more heads better than one?
Who are the team members and what
does each professional team member
bring?
What is our model of representation?
Nuts and bolts about how it
works! The practical side

Informal and formal processes:
– referrals, case selection, case
assignments, firm meetings, team
meetings, case management and
documentation, interdisciplinary
supervision, teaching
Cross-professional training

Differences and similarities
– Ethical considerations
– Boundaries and role definition
– Language
– Professional courtesy and respect
– Values
Synergistic effects of cross training
Interdisciplinary supervision

Two supervisors are better than one!
– Legal and social work perspective
encourages holistic representation
– Legal and social work constructs are
used to build knowledge build
knowledge, inform practice decisions,
increase self-awareness, promote
relationship building skills and
professionalism
Supervisory functions and
roles

Supervisor as Teacher
– Structures experience and clarifies
expectations, understands and
supports supervisee as learner, links
theory with practice, modes, identifies
and explains appropriate engagement,
assessment, intervention and
evaluation strategies, provides
feedback and evaluates performance

Supervisor as Counselor
– Explores feelings and concerns,
facilitates self-exploration and selfawareness, provides opportunities to
process and define supervisees
strengths and areas of development

Supervisor as Consultant
– Allows supervisee to structure the
supervision, acts as a resource but
encourages the supervisee to trust
his/her own thoughts, insights and
feelings about the work with the client,
supports collaboration
Social Work Constructs

Ecological systems perspective

Relationship building skills
– Developing rapport, use of self, active
listening, empathic communication, selfdisclosure, authenticity, boundaries,
strengths perspective, reframing,
partialization, transference, readiness for
change, empowerment
Social Work Constructs

Ethical principles
– Commitment to clients, self-determination,
informed consent, cultural competence,
awareness of conflicts of interest, privacy
and confidentiality

Four stages of planned change
– Engagement, assessment, intervention,
and evaluation
Social Work Constructs
Micro-level
analysis
Macro-level
analysis
References











Brooks, S. (2005). Practicing (and teaching) therapeutic jurisprudence: Importing social work principles
and techniques into clinical legal education. St Thomas Law Review, 17, 513-530.
Brooks, S. (2006). Using therapeutic jurisprudence to build effective relationships with students,
clients and communities. Clinical Law Review, 13, 213-230.
Hartley, C., Petricci, C. (2004). Practicing culturally competent therapeutic jurisprudence: A
collaboration between social work and law. Journal of Law and Policy, 14, 133-181.
Kahn, B., O’Donnell, P., Wernsman, J., Bushell, B., Kavanaugh, A. (2007). Making the
connection: Legal advocacy and mental health services. Family Court Review, 45(3) 486-500.
Galowitz, P. (1999). Collaboration between lawyers and social workers: Re-examining the nature
and potential of the relationship. Fordham Law Review, 2123-2154.
Hepwoth, D., Rooney, R., Rooney, G., Strom-Gottfried, K., Larsen, J. (2009). Direct social work practice:
Theory and skills (8th ed.). California: Brooks/Cole.
Madden, R., Wayne, R. (2003). Social work and the law: A therapeutic jurisprudence perspective. Social
Work, 48(3), 338-347.
Shulman, L., Safyer, A. (2006). Supervision in counseling: Interdisciplinary issues and research.
Psychology Press.
Silver, M. (2007) The affective assistance of counsel: Practicing law as a healing profession.
NC:Carolina Academic Press.
Steinberg, R. (2006). Beyond lawyering: How holistic representation makes for good policy,
better lawyers, and more satisfied clients. N.Y. Review of Law & Social Change, 30, 625-635.
Wright, J. (2005). Therapeutic jurisprudence in an interprofessional practice at the University of St,
Thomas Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services. St. Thomas Law Review,
17, 501-512.