Legal Issues in Social Work Practice and Research

This highly practical text surveys the myriad legal and ethical issues that social workers encounter both in daily practice and under special circumstances. Its initial section presents concepts in law and ethics that unite practitioners, researchers, and academics in the field, such as confidentiality, informed consent, and the interplay between social work and administrative and judicial systems. A selection of representative cases illustrates legal aspects involved in providing services to families, children, elders, and persons with disabilities. Also included are chapters on advocacy in social work, both in its potential to influence policy and on the global stage as part of the ongoing struggle for human rights and dignity. Among the topics covered:

Confidentiality and the social worker-client relationship

Liability issues for social workers in the clinical context

Legal issues arising in the context of social work research

The social worker and forensic social work

Social worker involvement in access to school and school services

Social work in the context of health care

Legal issues working with immigrants, refugees, and asylees

The interface between social work and human rights

Legal Issues in Social Work Practice and Research is an interdisciplinary text aimed at social work, mental health, and legal professionals. It enhances the power of social work as an integrative system to support clients’ rights and agency.