Now You Lot Know Social Workers Inwards Court: Interview Amongst Allan Barsky, Jd, Msw, Phd

[Episode 76] In today’s interview, Allan as well as I talked close what it way for a social worker to live on “court ready,” peculiarly for social workers whose jobs do non typically involve going to court. We talked close the divergence betwixt forensic social workers as well as social workers who direct hold to appear inwards court. Allan talked close the divergence betwixt customer confidentiality as well as customer privilege, betwixt beingness a witness as well as an goodness witness, as well as betwixt preparing for legal proceedings as well as disciplinary proceedings. He gave some pointers on how social workers should respond to a subpoena. I asked him close what for many clinicians is the most stressful role of going to courtroom - exam as well as cross-examination. We talked close how social workers tin give the sack gear upwards for it, including some strategies for dealing amongst “tough questions” during a cross-examination. We ended our conversation amongst Allan providing some resources for social workers who desire to know more. If yous desire to regain additional references as well as resources, equally good equally a transcript of my conversation amongst Allan, delight become to the Social Work Podcast website at socialworkpodcast.com. If yous desire to bring together the conversation close clinicians inwards court, become to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/swpodcast. If you’re on Twitter, yous tin give the sack follow the podcast at twitter.com/socworkpodcast. And now, without farther ado, on to Episode 76 of the Social Work Podcast: Social Workers inwards Court: Interview amongst Allan Barsky.

 Allan as well as I talked close what it way for a social worker to live on  Now You Know Social Workers inwards Court: Interview amongst Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhDDownload MP3 [31:29]





Bio
Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD is Professor of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton as well as Chair of the NASW National Ethics Committee. He has a background inwards social work, law, as well as mediation. His volume authorships include "Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions" (Brooks/Cole), "Ethics as well as Values inwards Social Work" (Oxford University Press), as well as "Clinicians inwards Court" (Guilford Press). Dr. Barsky is a Florida State Accredited Family Mediator as well as has published articles inwards the Journal of Social Work Values as well as Ethics, Family Court Review, as well as Conflict Resolution Quarterly.


TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Jonathan Singer: Hey at that spot podcast listeners. I’m recording this on Monday, Dec 17th, 2012. Three days ago, on Friday, Dec 14, 2012 I learned close the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school, likely similar many of, on Facebook. I received a text warning that my friend Erin had updated her Facebook status: “Oh my goddess, my take in is breaking. Connecticut.” There was no link, so I hopped on Google news. H5N1 few minutes afterward my take in was breaking too. By Fri nighttime it seemed that the entire land was heartbroken past times the tidings of 20 children as well as seven adults who were gunned downward inwards Newtown, CT. Today, 3 days after the massacre, the starting fourth dimension children were buried. And piece nosotros don’t know much close the gunman, Adam Lanza, nosotros know this storey all likewise well. He was, similar the gunmen inwards nearly all of the other recent volume shootings inwards the United States, a middle aeroplane white manful mortal amongst a DSM diagnosis as well as access to guns. The storey of volume shootings inwards the US is sadly familiar. Although the specifics of this storey are solely days old, if it plays out similar Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, as well as the others, the coming days, weeks as well as months volition await something similar this: a land of shocked as well as grief stricken people come upwards together inwards a shared sadness as well as sense of disbelief. Journalists do their best to slice together answers that were buried along amongst the gunman. We volition verbalise close mental illness. We volition fence the relative merits of an armed citizenry. Schools volition review crisis plans, security protocols, as well as risk management. We volition eventually become dorsum to work. And as well as then the lawsuits volition start. That final signal brings me to the theme of today’s Social Work Podcast: Social Workers inwards Court: An Interview amongst Allan Barsky

If journalists were the solely chroniclers of mental health-related lawsuits nosotros would assume that social workers, counselors, psychologists as well as other mental wellness professionals solely acquire called into courtroom after a volume shooting, or when at that spot is a kid welfare debacle. The reality is that clinicians acquire called into courtroom all of the time.  If yous run inwards kid welfare, the juvenile or criminal justice system, or infirmary settings, going to courtroom is likely role of your job. And yous know that inwards court, that’s where yous tin give the sack render back upwards for your client, defend your ain actions, as well as inwards some cases, brand the scheme better. If yous run inwards a project where going to courtroom is the exception rather than the rule, it is nonetheless of import to direct hold a basic understanding of what happens inwards courtroom as well as what are your responsibilities equally a professional.

So, to figure out to a greater extent than close this issue, inwards Nov 2012 I spoke amongst Allan Barsky, professor of social run at Florida Atlantic University as well as Chair of the NASW National Ethics Committee.  Allan has a background inwards social work, law, as well as mediation. He is also the writer of 3 books, including “Clinicians inwards Court” published past times Guilford Press.

In today’s interview, Allan as well as I talked close what it way for a social worker to live on “court ready,” peculiarly for social workers whose jobs do non typically involve going to court. We talked close the divergence betwixt forensic social workers as well as social workers who direct hold to appear inwards court. Allan talked close the divergence betwixt customer confidentiality as well as customer privilege, betwixt beingness a witness as well as an goodness witness, as well as betwixt preparing for legal proceedings as well as disciplinary proceedings. He gave some pointers on how social workers should respond to a subpoena. I asked him close what for many clinicians is the most stressful role of going to courtroom - exam as well as cross-examination. We talked close how social workers tin give the sack gear upwards for it, including some strategies for dealing amongst “tough questions” during a cross-examination. We ended our conversation amongst Allan providing some resources for social workers who desire to know more. If yous desire to regain additional references as well as resources, equally good equally a transcript of my conversation amongst Allan, delight become to the Social Work Podcast website at socialworkpodcast.com. If yous desire to bring together the conversation close clinicians inwards court, become to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/swpodcast. If you’re on Twitter, yous tin give the sack follow the podcast at twitter.com/socworkpodcast. And now, without farther ado, on to Episode 76 of the Social Work Podcast: Social Workers inwards Court: Interview amongst Allan Barsky.

Interview

Jonathan Singer:  Allan thank yous so much for talking amongst us today close clinicians inwards the courtroom system.  What do clinicians typically think close when they think close the courts or the legal scheme as well as what are some things that nosotros don’t think close that yous think are of import for us to know close or direct hold inwards our mind?

Allan Barsky:  I think a lot of social workers as well as other clinicians, if they're non inwards a context of working amongst the law, working amongst legal systems similar criminal justice or kid protection or fifty-fifty mental health, they don’t think likewise much at all close the legal system.  “I'm non going to terminate upwards inwards court.”  “I don’t direct hold to genuinely gear upwards for court.  I don’t demand to send my practise inwards a way that’s going to live on create for court.” But when something arises, they're genuinely non prepared for it as well as so if they acquire sued for malpractice, that’s the starting fourth dimension time they start thinking close appearing inwards court.

Jonathan Singer:  Which is a fiddling likewise late.

Allan Barsky:  Right.  It's ever meliorate to direct hold the preparation ahead of fourth dimension - non only preparation for court, but the way that yous gear upwards your practise as well as the way that yous gear upwards your notes.  So, if all along inwards your career you’ve got court-ready notes, it's going to live on a lot meliorate than if you’ve got notes that are genuinely disorganized, don’t genuinely await professional, don’t genuinely split out what's fact as well as opinion, as well as that sort of thing.  So, it's non just, “I'm going to live on inwards courtroom tomorrow.” Court takes a long fourth dimension to pan out, but if yous know ahead of fourth dimension some of the issues that powerfulness come upwards up if yous acquire involved inwards a courtroom process, yous tin give the sack sure enough send yourself inwards a much to a greater extent than professional person mode as well as care a lot of the risks.

Jonathan Singer:  So, what are some of the of import things for social workers as well as clinicians to empathize close courts?  So, yous talked close courtroom create documentation, but what are some of the basic things that they should know?

Allan Barsky:  One of the issues is to know close confidentiality as well as what are the limits of confidentiality.  There are many social workers who are practicing inwards a patch of practise that’s protected amongst non only confidentiality but privilege. Privilege is a concept that yous can't live on compelled or required to become to courtroom unless the mortal who is the customer consents to yous appearing inwards court.  So, inwards many states, if you're a clinician as well as you're a licensed clinician, the courtroom can't require yous to show unless your customer is also giving yous permission.

In some fields of practise you're much to a greater extent than probable to live on called into court.  It powerfulness live on role of the run that you're doing.  So, if you're a kid protection worker, yous demand to know that if yous can't run out things on an amicable footing amongst your clients, yous powerfulness direct hold to defend your representative as well as your seat past times going into court. Or, if you're working inwards an expanse similar menage unit of measurement police where at that spot may live on a lot of tension as well as anger betwixt the spouses during separation as well as divorce.  Again, yous powerfulness live on to a greater extent than probable to terminate upwards inwards court.

Or, yous powerfulness fifty-fifty pursue an expanse of practise similar forensic social run if you're interested inwards doing kid custody evaluations.  If yous desire to run amongst attorneys on litigation cases as well as then yous tin give the sack specialize inwards sure areas as well as fields of practise inwards fellowship to brand yourself a much to a greater extent than persuasive as well as credible mortal who gives testimony inwards court.

Jonathan Singer:  And past times forensic social work, yous mean…

Allan Barsky:  When nosotros ordinarily think of clinicians or social run practitioners, nosotros think of them equally helping agents as well as they're to counsel, as well as they're to render the therapy as well as they're to render support.  When you're inwards a forensic role, your duty is to the legal system. And so a lot of people don’t genuinely realize that when you’ve got obligations to the legal system, it may hateful that yous genuinely can't assist your client.  If I am doing a custody evaluation, I can't render therapy or counseling to the parents who are going through separation or divorce. And equally a social worker, we're so trained to live on helping of people, it's a existent tension.  And as well as then when nosotros acquire into court, nosotros sometimes think that, “Oh, yous know I genuinely desire to assist my client.” But your role equally a witness is to assist the court, to assist the gauge or the jury.

Jonathan Singer:  So, the inquiry that ever came upwards inwards our agency was if somebody shows upwards amongst a subpoena, what do nosotros do?

Allan Barsky:  One of the ways to respond to a subpoena is to contact your attorney. If you're non sure what to do as well as then either your personal attorney or your agency attorney should live on able to assist you.  There are a number of dissimilar types of subpoenas. Some subpoenas are genuinely a courtroom fellowship important that if yous don’t demo upwards inwards court, as well as then at that spot could live on criminal consequences that come upwards out of it, including imprisonment - non probable but that’s a possibility.  A lot of times though a subpoena is a asking to appear that’s initiated past times an attorney for i political party or the other, as well as yous don’t genuinely fifty-fifty know if that’s a valid subpoena, if it's challengeable, etc.

We direct hold to cry back that confidentiality as well as privilege are owned past times the client, non past times you. So i of the things that nosotros do when nosotros have a subpoena is nosotros allow our clients know that we've received the subpoena.  If our customer gives us consent to appear inwards court, as well as then ordinarily nosotros should appear inwards courtroom on their behalf. That’s honoring the client’s correct to self determination.  Some social workers i time again think they ain the privilege as well as confidentiality as well as think, “I don’t desire to appear inwards court, so I shouldn’t direct hold to.” Sometimes if you're called to appear inwards courtroom it takes away from your time, your fourth dimension amongst the client, etc. so yous think, “How come upwards I should live on compelled to become to court.”

Again, if nosotros know close confidentiality as well as privilege as well as subpoenas, nosotros tin give the sack organize our practise inwards a dissimilar way.  You tin give the sack direct hold an understanding amongst your customer that they volition non telephone phone yous to court.   And that powerfulness live on enforceable, but at to the lowest degree it's some protection against the clients calling yous to participate inwards court. Or yous powerfulness say, “If I am called to court, the customer volition pay a fee,” as well as yous tin give the sack at to the lowest degree acquire reimbursed for your fourth dimension inwards court.

Jonathan Singer:  So inwards price of getting subpoenaed, is at that spot whatever way to similar maintain yourself from having to respond to a subpoena?

Allan Barsky:  One of the things that yous tin give the sack sometimes do when yous have a subpoena that’s from a lawyer, that’s non a courtroom order… if you’ve got permission from the clients, your agency or your agency’s lawyer powerfulness genuinely contact the mortal giving the subpoena. Because, if yous direct hold that conversation amongst them, at that spot may live on a possibility that they’ll empathize that it's non a goodness thing to telephone phone yous into court.  A lot of times the data that nosotros direct hold is second-hand data as well as so it's non genuinely equally potent or equally useful to the courtroom equally the attorney powerfulness think.

Another possibility is at that spot are a lot of pretrial processes. Just because you're called into court, it doesn’t genuinely hateful that there's going to live on a courtroom hearing. You powerfulness desire to hold off to encounter what happens if at that spot are discoveries or depositions, mediation or other pretrial processes. The representative powerfulness only settle as well as yous don’t direct hold to appear inwards the end.  But oft what people desire inwards the early on stages is the showing of information. So, if your customer has given authorization to yous to unloose their records, they may non empathize that if yous unloose some of the records, yous direct hold to unloose all of the records. You can't only unloose the goodness materials close the client.

If the customer as well as their attorney genuinely realize that sharing this data amongst the courtroom wasn’t such a goodness thing, maybe they wouldn’t telephone phone yous at all.  Another possibility is to do a motion to quash, a motion to cancel or veto the subpoena. Usually it would live on the client, if the customer had the way as well as the attorney to pursue the motion.  As a social worker, yous powerfulness direct hold to give them some legal data or maybe fifty-fifty assist them amongst the funding to live on able to do some sort of motion to quash if they can't afford that on their own. Perhaps their attorney volition pursue it for you, so that’s ideal.

And as well as then your agency as well as sometimes fifty-fifty the profession may direct hold an involvement inwards protecting a sure type of relationship, so it may live on the agency or yous equally the social worker that decide, “We’re going to endeavor to pursue a motion to quash.” But yous direct hold to direct hold goodness legal grounds for it as well as it's non something that yous tin give the sack do without the assistance of an attorney.

Jonathan Singer:  So, let's say yous acquire called in, as well as you're going to become to courtroom as well as you're going to live on on the witness stand, there's this thing called cross examination. What is that as well as how would yous gear upwards for that?

Allan Barsky:  There are 2 types of examinations.  The straight exam is whoever calls yous equally the witness, they tin give the sack enquire full general questions, open-ended questions as well as ordinarily their perspective – the resultant that they prefer – is the i that yous or your customer would also prefer.  So, it's genuinely a friendly lawyer asking yous questions, taking yous through your testimony because they think the data or maybe the opinions that yous direct hold are going to back upwards their case.

After yous presented that data – evidence  in the exam from the friendly lawyer – the other lawyer or sometimes to a greater extent than than i lawyer direct hold an chance to also enquire yous questions, as well as that’s the cross examination.  They tin give the sack enquire yous questions to endeavor to impugn your credibility, challenge your honesty, your perception, your memory, endeavor to become far await similar the evidence that you're providing is non fully accurate.  They don’t direct hold to prove that you're lying.  Sometimes, they only direct hold to heighten plenty dubiety so that the gauge or jury can't say “Okay, nosotros tin give the sack depend on this information.”

When yous appear equally a witness, yous desire to non only appear equally opened upwards as well as honest, but also credible as well as persuasive. This is i of the areas of the courtroom hearing that most people direct hold the highest anxiety about, because you're beingness challenged.  You're beingness questioned.  You're beingness asked questions that powerfulness await at individual areas of your life to endeavor to demo that you're non equally upright as well as honest a citizen equally you’d similar to think of yourself.  They powerfulness await for inconsistencies betwixt what yous introduce inwards your notes as well as what yous introduce orally.

They powerfulness await at inconsistencies betwixt what you’ve got inwards your reports or what you’ve presented on whatever of the pretrial processes.  So, there's a lot of areas where yous tin give the sack acquire tripped upwards as well as it looks similar you're on the stand, that you're beingness challenged, that you're on trial. And inwards some cases similar malpractice, yes, yous genuinely are on trial. But inwards a lot of cases, your project is genuinely only to introduce the best evidence that yous tin give the sack as well as think “You know what, my evidence isn't perfect.”  It helps yous to encounter yous know that, if it doesn’t come upwards across equally perfect, “I'm non going to direct hold that so hard.  I'm doing the best I can.”

Jonathan Singer:  Because it does, yous know, from TV as well as movies, that cross- exam - it seems similar there's ever the 2nd where there's this i inquiry that somebody says but as well as they desire to, yous know the witness wants to say to a greater extent than as well as everybody is similar stop, yous can't say anything as well as it seems similar a genuinely unfair question.  It paints the witness inwards a bad light, yous know, form of everything as well as it seems similar it form of misses the point.  Like if yous asked a 5-year-old, “was that a goodness question?”  the 5-year-old would say “No. Bad question.” Right? But it seems to tip the scales.

Allan Barsky:  And yous prefaced that past times proverb this is what nosotros encounter on TV, so it absolutely is possible that yous could live on asked questions that are completely inappropriate.  And it could overruled equally beingness likewise prejudicial or irrelevant or whatever, but the mortal nonetheless makes a point.  So, they enquire yous a inquiry about, “Isn't it true that yous were born inwards Kenya?” What relevance does that direct hold to do amongst the case? But yous know it's out at that spot as well as so if people are discriminatory amongst people from Kenya, it powerfulness direct hold an impact on them.

Most of the materials that happens inwards courtroom is a lot to a greater extent than tiresome than what yous encounter on TV, but yous nonetheless demand to live on prepared for some of the things that powerfulness come upwards up as well as at that spot are a lot of strategies that yous tin give the sack use.  So, for example, let's say that you're asked a genuinely pointed inquiry - or a serial of questions - as well as you're non quite sure what to say. Do yous know what yous tin give the sack say?  “Can I think close it for a minute” or “I don’t know the answer.” H5N1 lot of people think that they direct hold to know the answers as well as it's okay. If yous genuinely don’t know, only say, “I don’t know…”  “I don’t direct hold an thought on this…”  “I don’t direct hold a electrical flow recollection of this…”

Again, the most of import thing when you're on the stand upwards is to live on honest. And people volition encounter yous equally honest when you're non perfect.  If yous await likewise perfect, sometimes that way that you're making upwards materials - you’ve rehearsed it.  And so sometimes only beingness yourself, beingness honest, slowing things down, taking a deep breath, using the dissimilar things that yous utilization inwards your ordinary life to decrease stress as well as anxiety, utilization those on the stand.  If yous demand to do something similar twiddle your fingers, yous tin give the sack twiddle your fingers. But also await at, if you're twiddling your fingers, how powerfulness the jury or others perceive that as well as there's a lot of similar uncomplicated strategies to do if you're asked a tough inquiry past times the cross-examining attorney.

Look them dorsum inwards the eye.  Don’t await over to your customer or to the attorney, because it looks similar you're reaching for them to give an reply for you.  Another strategy powerfulness live on something that only delays things a fiddling chip if you're genuinely nether a lot of stress as well as yous demand a break.  You tin give the sack say, “I demand a bath break” or whatever it is that yous need.  So, endeavor to direct hold some command for yourself.  I think the to a greater extent than people larn close the courtroom procedure through observing, through reading, through talking to others, through role playing, the to a greater extent than empowered that they volition be. And equally social workers, yous know, equally professionals nosotros desire to await goodness on the stand.  We desire to benefit for our clients, but nosotros also direct hold to know at the terminate of the twenty-four hours we're supposed to live on at that spot to render equally true answers equally possible. And that’s the basic terminate of it.

Jonathan Singer:  So champaign at that spot are some domains of social run which direct hold to a greater extent than interaction amongst the courts than others equally yous were alluding to earlier.  If yous run inwards an expanse of social run that typically doesn’t direct hold involvement amongst the courts as well as so this isn't role of your agency training, it's non something yous think close rattling often, but yous regain yourself beingness called to courtroom equally a witness, what are some things that yous should do?  How do yous prepare?  How do yous think close it?  What is your role?  All those sorts of things…

Allan Barsky:  I think i of the things to await at is, “What is the nature of the case,” as well as what is the nature of your role inwards that item case.  So, if yous don’t direct hold the cognition yourself or the experience inwards that item type of case, as well as then regain somebody that does.  Ideally, it would live on someone inwards your agency.  There's to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than people out at that spot who’ve got dual backgrounds inwards social run as well as law, or mental wellness as well as the law, so those people tin give the sack live on genuinely helpful.  It may live on that the mortal calling yous to courtroom is a friendly lawyer, somebody who’s on the same side of the representative that yous or your customer would desire to pursue.

And so that mortal powerfulness live on able to gear upwards yous as well as educate yous as well as fifty-fifty do some role plays to assist yous gear upwards for it.  But yous also direct hold to cry back that fifty-fifty if at that spot is an attorney to gear upwards you, who’s paying for that attorney? Because a lot of times, it's hundreds of dollars per sixty minutes as well as they may direct hold express time. And some attorneys are meliorate than others at preparing their witnesses.  So ideally, yes, yous would acquire prepared past times the attorney who’s calling yous equally a witness, but that’s non ever the case.  You powerfulness demand to direct hold on some of the responsibleness yourself.

One way to gear upwards is to genuinely become regain cases that are similar. If you're called to a kid protection hearing, ordinarily those are unopen to the public, but yous could become to the courtroom administrator as well as enquire if you’d live on able for professional person purposes to regain some hearings as well as to live on able to encounter people inwards activeness as well as how they respond to dissimilar questions as well as things similar that.  You could read various textbooks.  It doesn’t direct hold to live on my textbook, but at that spot are a lot of tips as well as strategies on how to respond to dissimilar types of things.

H5N1 lot of times, people desire to tell their story. They think that all the data that they direct hold is of import as well as should live on shared. And they acquire genuinely frustrated because yous tin give the sack solely reply the questions that the attorneys enquire as well as at that spot may live on objections to the types of data that you're providing.  If you're a fact witness, you're solely at that spot to render the facts.  To render opinions, yous direct hold to live on qualified equally an goodness witness.  That way the courtroom says that you're qualified to give opinions as well as so a lot of people if they were called to courtroom they would think “Well, I'm a professional person so of course of education I'm an expert.”  But you're non ever an goodness inwards the expanse that you're giving the thought unless the courtroom says that yous are.

Jonathan Singer:  I think that brings upwards a genuinely interesting distinction.  There's a witness, correct as well as and then there's the goodness witness as well as yous alluded to this thought of sort of fact versus opinion.  Could yous elaborate on that as well as and then verbalise a fiddling chip close what happens if somebody gets called to live on an goodness witness, what that way as well as what that powerfulness entail.

Allan Barsky:  Sure.  It helps to empathize the legal scheme as well as how our trials work.  In a courtroom system, the people responsible for making the decisions are the jury (if at that spot is a jury) or the gauge (if there's no jury).  And so they're supposed to brand the decisions on fact. It's the witnesses who render the data or the evidence to assist them to determine those facts, so ordinarily the courtroom does non similar people giving them opinions.  So, the social worker he should non walk into courtroom as well as proverb she’s guilty or she should direct hold custody or she should – you're non supposed to brand the determination for the gauge or the determination for the jury.

Now, courts direct hold recognized over the years that at that spot are occasions when it is helpful for the courtroom to live on educated past times someone who has to a greater extent than expertise than the gauge does themselves. In Family Law cases for example, a gauge doesn’t desire to direct hold to brand a determination close where children should alive or how they spent fourth dimension amongst each of their parents without having inwards depth cognition close kid evolution issues as well as menage unit of measurement issues as well as somebody who’s genuinely observed - as well as inwards a scientific way - evaluated what's going on inwards the family.

So, they’ll desire to direct hold experts come upwards in. Judges volition desire to hear people who direct hold expertise inwards a item expanse give their opinions.  Now ideally the goodness is somebody who is neutral as well as impartial. In some types of cases, the courts volition genuinely non hear people who are hired past times i political party or another.  In other types of cases, at that spot is a contest betwixt the plaintiffs as well as the defendant’s attorneys - as well as each of the experts that they volition render - so you’ve got dueling experts as well as yous demand to know what just is your role equally an expert.

Are yous at that spot to explicate complex psychological as well as social issues?  Are yous at that spot to send an assessment or an evaluation, applying your cognition as well as expertise?  Are yous at that spot to give opinions or are yous at that spot only to explain?

Jonathan Singer:  It's genuinely interesting.  So, we've touched on a yoke of things that social workers should know about, everything from documentation to exam – cross examination.  You’ve mentioned some price similar discovery, deposition as well as things similar that that some folks powerfulness non know what they hateful but are of import for understanding the legal system.  Now, yous direct hold a 2nd edition of your text “Clinicians inwards Court:  A Guide to Subpoenas, Depositions, Testifying as well as Everything Else You Need to Know,” so what are – what is everything else that somebody needs to know that they would regain inwards your text?

Allan Barsky:  One of the areas that nosotros start off amongst is beingness a goodness reflective practitioner, as well as what does it hateful to live on called into courtroom as well as working amongst attorneys as well as working amongst judges? H5N1 lot of us equally social workers powerfulness direct hold some negative opinions of the justice scheme because we've seen it beingness used against our clients inwards ways that nosotros don’t think are fair to our clients. It's of import only to direct hold an understanding of how are social workers similar to or dissimilar from lawyers, how is participating inwards a legal scheme dissimilar from the ordinary types of assist that nosotros render equally social workers.

Also, how tin give the sack nosotros send our practise inwards ways that’s to a greater extent than probable to maintain us out of court? If nosotros maintain genuinely goodness records, as well as if nosotros write our reports as well as write our assessments inwards item ways, it's non only helpful to us, it's helpful to our clients.  A lot of times it's potent facts, potent evidence that wins cases - non potent witnesses. Lawyers volition sometimes say “If it's non inwards paper, it didn’t happen. “If nosotros direct hold goodness notes as well as nosotros write things downward as well as it's a he said, she said situation, your written notes are the thing that powerfulness trump everything else. The attorneys volition encounter that ahead of fourth dimension as well as they’ll hopefully negotiate a solution rather than direct hold to struggle it out inwards trial.

What a peachy gift that yous tin give the sack give to your customer - only to salve them a courtroom case.  You know, the fourth dimension as well as the expense as well as the aggravation as well as everything else. It's much meliorate if yous tin give the sack do things inwards a way that keeps yous as well as your clients out of court.  So, nosotros direct hold some data close things on managing your practise as well as that includes avoiding malpractice situations as well as risk management.  So, let's say that you're engaged inwards an expanse of practise that’s somewhat risky as well as you’ve got a risky intervention amongst your clients. What tin give the sack yous do amongst your informed consent process, amongst ensuring the clients genuinely understand, amongst your insurance companies, amongst your agency policies, etc. to brand sure if something negative does happen, you’ve got a way to comprehend for that?

Even managing our responses to clients when they direct hold grievances. H5N1 lot of times when the customer complains, nosotros think, “Oh, we've got to telephone phone inwards the lawyers.” And it may live on absolutely true that yous demand to direct hold some legal advice. But live on careful close a lawyer who says okay, “We direct hold to halt serving this client,” only cutting them off.  Well, we've got an obligation non to abandon our clients, number one.  Also, nosotros powerfulness live on able to salve the relationship.  It may live on through apology.  It may live on through compensation.  It may live on through only goodness counseling that, yous know, regain out what this customer genuinely wants.

They may non desire to become to courtroom as well as sometimes a customer who feels heard as well as feels similar their concerns are validated, they're going to acquire to a greater extent than from that as well as they would acquire from courtroom anyhow.  We're lucky a fiddling chip equally social workers because most clients as well as attorneys don’t think nosotros direct hold a lot of money, so we're non worth suing. But at that spot nonetheless are cases against us as well as grievances against us.  Some of the things inwards the volume focus primarily on clinicians inwards courtroom literally, but also there's a lot of strategies that would live on useful regardless of the type of hearing.  So people volition to a greater extent than probable equally social workers come upwards before a licensing board than before a courtroom inwards price of customer grievances. You tin give the sack utilization a lot of the strategies if you're dealing amongst a licensing board equally well.

Jonathan Singer:  That sounds similar a genuinely valuable text to direct hold whether you're inwards agency setting or inwards individual practice, whether you're preparing for a courtroom representative or yous only desire to endeavor as well as avoid going to courtroom if possible.  To live on fair as well as balanced, are at that spot other resources for social workers who are interested inwards learning close courts or only for the legal side of it that yous could recommend.

Allan Barsky:  You know at that spot are all sorts of forensic associations as well as national associations of forensic social run as well as psychology as well as also psychiatry.  Also, it depends genuinely on the patch of practise that you're inwards - The Association of Family as well as Conciliation Courts, if you're involved inwards menage unit of measurement police or juvenile justice.  There are restorative justice organizations for criminal police as well as alternatives to criminal court. If you're involved inwards kid welfare, the kid welfare data gateway is only a phenomenal resource.  Look at the various sections of the NASW because they’ve got forensic areas as well as areas that cross over into forensic areas.  Oxford Bibliographies online has a whole listing of resources that are related to social run as well as the law, including the courtroom scheme as well as fifty-fifty beyond.

Jonathan Singer:  That’s great.  Well, Allan thank yous so much for talking amongst us close Clinicians inwards Court, as well as I promise that the folks who are listening volition experience a fiddling chip either to a greater extent than prepared or a fiddling to a greater extent than appropriately anxious, as well as volition thence live on meliorate providers.  So, thank yous a lot.  I appreciate it.

Allan Barsky:  Thank yous rattling much.  Have a peachy day.



END

References as well as Resources (provided past times Allan Barsky)


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  • Association of Family as well as Conciliation Courts (AFCC). (2006). Model standards of practise for kid custody evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.afccnet.org/pdfs/Model%20Standards%20of%20Practice%20for%20Child%20Custody%20Evaluation%20May%202006.pdf.
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  • Committee on Professional Practice as well as Standards. (1998). Guidelines for psychological evaluations inwards kid protection matters. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (Available: http://www.psychtech.co.il/Articles/Guidelines_for_Psychological_Evaluations_in_Child_Protection_Matters.htm
  • Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/index.html#chapter_v
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  • Gould, J. W., & Martindale, D. A. (2009). The fine art as well as scientific discipline of kid custody evaluations.  New York: Guilford.
  • Greenfield, D. P., & Gottschalk, J. A. (2009).  Writing forensic reports: H5N1 guide to mental wellness professionals. New York: Springer.
  • Jaffee v. Redmond. (1996). US Supreme Court. Retrieved from http://jaffee-redmond.org/cases/jr-opin.htm.
  • James, K. (2010). How to introduce yourself inwards courtroom to live on optimally likeable as well as persuasive. The Jury Expert, 22(6), 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.astcweb.org/public/publication/documents/JamesNov2010Vol22Num6.pdf
  • Madden, R. G. (2003). Essential police for social workers. New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Maschi, T., Bradley, C., & Ward, K. (2009). Forensic social work: Psychosocial as well as legal issues inwards various practise settings. New York: Springer.
  • Meyer, R. G., & Wever, C. M. (2006). Law as well as mental health: H5N1 case-based approach. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Miller, K. (2009). Keeping secrets: Protecting privilege inwards pretrial research. The Jury Expert, 21(2), 26-32. Retrieved from http://www.astcweb.org/public/publication/documents/TheJuryExpertMar2009Volume21No23.pdf.
  • NASW Legal Defense Fund. (2010). Social workers as well as confidentiality for court-ordered juvenile treatment. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/ldf/legal_issue/2009/200910.asp?back=yes.
  • National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2011). Social workers as well as tape retention requirements. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/ldf/legal_issue/200510.asp?back=yes.
  • National Organization of Forensic Social Work (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nofsw.org.
  • Polowy, C. I., Morgan, S., & Gilbertson, J. (2005). Social workers as well as subpoenas. Washington, DC: NASW Legal Defense Fund.
  • Reamer, F. G. (2003). Social run malpractice as well as liability: Strategies for prevention (2d ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
  • Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California. (1976). 17 Cal. 3d 425, 551 P.2d 334 (Sup. Ct. 1976).
  • Vogelsang, J. (2001). The witness stand: H5N1 guide for clinical social workers inwards the courtroom. Binghamton, NY: Haworth.
  • Zur, O. (n.d.). Forensic dual or multiple relationships: Treating clinician v. forensic expert. Retrieved from http://www.zurinstitute.com/forensic_multiple_relationships.html#general.
Professional Associations amongst Interest inwards Forensic Practice



APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:
Singer, J. B. (Host). (2012, Dec 18). Social workers inwards court: Interview amongst Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD [Episode 76]. Social Work Podcast. Podcast retrieved Month Day, Year, from  /search?q=social-workers-in-court-interview-with
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