Legal issues in Social Work, Counseling, and Mental Health presents clearly and comprehensively what mental health and other direct practice professionals need to know to respond to the legal issues that surround practice. This volume covers a wide range of topics including providing testimony, responding to subpoenas, dealing with an attorney, influencing the legal system, and understanding the legal side of the business of psychotherapy. The author also discusses various direct practice and human service issues, incorporating some of the everyday legal questions these professionals encounter and using case material.

Peter Jenkins is a Lecturer in Counselling at the University of Manchester and a member of the Professional Conduct Committee of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. He is author of three books on the law and counselling, including Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Law (London, SAGE, 1997). Providing much-needed advice and reference, this book examines the rapidly growing range of situations in which therapists find themselves in contact with the law. The book covers the current legal context of therapeutic work, and specific implications for therapists in relation to: working with survivors of sexual abuse; false memory; and the implications of the Human Rights Act. The book also examines the implications of professional regulation.

Why write another book on ethics? As practitioners we are involved both in the design and delivery of services to people with mental health problems. In common with all other professionals, our work has led to the experience of ethical dilemmas: typically, these have involved major confrontations, either with our col leagues or our consciences. This book, however, is not limited to a discussion of such major themes. Rather, we have tried to use a broader canvas: ethics, in our view, is really about the judgement of right and wrong in ordinary, everyday life. Ethics are highly personal: we fashion our own personal code from our experi ence of others, and from the 'tests' which bring meaning to our lives. Such experiences shape our individual values. We bring these codes and values to our work. We are not always aware of their influence in our dealings with people. Although we may not always be aware of it, all our actions pose an ethical question. Given that our work involves us in helping others to live ordinary, satisfying lives, this challenge heightens the intensity of our ethical dilemmas. This is most evident where our personal code conflicts with the implicit code of the health setting.

This introduction to professional ethics for social workers recognizes that social work is largely state-sponsored. Traditional values and rules are explained, followed by a concept of social work and its relationship to the state.

Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling Children and Adolescents provides counselors and other professionals with clinical cases and accurate, up-to-date information on both ethical standards and case law. Chapters take a comprehensive, developmental approach to legal and ethical decision making when counseling children and adolescents, one that presents each chapter topic from the perspective of an adult and then explores accommodations important to children and adolescents. The book is a vital resource for faculty who recognize the limited scope with which other texts cover the topic and for practitioners looking to better understand the legal and ethical concerns around working with young people.

This completely rewritten and updated new edition of a practical text continues to provide a firm introduction to law and legal processes and their relation to social work practice. Using Clinton's welfare reform act of 1996, Albert provides a conceptual framework to illustrate how socio-legal problems emerge in the welfare state, and presents the skills base necessary for effective social work response. A new section on socio-legal issues highlights many fields where social worker-lawyer partnerships can occur, such as civil rights and advocacy, the death penalty, liability for neglect in nursing homes, informed consent and medical treatment, and much more. Filled with techniques for reading and understanding judicial opinion, legislative statues, and bills, this new edition will appeal to all professors of law and social work courses, as well as courses on the welfare state.

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.