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Forensic Social Work

Victoria Clowers

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

SWK-3050-800 Success in Social Work

Dr. Summer Woodside

19 April 2021
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Abstract

The social work profession is home to a diverse set of skills, roles, and practices.

While social workers all over the United States are held to a common standard of

practice, each job within this umbrella can be vastly different. Social workers are held to

a unique professional standard and go through an extensive professional socialization

process within their education and for the entirety of their career. This paper will

analyze the professional identity development and socialization process while also

elaborating on a specific area of social work practice - forensic. Forensic social work is

a specialized area of practice that is heavily involved within the legal systems in the

United States. This paper also will identify various skills, roles, and knowledge that is

needed for people who plan to seek forensic social work practice.

Key words: Professional Identity Development, Professional Socialization, Social Work,

and Forensic Social Work.

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Professional Identity Development and Professional Socialization

Developing a professional identity within social work or various helping

professions is critical to the success and effectiveness of a social worker. According to

the 2017 version of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics,

“the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being 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,”

which requires social workers to identify with the core values and ethics associated with

the social work profession (NASW, 2017). Integrating the identified ethics within the

NASW (2017) code of ethics into one’s professional framework can serve as a guideline

that can help socialize social work students into the professional mindset. Socialization

can be defined as the manner in which an individual learns “the knowledge, skills, and

dispositions that constitute membership in society” (Brim & Wheeler, 1966).

In the journal “the conceptual framework for the professional socialization of

social workers,” Miller argues that there are two phases of socialization: primary, which

occurs during childhood and adolescence, and secondary, which occurs during

adulthood as one evolves into new “worlds and realites” (Miller, 2010). These two

phases of socialization are critical for developing personal values that serve as a guide

in everyday and professional life. Professional socialization within the social work field

primarily revolves around the development of skills through education and training and

“socialization into a profession and, consequently, the development of the professional

role have been considered a major component of secondary socialization” (Miller,

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2010). Therefore, professional socialization can be defined as one’s socialization into

his or her respective professional identity in a given field. Each section of the social

work profession follows the foundational responsibilities listed in the NASW code of

ethics and thus each section has a similar professional socialization process. One of

these is forensic social work.

Overview of Forensic Social Work

The criminal justice system in the United States is ever-evolving. Due to most of

the field being made up of attorneys, law enforcement officers, and court-room staff, the

best interests of the clients fall through the cracks within the system. In the United

States, “prisons and jails have seen a 500 percent increase in inmates over the past 30

years even though crime rates have declined” (Buchanan, et al., 2017). This has

created a humanitarian crisis that leaves professionals within the social services field

with this responsibility of advocating for these people within the criminal justice system.

This is where the forensic social work field comes into play. According to Social Work

Guide, “forensic social work plays a key role in criminal justice reform in the United

States,” because it includes services to offenders such as “psychosocial guidance,

expert testimony, and advocacy for defendants” (Social Work Guide, 2020).

Although defining forensic social work can be difficult due to the wide-range of

roles and services provided, “in the narrowest sense it refers to the intersection of social

work practice and the legal system” (Robins, et al., 2014). While forensic social work is

a specific field within the social work profession, “social workers in many settings may

be called to testify in court as either fact or expert witnesses,” so basic knowledge of the

legal system is critical to success in this profession (Robins, et al., 2014). The roles that
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forensic social workers are involved in are all pertaining to legal affairs; however, a list

of specific roles include “child and elder protection, child advocacy, child custody cases,

termination of parental rights and adoptions, services to juvenile and adults in

correctional institutions, court mandated mental health and substance abuse treatment,

services for crime victims, community service for offenders and restitution to victims,

human trafficking, domestic violence, education, health care, welfare rights, kinship and

elder care, evaluation of competency in civil and criminal trials, sentence mitigation, and

mediation” (Robins, et al., 2014). In all of these roles, social-workers apply a client-

centered approach and advocate for the best welfare for their clients.

Skills, Knowledge, and Values Needed

While each area in the social work profession requires similar skills and

knowledge - such as advocating for community resources and funding for community

programs - navigating through the forensic social work profession can require additional

skills that are not as common. Attaining this specific role within the social work

profession requires one to “have been qualified by both civil and criminal courts to be an

expert in their field”(Ritter, J. & Vakahali, H., 2015, page 153). For starters, having a

working understanding of the United States legal system and vocabulary that is used

within it (Ritter, J. & Vakahali, H., 2015, page 158). Social workers in this field will likely

be working for or advocating for someone who has been charged with a criminal

offense, so remaining unbiased and impartial towards clients is critical (Ritter, J. &

Vakahali, H., 2015, page 158). Additionally, because of the very nature of forensic

social work, “strong assessment and interviewing skills” as well as “strong mediation

skills in high-conflict situations” is a needed skill.

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Organizations and Resources Beyond the BSW Degree Needed

Due to forensic social work being a speciality practice within the profession, an

MSW is required (Ritter, J. & Vakahali, H., 2015, page 158). Attaining additional

certifications, clinical hours, and training is a recommended action. Some of these

additional certifications include the Certified Children, Youth & Family Social Worker (C-

CYFSW), Certified Advanced Children, Youth & Family Social Worker (C-ACYFSW),

and Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) (NASW, 2021). According to the

National Association of Social Workers, “credentialed social workers are recognized as

having in-depth knowledge, proven work experience, leadership capacity, competence,

and dedication to the social work profession”; this means that credentialing, while it may

be time consuming, will make one stand out amongst their peers when attempting to

work in their desired field (NASW, 2021). While additional certifications are useful,

having experience in this field through internships and clinical practices is needed.

Social workers in the forensic field are expected to have a working knowledge of the

legal system and the terminology used; therefore, taking the time to take familiarization

classes of this system could be useful.

Conclusion

Although forensic social workers are involved in the criminal justice and legal

system more so than their counterparts in other fields of social work, they are still

expected to maintain a positive and professional identity. Developing these skills during

the professional socialization process can be aided by actively seeking further

education and certification within the social work profession. Forensic social workers
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become involved in people’s lives during a terrifying and vulnerable point; maintaining

professional bearing and advocating for clients is critical.

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References

Brim, O. G. Jr., & Wheeler, S. (1966). Socialization after childhood: Two essays. New
York: John Wiley & Sons.

Buchanan, S., & Nooe, R. M. (2017). Defining social work within holistic public defense:
Challenges and implication for practice. Social Work, 62(4), 333–339.

Miller, S. E. (2010). A conceptual framework for the professional socialization of social

workers. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 20(7), 924–938.

Munson, C. (2011). Forensic Social Work Practice Standards: Definition and

Specification. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 1(1), 37–60. https://doi-
org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.1080/1936928X.2011.541200

National Association of Social Workers (NASW). NASW - National Associacion of Social

Workers. (n.d.).
https://www.socialworkers.org/Careers/CredentialsCertifications#dnn_content.

Ritter, J, & Vakalahi, P. (2015). 101 Careers in Social Work, Second Edition: Vol.
Second Edition. Springer Publishing Company.

Robbins, S. P., Vaughan-Eden, V., & Maschi, T. M. (2014). It’s Not CSI: The Importance
of Forensics for Social Work Education. Journal of Forensic Social Work, 4(3),
171–175. https://doi-org.proxy181.nclive.org/10.1080/1936928X.2014.1056061

Social Work Guide (2020, October 30). Become a forensic social work. Retrieved April
19, 2021, from https://www.socialworkguide.org/careers/forensic-social-worker/