Teaching Legal Principles to Social Workers

Abstract

There is a critical need for the integration of basic legal concepts into social work curricula. This article examines the historical interaction between law and social work, current legal principles necessary for practice, and their implications for social work education. The authors' research of training needs among child welfare workers in California and Tennessee serves as a basis for identifying important content areas: confidentiality, knowledge of when to seek court action, case recording, understanding legal rights of parents and children, giving substantive factual testimony, and use of the authority of one's position as a base for action.