Providing Social Work Support to Our Clients

SJP provides social work support to our existing clients in need of specific services and wraparound service coordination. We believe that providing our clients with access to social work support can be a transformative step in how we serve our clients, many of whom face unmet needs far beyond the scope of their education cases. These needs include challenges related to housing, physical and mental health, public benefits, lack of vital documentation and employment/vocational training. These challenges become barriers that often prevent our clients from engaging fully with the educational services our attorneys fight to secure.

While our attorneys have long stepped in to help bridge these gaps, either through referrals or by taking on issues themselves, attorneys cannot do this work alone. Many of our clients need support at the very first step of their reentry process following court involvement, such as locating and filling out an application. Having a social work program enables us to respond quickly and skillfully to these pressing needs, removing barriers that hinder educational progress and strengthening our holistic approach to advocacy.

Our social work program works systemically with our partners in community-based organizations beyond the legal sector. These partnerships expand the network of resources available to our clients to address their most pressing needs.

  • A brief consultation consists of a one-time meeting with a social worker to address urgent needs such as shelter, food assistance, and clothing. This service is typically used for emergencies or crisis intervention.

  • Short-term case management involves temporary interventions to meet the client's community needs. The social worker and the client will collaborate to identify one or two specific goals that address areas such as employment, housing, physical and mental health support, public benefits, obtaining vital documents, and childcare. The social worker will also collaborate with service providers to ensure coordinated services.

  • Long-term case management provides extended support for clients requiring intensive assistance. The social worker and the client will work together to identify goals that address the client's social and economic needs. The social worker will provide referrals and coordinate service to assist in achieving these goals.

  • In release planning, a social worker acts as a consultant to guide the attorney through logistics related to the client's release plan goals and. This service assists clients in accessing targeted support services for their reentry. Where possible, the social worker aids the attorney in providing valuable information to the Court pretrial to avoid unnecessary detention when release options are available.