SWTP 623 Mental Health and Legal Systems

Legal Systems
The law can impose restrictions and otherwise limits an individual’s Human Rights, when the legislation imposes involuntary treatment, detention or other conditions.

Using an example from hypothetical or real (de-identified) situation, discuss how you might, as a social worker, reduce the negative impact of these restrictions, while still maintaining your professional ethics, values and practice standards in working with an individual client.

Using an example that you may anticipate, or have knowledge of, from agencies with such legal regulations, such as:

• · Care and protection of children; or
• · Youth justice; or
• · Adult corrections – prison or probation; or
• · Guardianship; or
• · Social security; or
• · Mental health; or
• · Immigration and Refugee advocacy or
• · An agency of your choice.

Identify the legislation implemented that is relevant to the main issues you raise and discuss the impact of the legislation on the individuals and their families etc.
Also give some consideration as to how you might address the inherent social justice issue(s) embedded in this particular situation and their effect on community

Instructions

· The aim of this assessment is to assist students to identify and critically analyse key social work theoretical and ethical perspectives within the legal system.
· The essay is to be prepared by each student individually, and must be your own work. Academic essay format with sub headings is allowed.
· Please print on one side of each page and use a 12 point font and 11⁄2 line spacing.
· The marking criteria, which can be found at the end of the Unit Outline, will assess your ability to:
· Demonstrate ability to critique the impact of laws and the legal system on
specific vulnerable populations and/or situations;
· Demonstrate ability to propose social work interventions based on theoretical framework(s), in response to the specific situation or issues identified.
· Identify and critique possible conflicts with personal values and professional ethical issues in relation to social work practice within the legal system.
· Demonstrate ability to show responsibilities to propose changes within the interaction between social work practice and the legal system that might alleviate some of this conflict.
· Please read and comply with the University Honesty Policy.
· Students are expected to have undertaken additional reading and research in
relation to the topic. A minimum of 8-10 references should be included in this assessment.

10 Pages

Harvard – 10 References