Considerations & Strategies for Integrating Social Services & Legal Teams

CILA staff explored the topic of integrating social services and legal teams at legal service providers and highlight findings from the soon to be released written resource, “Collaborative Efforts to Immigration Relief: A Call for Integration of Social Workers + Lawyers,” prepared by CILA consultant Yvonne Mendoza. Yvonne is a an LMSW and Clinical Professor at the University of Houston’s Graduate School of Social Work. In preparing the resource, Yvonne spoke with staff at six legal service providers in various geographic areas about the structure and functioning of their programs, as they work across disciplines to serve unaccompanied children.

The webinar covered various themes that resulted from those interviews, including role definition, social worker – attorney communications, and case staffing, and offer key considerations and best practices for effective integration. The presenters highlighted some common challenges that arise with respect to duties of confidentiality and mandatory reporting requirements, as well as ways to navigate them.

This webinar is a great learning opportunity for organizations with established or new interdisciplinary programs, as well as those currently exploring the option of incorporating social services staff into their teams. The goal is for attendees to gain insight and practical tools to enhance their approach to holistic services, ensuring better outcomes for their clients.

For more information, please visit cilacademy.org