The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law's Journal of Health Care Law & Policy and the University of Maryland School of Social Work hosted the Daniel Thursz Social Justice Lecture Series on March 16 to discuss the use of legal coercion to force compliance with mental health interventions across various areas including child welfare, families, and criminal legal systems.

The daylong symposium, titled “Uneasy Alignments: The Mental Health Turn in the American Legal System,” was held at Westminster Hall and the School of Social Work's Auditorium.

The Daniel Thursz Social Justice Lecture Series event was held March 16 at Westminster Hall (above) and the School of Social Work Auditorium.

The relationship between social workers and law enforcement is a complicated one. On the one hand, social workers are charged with providing support to vulnerable populations and advocating for their rights. On the other hand, law enforcement is responsible for upholding laws and ensuring public safety. Despite these contrasting goals, building a productive partnership between these two entities is critical to help protect individuals and ensure justice. Unfortunately, mental health interventions for individuals across multiple areas — including child welfare, families, and criminal legal systems — are often implemented through legal coercion. This approach is a delicate balance between affording people their rights and helping them to receive appropriate care and support.

Trauma-informed care (TIC) and therapeutic responses are two approaches that can significantly impact how mental health interventions are conducted. This type of care is essential for those dealing with the effects of trauma, such as individuals involved in the criminal legal system, children in foster care, and families suffering from serious mental health issues. During the symposium, panelists discussed the importance of trauma-informed care and therapeutic responses within these areas.

“When we talk about the legal system and mental health, we’re talking about two diverse disciplines with different perspectives and understandings of the human experience,” said Michael Sinclair, PhD, MSSW, associate professor, Morgan State University School of Social Work. “Today, through our discussion, we work toward bridging that gap.”

TIC is an approach to working with individuals while considering their trauma experiences. It involves understanding how trauma can affect a person’s physical and emotional well-being, behavior, relationships, beliefs, and overall life circumstances. TIC also recognizes that many social systems are not designed to address the needs of those impacted by traumatic events or experiences.

When appropriately used within mental health interventions across various areas, including child welfare, families, and criminal legal systems, TIC can help support positive outcomes for those affected by trauma. Through this approach, interventions can be created focusing on building resiliency rather than only addressing symptoms or behaviors related to the traumatic event or experience.

“Trauma has historically been illegitimized through the use of shame,” said Shelly Wiechelt, PhD, MSW, chair and associate dean, University of Maryland, Baltimore County School of Social Work. “As a society, we must work toward creating a trauma-informed system that includes safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment so that we don’t retraumatize people who need help.”

TIC and therapeutic responses provide powerful tools for practitioners working with individuals dealing with the effects of trauma across different areas, including child welfare, families, and criminal legal systems. When appropriately implemented, these approaches enable practitioners to understand the needs of their clients better while developing tailored treatments aimed at building resilience rather than simply managing symptoms or behaviors associated with past traumas or adverse events.

Here is a list of panelists and moderators who led this conversation:

Moderators

• Richard Boldt, JD, Carroll Brown Professor of Law, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Korey Johnson, JD, PhD Student, Morgan State University
• Hope Randolph, Student, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, and chair, Journal of Health Care Law and Policy Symposium
• Corey Shdaimah, PhD, LLM, Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor of Social Justice, University of Maryland School of Social Work

Panelists

• Chaz Arnett, JD, Associate Professor, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Courtney Bergan, Student, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Lewis Bossing, JD, Senior Staff Attorney, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
• Iris Cardenas, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work
• Inbar Cohen, PhD, MSW, Executive Director, Child and Youth Rights Program of the Minerva Center on Human Rights, Law Faculty of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Ariya Hayes-Lawson, MSW Student, University of Maryland School of Social Work
• Leigh Goodmark, JD, Marjorie Cook Professor of Law; Director, Gender Violence Clinic; and Co-Director, Clinical Law Program, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
• Laurie Graham, PhD, MSW, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland School of Social Work
• Chrysanthi Leon, JD, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Delaware
• Linda-Jeane “LJ” Mack, MSW, PhD Student, University of Maryland School of Social Work
• Ruth Shefner, MPH, MSW, PhD Student, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
• Michael Sinclair, PhD, MSSW, Associate Professor, Morgan State University School of Social Work
• Shelly Wiechelt, PhD, MSW, Chair and Associate Dean, University of Maryland, Baltimore County School of Social Work