How to Utilize Social Workers in Managed Assigned Counsel Indigent Defense Offices

• In Event: Data In Indigent Defense: Social Work Innovations In Holistic Indigent Defense

Abstract

Indigent criminal defense in San Mateo County is based on a managed assigned counsel platform. The Private Defender Program (PDP), which wanted to find a way to be a holistic defense model type of office, decided to bring Social Workers on board in August 2021. The Supervising Social Worker built and structured the program so that independent contract social workers provide defense teams a mental health perspective to their cases that was not there before. A large portion of clients that come through the PDP each are now assigned an attorney, investigator and Social Worker to their team to help build out and work their cases. This portion of the presentation will consist of how to bring independent contract Social Workers on board to a team, regardless of the type of indigent defense office it is, and how they may work their criminal cases.

Author

• Harpreet Samra, San Mateo County Bar Association