| Court
Cases
The three court cases mentioned below
resulted in strong affirmations of the importance of clinical
social work, and can be used in teaching about practice
issues as they intersect with the legal system.
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New York Court Affirms Clinical Social Work’s Bio-psychosocial
Approach (2005)
A New York Court holds that clinical social workers may
provide services to those whose mental disorders or symptoms
may be organic in nature or result from a concurrent physical
ailment. The New York State Clinical Social Work Society
played a pivotal role in the case, which cites ABE’s definition
of clinical social work.
Read the case opinion and an ABE article about it:
People
v. R.R. NY 2005 case article (PDF)
Opinion
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Maryland’s
Highest Court Upholds Evaluation, Diagnosis, Expert Testimony
(2000)
Confronted with the contention that clinical social workers
do not have the right to assess and diagnose mental/emotional
disorders or to serve as expert witnesses, the Maryland
Court of Appeals found in favor of clinical social workers
and upheld their right to perform these services.
ABE filed a joint amicus curiae brief in the case, which
was supported by the state’s attorney general.
Read the brief and an ABE article published about this case:
MD
2000 case article (PDF)
Brief
(PDF)
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U.S.
Supreme Court Decides in Favor of Clinical Social Work (1996)
In the U.S. Supreme Court Case of Jaffee v. Redmond, which
arose from a clinical social worker’s refusal to turn over
case notes, the Court granted a broad federal privilege
of privacy of communication between psychotherapists (including
clinical social workers) and their clients.
ABE filed a joint amicus curiae brief that was cited by
the Court in its majority opinion.
Read it and other materials from this crucial case.
Jaffee
v. Redmond 1996 News Release (PDF)
Syllabus (PDF)
Brief
(PDF)
Opinion (PDF)
Dissent (PDF)
Peter
Brody, JD article (PDF)
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