A social worker’s role in drug court

Abstract

Drug Courts offer alternative sentencing for individuals with drug-related criminal charges, and although there is no mandate requiring a social worker to be a member of the team, this case study concludes that social workers have a unique purpose on the professional team resulting from their generalist and specialist knowledge and skills. The use of this knowledge and skill is illustrated in this descriptive account of the role of a social worker in a midwestern county in the United States. The implication of this case study suggests social workers should be included on drug court teams.