National Organization of Forensic Social Work in the 21st Century: A Historical Retrospective of the Last 10 Years

Abstract

The National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) has a robust history of supporting professionals working with clients in legal systems. It was incorporated in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1983 with the objective of advancing the education and practice of forensic social work. Despite the expectations of clients and the community that social workers and lawyers collaborate on cases, due to their differing purposes and goals, this does not happen consistently.  Even when social workers and lawyers do attempt to work together, the differences in their education and training often make it difficult for them to speak the same language. It is this disconnect between the two disciplines (social work and law) that NOFSW sought to ameliorate. NOFSW provides a home for forensic social work professionals to gain support, instruction, and validation for their work.  This historical summary is a follow-up to the commentary published in the first issue of the Journal of Forensic Social Work (Chatfield et al., 2011).   For more, click on the pdf link above.