Social workers

An attorney may enlist the help of a specially trained Public Defender Social Worker to aid in advocacy for the youth. 

A public defender social worker supports the youth in many ways including: housing, educational and family support, mental health linkage, substance use treatment, homelessness resourcing, safety planning, school placement/advocacy, treatment placement coordination, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) consultations, and general assistance support. The social worker also consults with attorneys on San Andreas Regional Center (SARC) services. The social worker often works closely with juvenile probation officers and other juvenile justice system partners, attends Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings on behalf of the youth, visits incarcerated youth, and submits psychosocial assessments on behalf of the youth to the Juvenile Court for consideration. The social worker also works on judicial transfer cases.