We embed social workers and clinical providers in Public Defender's offices to connect defendants to social support and community resources and maximize positive legal outcomes. 

We have conducted several projects to test the utility of pairing social work and other clinicians with public defense. Many individuals who are charged with crimes report a variety of unmet needs including mental health and substance use challenges, issues with employment, and a lack of positive social engagement and positive interpersonal relationships. Currently, we are developing a proposal to test where social work services might have the most impact on legal outcomes for public defense clients so that we can concentrate our efforts and maximize opportunity and access.