Legal Consultations for NASW Members

The Legal Defense Fund provides individual legal consultations for NASW members on a broad range of social work practice issues, as a free benefit of membership. Consultation services are intended to provide members with general legal knowledge and resources that address their concerns and help them better understand applicable laws. Although the service is supervised by attorneys, we cannot provide specific legal advice.

Some of the common issues addressed in consultations include:

• restrictions on providing telemental health services
• client access to their clinical records
• disclosure of confidential client information to third parties -- for example, when a social worker is subpoenaed for client information in the context of a lawsuit
• the duty to warn others about a client who may pose a danger to themselves or others
• reporting child abuse and neglect committed by a client, and
• the right of minors to independently obtain mental health care

Schedule a Consultation

To schedule a consultation please call NASW Member Services at (800) 742-4089. If this is an urgent matter or if you are seeking specific legal advice, you should contact an attorney licensed in your state for assistance. If you need assistance finding an attorney licensed in your state, you may contact your state bar associate for referrals.