Social Worker Meet-Up: Supporting Clients’ needs 02-21-2024 12:00 EST

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In this week’s meet-up we are going to talk about the challenges we face in our roles related to supporting client needs when the court orders something that is seemingly out of reach – whether incredibly high restitution to be paid, or living in a more expensive residence, or attaining adult literacy in a matter of months. How can we advocate for our clients’ dignity and autonomy when an order seems unobtainable but is required? Bring solutions and ideas to this week’s meet-up!

Stephanne Cline Thornton is a West Virginia native who has worked in and around criminal defense and mitigation for more than 20 years in Georgia, Colorado, and West Virginia. She is currently the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program, and owner of Transform Legal, a consultancy focused on mitigation, training, and sustainability. As a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor, Stephanne focuses on proper assessment for and access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Stephanne is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and uses that platform to call attention to the intersection of secondary traumatic stress and legal practice. She approaches her work with clients, lawyers, social workers, and mitigation specialists through a contextualized mitigation lens.