Experience with Forensic Clients

I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert on working in the justice system.  I’ve never had any personal experience outside of a traffic ticket, so I don’t have that first hand experience to relate to my clients.  

However, in my career, I’ve worked with quite a number of clients who were court mandated to treatment.  This work allowed me to learn more about my client’s experience and the hoops that so many have to jump through.  I’ve learned more about how the justice system works and how it disproportionately affects BIPOC, set up to punish instead of treating addiction and how past incarceration limits my client’s ability to thrive because it excludes them from so many helpful social programs.  

I’m better able to provide documentation needed to keep clients in the community and provide support in finding ways to thrive post incarceration. Even with my experience working with clients, I’m still learning about the system and tackling those ingrained biases. 

#therapy #forensic #legalsystem #abolitionist