Social Work Services

Children and youth who need their own legal representation are typically in crisis and often separated from their parents and family. Because LSC’s clients have all endured trauma or adverse experiences—often chronic, pervasive, and aggravated by extreme poverty and racism—the time they spend working with LSC is designed to be therapeutic. LSC’s clinical social workers support children and youth through psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, case management, and counseling. They offer youth and their families referrals and connections to community resources and activities that support their wellbeing. LSC social workers also accompany clients and families to court and help clients in processing the complexities of their legal cases in age-appropriate ways.

LSC helped create the model of holistic services for children provided by attorney-social worker teams in the 1970s and continues to innovate this model. Our services help children begin to heal from trauma and practice self-determination while achieving their legal and personal goals. Most clients’ legal cases take several years; we work with young people throughout this time to build their network of resources, self-esteem, and resilience.

Through LSC’s services, young people find safe and stable homes, success in school, get jobs or attend college, and obtain legal immigration status. For five decades, LSC has helped children in the SF Bay Area overcome trauma and crisis to thrive as adults.