History, Clients, Issues and Concerns

Legal Services
Where available, legal support services coordinate and support the victim and any witnesses in domestic violence prosecution and aide in obtaining and filing necessary forms. Free legal representation for victims meeting certain income criteria may also be available.
Probation and Parole Services
Offenders released from jail on probation are supervised and tracked by correctional officers, who assure that the offender adheres to the conditions of his or her parole or probation.
Social Workers and Domestic Violence Services
Many positions related to domestic violence are held by social workers. Social workers often help clients build s support system by referring them to resources they need and by helping them gain access to such services. Social workers may also be involved in crisis and long term counseling to help victims make significant decisions. Additionally, social workers may develop and co-lead support groups for victims, lobby on a national or state level for funding, and perform advocacy work. (Encyclopedia of Social Work, 1998). Advocacy work may include fund raising, training, explaining domestic violence, speaking to the media about domestic violence, developing materials to give to battered women, and community education. These are only a few of the essential functions performed by social workers in the domestic violence field.
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