Robert G. Madden, LCW, J.D.
Professor of Social Work
Contact
Phone: 860.231.5350
E-mail:
rmadden@sjc.edu
Web Page:
www.sjc.edu/madden
Department Web Site: Social Work
Dr. Robert Madden got his start in Social Work as a counselor at a runaway shelter, and he has been committed to improving the lives of people in crisis ever since. Dr. Madden's emphasis on the legal aspects of social work proves critical to students, as they must understand the constant changes in state and federal laws in order to work effectively.
Students also learn social work practice skills in a variety of hands-on ways, including role-playing sessions based on actual cases that allow them to see how human dramas unfold. "The collaborative learning approach at Saint Joseph College," Dr. Madden notes, "helps students apply research and theoretical issues to real-life situations."
In addition to his work at the College, Dr. Madden is a volunteer family mediator at The Children's Law Center of Connecticut. "We get cases that are referred to us by the court. I am exposed constantly to real-world conflict. We use these cases, anonymously, of course, as training points in classroom discussion."
Dr. Madden says of his fellow faculty members: "There are very few places where there is such a high work ethic among faculty. Even after achieving tenure, professors keep striving to learn more and that striving for constant development fuels an intellectual atmosphere at the College."
Degrees
J.D., University of Connecticut
M.S., Columbia University School of Social Work
B.A., Providence University
Awards
Named Social Work Educator of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, Connecticut Chapter, 2008.
Research/Publications
Relationship-Centered Lawyering: Social Science Theory for Transforming Legal Practice. (2010) Brooks, S. L. & Madden, R. G. (eds.). Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.
Essential Law for Social Workers, New York, Columbia University Press, 2003.
Legal Issues in Social Work, Counseling and Mental Health: Guidelines for Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy , Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publications, Inc., 1998.
Susan L. Brooks & Robert G. Madden. Relationship-Centered Lawyering: Social Science Theory for Transforming Legal Practice. 78 University of Puerto Rico Law Review. 23 (2009).
From Theory to Practice: A Family Systems Approach to the Law. 30 Thomas Jefferson Law Review 429 (2008).
Overview of the American Legal System. In, Encyclopedia of Social Work, 20th Edition (2008). Washington: National Association of Social Work Press.
"Social Work and the Law: A Therapeutic Jurisprudence Perspective," with Raymie Wayne, Social Work, 48, pp. 338-347, 203.
"Constructing a Normative Framework for Therapeutic Jurisprudence Using Social Work Principles as a Model," with Raymie Wayne, Touro Law Review, 18(3), 487-502, 2002.
"Legal Content in Social Work Education: Preparing Students for Interprofessional Practice," Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 10(1/2), pp. 3-17, 2000.
"Helping Without Harming: A Reply to Feld and Fetkewicz," with Melissa Parody, Clinical Social Work Journal, Vol. 26(2), pp. 227-232, 1998.
"Between a Legal Rock and a Practice Hard Place: Legal Issues in Recovered Memory Cases," with Melissa Parody, Clinical Social Work Journal, Vol. 25(2), pp.223-247, 1997.
"Civil Commitment for Substance Abuse by Pregnant Women: A View from the Front Lines," Politics and the Life Sciences, 15(1), pp. 56-59, 1996.
"Disability Law and Undergraduate Social Work Education: Practicing What We Preach," Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, Vol. 1(1), pp. 71-83, October 1995.
"Two Eggs Over Medium: A Narrative About Billy," Reflections: A Narrative Journal of the Helping Professions, Vol. 1(3), pp. 15-19, summer 1995.
"State Actions to Control Fetal Abuse: Ramifications for Child Welfare Practice," Child Welfare , Vol. LXXII, No. 2, pp. 129-140, March-April 1993.
"Protecting All Parties: A Legal Analysis of Clinical Competency and Student Dismissals," Journal of Law and Social Work, Volume 3, No. 1, pp. 1-13, May 1993.
