2015 Sol Gothard Lifetime Achievement Award – Carleton Munson, PhD

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Dr. Munson is Professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and Director of the Washington Area Supervision Institute at Woodstock Forest. Dr.  Throughout his professional career of more than 40 years, Dr. Munson has served as a model of excellence in the social work profession.  He has made outstanding contributions to social work practice, social work education, and social work research in health and mental health.  As a Professor in the School of Social Work, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Dr. Munson has taught social work practice at the BSW, MSW and doctoral levels.  He also served for seven years as Director of the University of Maryland School of Social Work doctoral program and chaired doctoral dissertation research on social work practice issues.

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In addition to being a distinguished educator, Dr. Munson has made contributions to clinical social work practice and the social work profession in the federal and state court systems.  His participation as a clinical expert witness and consultant in two State of Maryland Court of Appeals child welfare cases established the right of clinical social workers to make DSM-IV-TR diagnoses, to testify as expert witnesses, and to testify to ultimate issues.  These are accomplishments of national historic importance for the social work profession, and the Maryland Court of Appeals’ opinion in Dr. Munson’s case affirmed and established the credentials of clinical social workers at the state and national levels.

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Dr. Munson remains active in clinical practice.  He has served as clinical social worker and as clinical consultant to practitioners, mental health agencies, and departments of social services at state, county and local department levels.

 

The award will be presented at the NOFSW annual conference at 8:30 AM, Saturday, August 22, 2015 at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. This is the highest award bestowed upon an individual by the NOFSW.  It is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the forensic social work profession, public welfare, and humankind.