Finding Your Way in Forensic Social Work: A Conversation with Ben Beach, LCSW
On boundaries, sustainability, and the lessons that only experience can teach
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the breadth of what's expected of you as a social worker, or wondered how to carve out a sustainable practice without compromising your ethics, this conversation is for you. I sat down with Ben Beach, LCSW, who works in the forensic setting specializing in post-conviction cases, to talk about how he learned to define his scope, protect his boundaries, and build a practice that actually works.
What struck me most about Ben's answers wasn't just what he said, but his honesty about the struggle to get there. This isn't a story about someone who had it all figured out from day one. It's about the messy, real process of finding your way.
How did you learn to define your scope over time?
Ben: I began in forensics, but didn't know that I wanted to write developmental psychosocial histories to start. I had done something similar in a post-conviction case as an undergrad intern and seen a social worker complete the assignment that I started that summer with a life changing impact. I was inspired to do the same, but unsure of the path to perform this work independently.
I spent a long time working in juvenile, adult mitigation, holistic defense, mental health diversion, crisis work, etc. to find my way back to the practice area that I wanted to work in exclusively. I wrote these post-conviction reports while doing everything else, but felt chronically overwhelmed for several years by the breadth of responsibilities and lack of boundaries in county agencies.
Reader insight: Notice how Ben's path wasn't linear. He knew what inspired him, but it took years of varied experience to circle back to it. If you're doing work that feels too broad or scattered right now, you're not failing—you might be gathering the skills and clarity you'll need later. The "finding your way back" part is real, and it's okay that it takes time.
What boundaries protect you most from pressure or drift?
Ben: I'm horrible at the boundaries problem within agencies. I had a tendency to say "yes" to extra work to demonstrate competence and people-please, to my own detriment. I worked past midnight many times. I didn't start setting boundaries until I was nearing licensure, to be honest - around a year before my exam.
I have been able to maintain my boundaries as a contractor, due to being self employed in a niche practice area. I do not drift from this area. I get to say that juvenile "transfer" hearings or diversion cases are outside of my scope, despite having done this before. The title of my practice and defining its intent as post-conviction helps maintain this boundary.
Reader insight: Ben's admission that he's "horrible at the boundaries problem within agencies" is important. It's not about personal weakness—agency settings often have structural issues that make boundaries nearly impossible. The people-pleasing, the midnight work, the saying yes to prove yourself? Many of us have been there. What changed for Ben wasn't willpower—it was structure. Defining his practice narrowly gave him something concrete to point to when declining work. "That's outside my scope" becomes easier to say when your scope is clearly defined.
How do you decide when to accept or decline referrals?
Ben: I only accept referrals when I am open for referrals now. I do not deal with the daily chaos of screening referrals that was my life for several years.
Reader insight: This answer is deceptively simple, but think about what it represents: control. For years, Ben dealt with constant referral chaos. Now? He opens and closes his availability. If you're in an agency drowning in referrals, this might feel impossible—but it's worth noting as something that becomes possible when you have the structure to support it.
What supports sustainability without ethical compromise?
Ben: Structure supports sustainability without ethical compromise. Creating a practice is one of the hardest things for a clinician to do - once you have structured it, you're able to hold to your scope and adhere to ethics as indicated.
Reader insight: "Structure" keeps coming up in Ben's answers, and it's worth sitting with what that means. Structure isn't about rigidity—it's about having clear parameters that protect both you and your clients. When your practice has clear definition (what you do, what you don't do, when you're available), ethical decision-making becomes clearer. You're not making choices in chaos; you're making them within a framework.
What do you wish you had understood earlier in your practice?
Ben: I wish that I knew that I did not owe the administrations a damn thing - it's the healthiest and one of the most important lessons for a social worker to learn. Administrations are broken and will extract until you are as broken as the agency - do not succumb. You matter more - and you are free to serve this population in other, healthier capacities.
Reader insight: This is the gut-punch truth that many social workers need to hear. The loyalty we feel to our agencies, our administrators, our "mission"—it can become a trap. Ben isn't saying don't care about the work or the people you serve. He's saying that administration will take everything you give and ask for more, and that you have permission to protect yourself. You can serve the population you care about in ways that don't destroy you. Your wellbeing isn't selfish—it's prerequisite.
Final Thoughts
What I appreciate most about Ben's journey is that he didn't start with perfect boundaries or clear scope. He struggled. He said yes too much. He worked past midnight. He felt overwhelmed for years. And then, gradually, he built something different.
If you're in the thick of it right now—in an agency that demands everything, unsure of your boundaries, saying yes when you want to say no—Ben's story suggests a few things:
The wandering matters. Your varied experience isn't wasted time; it's how you figure out what you actually want to do.
Structure is protection. Defining your practice clearly gives you something to hold onto when pressure comes.
You don't owe administration your breakdown. Serving your population well means staying whole enough to actually serve them.
It gets better with clarity. Once Ben structured his practice around post-conviction work specifically, the boundary-setting became easier. The drift stopped.
If you're a social worker trying to find your way, especially in forensic or agency settings, I hope Ben's honesty here gives you permission to struggle, to set boundaries imperfectly, and to keep moving toward work that sustains you without compromising what you believe in.
You matter more than the agency's endless demands. And you are free to serve this population in other, healthier capacities.
Ben Beach, LCSW, specializes in developmental psychosocial histories for post-conviction cases. His work focuses on understanding the life experiences that shape individuals in the criminal justice system, with the goal of creating life-changing impact through comprehensive assessment and testimony.
