Relationship and boundary issues in social work

Relationship and Boundary Issues in Social Work

Dual Relationships in Accordance to Reamer

Emotional and Dependency Needs

Link with the Case

Altruistic Gestures

Link with the Case

Unanticipated Circumstances

Link with the Case

Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers

Service

Commitment to Clients

Social workers are the most important components of a society. Social workers have the main responsibility of providing all possible legal, financial help to their clients. The clients of the social workers can be from various backgrounds, various ethnicities, and various cultures. All these diversities of the clients are irrespective to the social worker as the main aim is to help the client. However, if acquaintances, personal favors, intimacy, personal benefits and exchange of gifts becomes a part of the duties of the social workers, this is defined the boundary issues or the development of dual relationships. In the light of Reamer's article on the development of dual relationships in social work, ethical or unethical nature of a social worker in the given case study will be highlighted.

Introduction

The main aim of this paper is to show that the development of dual relationships of the social workers with their client is unethical or ethical. In the light of the knowledge provided by Frederic Reamer's recommendations of the five main kinds of boundary crosses that are generally observed by the social workers, the ethical behavior of the social worker is to be analyzed. Developing dual relationships with the clients with exchange of favors and for the sake of personal benefits is an unethical act.

The social workers on a daily basis face boundary issues. In the wake of a social welfare case, there are certain situations in which social workers, for their or their client, or for the benefit of both the parties develop 'dual relationships' that may lead to negative consequences for the client in the coming future. Development of relationships that lead to an exchange of favors, gifts, and personal benefits between the client and the social workers are dual relationships. Going out of the professional line of ethical and legal social work and doing 'more' for the client are referred to as the boundary issues and boundary violations (Reamer, 2003, p. 121). The kinds of relationships that can be developed between the social workers and their clients can include sexual, intimate, business or social relationships. It has been reported that these relationships may have a negative impact on the working and professional life of a social worker as well.

A case has been presented here which will be analyzed for the development of dual relationships and boundary crosses by the highlighted social worker.

The case presented here is that of a Latin woman who has migrated illegally into the United States and based on many financial issues, she and her teenage son are facing troubles in getting jobs. Being an illegal immigrant, there are no legal papers that can prove their legal status in the country based on which getting jobs is more of a challenge. Based on violent hardships that the family faced before migrating to U.S., the client's six-year-old son is facing serious development issues. Lack of concentration, stunted growth and lesser interest in studies are some of the main issues being faced by the child. The teacher of the mentioned child has referred the client to the social worker. From the case, it can be seen that there are two main issues on the desk of the social worker. First is related to the health, well-being, and better development of the child, which needs better environment. It is to be understood here that the financial situation of the family is not good based on which shifting to better schools and residential neighborhoods cannot be the option. The second main issue is in relation to the job search and betterment of financial status of the head of the family, the client. According to the scenario, instead of providing exact solutions for the issues of the family, the social workers instead offers a job to the Latin woman at his place keeping in mind his own personal benefits of his children being taken care of at his place. Second main exchange of favors has been highlighted when the social worker gives a ride to the client to her place and the client gives her a cake as a token of appreciation. This behavior as shown by the social worker is one of the most important examples of boundary issues and the development of dual relationships. The main solutions that could have been provided by the social worker were to arrange for a public psychologist that could treat the child and relieve the child of his traumas from the past. The social workers could have requested the teacher to pay special attention to the child, as the child is not in the position of being bullied and neglected at any stage. Bullying can be one of the main reasons of a great lack in concentration and interest in the schoolwork. The second important solution that could have been provided by the social worker includes an arrangement of a temporary job that could help his client raise better money. The third important person who is not be neglected in this case is the teenage son who needs to have is education completed. Using the enlisted public schools or colleges, the social worker could make sure that the kid gets his education completed. Thereby the behavior shown by the social worker in the case highlighted was unethical. One of the main reasons is the development of dual relationship with the client. In the following sections, evidence shall be provided with the help of the theories presented by Reamer that will show that the behavior of the social worker was unethical in a professional manner.

Dual Relationships in Accordance to Reamer

In order to define dual relationships and the boundary issues in the social work, Reamer has defined five main themes of the dual relationships. These include intimate relationships, dependency and emotional needs, personal advantages and benefits, altruistic gestures and unexpected situations. These five themes are five of the main classical situations that are faced by the social workers each day in the wake of many complex issues brought about by the clients having social, emotional, and financial issues (Reamer, 2003, p. 123). Of these five themes, three important themes will be chosen. The chosen three themes will be the ones that are related to and correspond to the situation presented in the case.

The three chosen themes that are in accordance to the case presented and in accordance to the behavior shown by the social worker include emotional and dependency needs, altruistic gestures, and most importantly, unanticipated circumstances.

1. Emotional and Dependency Needs

Reamer has defined this theme by arguing the fact that when the case is presented to the social workers, there are chances that relationships with the clients are extended by the social workers based on their own needs. In this case, it has been highlighted by Reamer that social worker in this case increases the dependence of the client on the social worker himself. In this case, as the social worker's own needs are coming into play based on which professional and personal lives land into a great confusion. One of the most important facts that has been argued by Reamer is that in this kind of dual relationships, the social workers end up reversing their roles with the clients ((Reamer, 2003, p. 124).

Link with the Case

It has been seen that when the client approaches the social worker, instead of giving the client the best solutions that can help her and her family in the end, the social worker offers the client to work at his place and look after his children. Here the social worker had thought of his own benefits prioritizing his own benefits as compared to the advantages that that the client may have gained if offered better solutions. On the other hand, offering a lift to the client to her house is one of the most important evidence that suggests that the social worker is increasing the dependence of the client on himself. It was important that the social worker should have kept his personal benefits aside offering the client better solutions that are defined by his work ethics and codes.

2. Altruistic Gestures

Reamer has defined this theme of dual relationships by highlighting the fact of exchange of gifts and favors between the client and the social worker. These gestures are thereby inclusive of being more than available for the client, accepting gifts from the clients, and being more than just helpful to the client by offering her services outside the professional codes of social work. These activities when exhibited by the social workers towards their clients are defined to be unethical and very much outside the code of ethics and conduct of social work (Reamer, 2003, p. 125).

Link with the Case

It is mentioned in the case presented that the social worker gave a ride to the client to her house. The second act of the social worker that has a strong link with the given theme is when the social worker offered job/work to the client at his place for looking after his children. These two exhibited activities of the social worker are being and outside the scope of the social work ethics based on which these activities are defied as giving nonprofessional services to the client. These activities are also a set of favors being done with the client. A solution to the family not paying the client for her work is what should have been done by the social worker. Second main evidence from the case that clearly highlights the fact that altruistic gestures are being shared between the client and the social worker is when as a token of appreciation and thanks, the client gives a cake to the social worker. One of the main facts that need to be added here is that in the line of social working, exchanging gifts with the clients is considered unethical and nonprofessional based on which it clearly shows that the social worker is being unethical in his acts of social work.

3. Unanticipated Circumstances

Reamer has defined this dual relationship theme by arguing the fact that the professional efficiency of the social worker is very much affected by the connections that he may have with the acquaintances of the client, and these concoctions can include certain affiliations as well as memberships. Thereby there are two main scenarios being highlighted by Reamer in these cases. Either the client himself is one of the connections of the social worker or the client is connected to the connection of the social worker. In both the cases, the situation that is faced by the social worker leads to a social pressure to which certain social workers submit (Reamer, 2003, p. 126).

Link with the Case

It has been mentioned in the case that the family for which the client was working for was not paying her the rightful amount of payment that she deserved. When the social worker came to know that the family that has been mentioned by the client is a well-known acquaintance, instead of finding a solution to the stubborn behaviors of the family towards the poor client, the social worker asked the client to work for him. The main professional duty of this social worker was to devise a solution to the client against the family not paying her well. However, going out of the professional codes, the social worker acts unethically offering her a new job at his place keeping in mind his own advantages.

Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers

In this section, the activities of the social worker will be analyzed in accordance to the ethical codes and standards that have been defined by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

1. Service

One of the most important ethical code defined by the National Association of Social Workers is service according to which the social workers without taking into consideration their own personal advantages and without accepting any kind so favors and gifts from their clients, are to help the clients who are in need. Utilizing all the resources that have been provided to the social workers by the state, it is important that complete security and justice is provided to the clients along with the help that they need. It is important that the social workers remain within the professional lines while helping their clients (Zastrow, 2009, p. 570).

In the case of the social worker mentioned in the case, it can be seen that personal benefits and advantages have been prioritized rather the security and well-being of the client in the end. Instead of provision of solutions to the problems being faced by the client, the social worker found a solution to his own minor problem. Additionally, the buildup of client and social worker relationship is marked by an exchange of favors and gifts between the client and the social worker. These have been regarded unethical in the professional social worker ethical guidelines.