Social Work Policies

Social Work Safety in Social Work Practice Social work: Ethics and risks Risks to confidentiality: Online counseling Although confidentiality issues can arise in any therapeutic context, in the relatively impersonal format of online counseling, the risks can be more daunting. First of all, there is the risk of the client's email or computer being hacked. Even the client may be relatively careless and not take safeguarding his or her email and password as seriously as he or she would in a real life counseling setting.

Before exchanging intimate material with the client the counselor should review privacy expectations and good Internet 'hygiene.' Online counseling also carries the risk that it might not be taken as seriously by the client in terms of the honesty and commitment demanded of the client. It is presented in a format that mimics that of casual interactions online, such as Facebook or a message board, even though its intentions are meant to be just as serious as face-to-face counseling.

Private data, such as the client's substance abuse, may be exchanged between client and counselor. The client should be aware that his or her privacy expectations regarding online counseling are comparable to those in a more traditional setting. Online counseling: Risks to counselor There is also the risk that the counselor's personal data could be hacked or the counselor could become a target of Internet violence and harassment.

Having a separate email for business-related work as well as limiting access to that account only to clients (and changing the password frequently) is essential. If the counselor's sensitive data online is impinged upon, this could present a physical risk to him or her -- or also risk his or her professional reputation. If the counselor wishes to conduct his or her business online, it is incumbent upon the professional to seek out IT assistance so he or she can assure clients of absolute confidentiality.

Just as physical, paper files must be well-secured, so must any data transmitted or stored in a virtual context. The counselor must also be careful to guard his or her private, non-professional Internet persona (on Facebook or other social media sites) to ensure that clients do not have the temptation of harassing him or her or even silently gathering information about the counselor, unbeknownst to the counselor.

For example, if a client recovering from sexual abuse discovered the counselor was on an online dating site, this might be disturbing to the client, even if the therapist was simply engaged in normal social dating. Friending and social media website Early on in the counseling relationship, the counselor should explain why friending on social media is inappropriate between counselor and client. This should be done before the client makes such a request, so as not to offend the client or create friction in the relationship.

Concerns about verbal assault When a counselor is dealing with a potentially violent client, he or she should have a clear plan to seek refuge. First, someone should be contacted and informed of the situation. If the other party does not hear from the counselor within a certain amount of time and cannot contact the counselor he or she should call the police.

The counselor should meet the client in a safe area, if at all possible, such as an office where another person is present and can be signaled to in the case of outright violence. Protection from natural disasters Just like any other place of business, the counseling environment should have a fire escape route as well as contingency plans of what to do if there is an earthquake or other act of God or manmade disaster.

The counselor should be prepared to instruct the client in these protocols if the necessity arises. Also, if there is a likelihood that a natural disaster may strike in the near future, the counselor may wish to brief the client in how to deal with the situation before it occurs, right before the session. Suicidal and homicidal ideation First and foremost, the seriousness of the client's threat must be assessed.

If the client is a danger to him or herself or to others, the counselor is required to report this to the relevant authorities. There is both a duty to warn someone who may be harmed and a duty to protect the client from harm to him or herself.

"When a therapist determines, or pursuant to the standards of his profession should determine, that his patient presents a serious danger of violence to another, he incurs an obligation to use reasonable care to protect the intended victim against such danger," including protecting the client him or herself from self-harm (Granich 2012). "Duty to warn means that the social worker must verbally tell the intended victim that there is a foreseeable danger of violence.

Duty to protect implies a therapist determining that his or her patient presents a serious danger of violence to another and an obligation to use reasonable care to protect the intended victim against danger" (Granich 2012). Suspicions client is being abused Under duty to warn and duty to protect laws, counselors are also required to report suspicions that a client is being verbally, emotionally, physically, or sexually abused if the client is being put in harm's way.

If a child is at risk, "mandatory reporting laws not only require social workers to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, but also there can be varying levels of civil and criminal liability for failing to do so" ("Social work and child abuse reporting," 2014). Conducting home/field visits Just as a counselor should take reasonable steps to protect him or herself during a session in-house, some of these same steps are necessary when in the field.

Another party should be aware that the counselor is heading into a potentially dangerous situation and to alert the authorities if he or.