Grey Areas In Social Work

At first, I was excited about group this week. I had been thinking about the topic of boundaries earlier that morning. But once the leader declared we would only discuss boundaries as relevant to Social Work I honestly lost my excitement. Actually I do not believe it was solely because of the topic but rather I think it was how the leader presented it. I struggled for the first 10 minutes to have anything to add. I believe it was because I did not have answers to the leader’s questions and felt as if I was being asked questions for a class test. Therefore, this week I mostly listened and interjected when I believed I had an answer to contribute. Maybe I felt I did not have much to share, since I am still new to Social Work and my jobs before

The social work profession’s Standards of Practice outlines the boundaries in the relationship between social workers and their clients and sets a mandate of their responsibilities as a social worker (Alberta College of Social Workers, 2013, p. 30). In the Code of Ethics, boundaries are also set at a high standard as we must draw metaphysical lines between personal roles or interests and professional (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005, p. 7) to prevent forming a dual relationship with clients. Another boundary is to halt the possibility of the social worker from using the time they have to help themselves rather than helping their clients (CASW, 2005, p. 6). In addition to these boundaries, it is crucial for social workers to not share too much of their personal life with clients by placing mental boundaries of how much they feel they can share of their personal life with their clients.

Social work agencies strive to provide access to services that promote well-being for those most in need in society. Different agencies may vary in regard to their specific purposes, missions, or foundations. Two agencies that provide assistance in diverse ways to individuals in need are the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and The Mayhill Hospital. The following discussion will explore comparisons and contrasts between these agencies with regard to their focuses, interventions, and roles.

Reflection is a process of learning through and from self-analysis, self-evaluation, self-dialogue and self-observation towards gaining new possibilities for self-enhancement. In social work, this learning process is an integral part of applying theory to practice. With the growing influence of postmodernism, social workers also need to be prepared to recognise the eurocentric discourse that grounds and governs their disciplinary knowledge. It is against this background that I will reflect upon Foucault’s power-knowledge axis, particularly as it relates to cultural competence. As will be demonstrated, anti-oppressive practice rests on the ability of social workers to analyse the power dynamics that pervade their encounters

Many individuals opt for the field of social work so that others may grow and improve their way of life and have a stable living style. However, while providing this sort of help to the clients, it is important that social workers are aware of their ethical boundaries and have communicated this to their clients as well. Setting and maintain clear boundaries is a very important part of every profession. As far as social work is concerned where the worker directly influences the lives of his clients, this practice becomes more important as it has a direct impact on ones' professional integrity. Where we see number of complaints filed against the social workers for breach of ethical boundaries, it is important to understand what these limitations are and how to adhere to them.

Professional boundaries are very important at my agency. At SOAR we regularly meet with clients, health professionals, and other social workers. We are working with people who struggle with homelessness, mental illnesses, medical impairments, and/or substance use disorders, so it is important to build rapport, and act in a trustworthy and responsible manner.

Mark’s friend a fellow podiatrist he studied with posted a photo on Facebook of a lunch she had with an elderly female client. This is a breach of professional boundaries. As a health professional, a clear disassociation should occur amidst professional conduct aimed at meeting the health needs of patients and a practitioner’s own personal relationships and views which are not related to the therapeutic relationship.

Being a social worker comes with many responsibilities where it is crucial to act in an ethical and professional manner. One of those responsibilities is establishing boundaries with clients that must not be broken. This means that there should not be a dual relationship between the social worker and client, meaning the professional enters into a second role with the client. In this reading, I learned the different categories of boundaries a social worker could violate whether intentionally or by accident.

I agree that forming social relationships outside the boundaries of counseling is an area that I would avoid. However, I must admit being torn during this week’s discussion. While I am a social worker and therefore must adhere to the NASW code of ethics, my current role is that of a family advocate. Which means a direct involvement in very personal family events such as parent-teacher conferences, doctor appointments, court hearings, and therapy sessions. I am not a licensed counselor however the families I work with are dealing with severe issues of drug use, child and spousal abuse, and mental illness of which I am told everything and confidentiality is essential.

qualified to wait until I have obtained my certificate and have the tool of higher education under my belt. The specifics of what exactly I hope to accomplish by jumping as far as I possibly can in my professional life are to simply be the best social worker for addicts and their families that I can possibly be. The issues plaguing these people and their families are catastrophic, and I understand firsthand how damaging and divisive the effects can be. If I can help even one family understand and shape their family environment into a safer and more constructive one and to give back to even just a single individual who needs the kind of guidance and support that I needed (and thankfully received), then my life will be more than well-lived. However,

The benefit of me being in the Social Work field is my personal experience with similar struggles. I would like to be the person I never had while going through my hardships. The resurrection of my old wounds that I have overcome would certainly be my weakness. With that being said, I am confident I could make a difference because, I have been in their shoes to a certain extent, so I can help relate to and speak from experience with those I am trying to help. There are many resources available for the people such as shelters, food banks, job training, and placement assistance. All they need is the guidance from a knowledgeable social worker who is willing to offer a helping hand to open these doors of opportunity. Working with the Boys and

During my time in the social work program and in my practicum so far, I have not encountered what I would consider serious boundary issues, but I do question some of the things that I have participated in. The reading Boundary Issues in Social Work: Managing Dual Relationships by Fredric G. Reamer states that dual relationships in social work can be seen as social, sexual, religious, or business relationships. When applying the reading to my real life experiences, I focused on social relationships, as I do not have personal experience with any of the other types through my practicum. The examples I am thinking of are all boundary crossing, and not boundary violations, between coworkers. I might feel a little more cautious about this since

Many problems remain in the American society such as the increasing number of people living in poverty, the juvenile crime rate, unaffordable housing for the working middle-class and poor people, backlash against illegal immigration, and the shortfall in social welfare programs (black). Social workers try to combat these problems, which are a result of society, economics, and development problems. Social work in the United States is a profession about promoting and offering social services through practicing with people, communities, and organizations; advocating with and for clients; and creating social work knowledge (Writing in social work). Social work in the United States utilized the direct practice with individuals, families, and communities. Social workers need to continue to advocate for social problems (Writing in social work).

My vision of the social work field is being able to help people in need and being the person that people can look back on and remember as a huge help in time of need. I think my core values and beliefs will help me be an effective social worker and help me succeed in this field. It is in my belief that a person should never be knocked down when they are going through hardships, and rather empowering them. I also believe that not everyone could be a social worker because it takes a certain kind of empathetic and self-aware person. I truly believe that my upbringing has humbled me to understand and not be judgmental of people’s issues since I’ve seen a lot in my short twenty-one years.

Traditionally, social worker are expected to not impose their own values on their clients, and suspended judgment about client behaviors, even when their own values or society values demand a judgement (Dolgroff, Harrington & Loewenberg, 2012). This can often pose difficult ethical decisions for social workers and clients, as personal value systems are inevitable. Social worker value gap, value neutrality and value imposition are important to consider when analyzing any ethical situation with our clients. Consideration needs to be given to both the social worker and the client as they interact together, although it is the social worker’s role to not impose their own values onto the client. The social worker must uphold the value of self