The Issue Of Client And Caseworker Confidentiality

Clearly, confidentiality is essential to the healing process. However, though it may appear to be a relatively easy concept, its application in the therapeutic atmosphere has proven to be quite complex (Younggren & Harris, p. 589). One issue that causes confusion for many professionals pertains to the differences between confidentiality and legal privilege. Quite often, ethical obligations overlap with the legal requirements. Frequently, the practitioner is not well informed about these particular limits on confidentiality and this lack of knowledge can place both the client and the helping professional at risk (Younggren & Harris, p.590, 598).

In the relationship between counsellor and client the need for confidentiality is vital as it is not only the bases that the relationship is built on and it is a legal obligation.

This essay will address the ethical dilemmas faced by social workers and how they address these ethical dilemmas when working with service users and carers. It will be illustrated that codes of practice and codes of ethics are of paramount importance when dealing with these dilemmas as they are ones that guide social workers as to how they should try and solve these dilemmas.

Social workers face complex ethical issues in every aspect of their profession. This work is often ethically challenging because it involves direct contact and interaction with individuals who are vulnerable. There are many factors that influence our decision making especially when working with at risk youths, we often face challenges in wanting to take on certain roles to protect our clients. These roles often conflict with our professional obligations. When our personal and professional values conflicts, our decisions may affect the individual, family, group, community and the organization.

As a social worker many problems may arise because of the constant grey area of either letting your personal values interfere with your professional opinion. It is essential to provide your client with information and tools to help them succeed and overcome their problems. Following the core values is essential to being a resourceful, competent social worker. In some cases, core values are in conflict. In a situation where more than one core value is in conflict it is considered an ethical dilemma (Hick, 2009). It’s not guaranteed that a perfect solution will arise, therefore one of the core values is subsided because the other has more of an impact on the client.

The missing part of this intervention is informing each of the confidentiality rights and ensure the understanding that the social worker does not have control over what information is shared or who will comply with those terms. This violation could have been prevented by informing and requesting an agreement from each member before they started.

The section of the National Association of Social Work Ethics that will be discussed will be number four which includes Social Workers’ ethical responsibilities as professionals. This ethics code concentrates on a several different factors which include: 4.01 Competence, 4.02 discrimination, 4.03 private conduct, 4.04 dishonesty, 4.05 personal impairment, 4.06 misinterpretations, 4.07 solicitations, and 4.08 acknowledging credit.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has written a code of ethics that serves many purposes. The main purpose is to identify the core ethics and values that provide the foundation for the profession. It details six basic principles for social workers to follow: service, social justice, dignity and worth, human relationships, integrity, and competence (National Association of Social Workers, 1999). The code acts as an ethical guide for students, and those professionals just

The commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of social work due to the effect it can have on the quality of the service offered to those who engage with us. Through group discussions in our foundations of social work practice I have become extremely ethically aware and now will always seek to ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making. From discussions with my fellow classmates I have learnt to strive to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession by making sure I promote and work towards the code of ethics wherever possible. This in turn enables me act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner having worked closely with service users in a professional setting and learned of their good and bad experiences with practitioners through the service user experience we undertook in class. I believe I am now in a good position to apply the social work ethical principles to my professional practice, in a way that seeks to empower my service users and enable me to emulate the best practice. In addition from reading social work journals and staying on top of news regarding the profession more generally I am knowledgeable about the value base of social work as a profession .

When it comes to confidentiality there are rules that one has to follow in order to abide by the person’s rights. Using caution when talking to others about the client who want to obtain information that they are not at liberty to have. An example of this would be someone claiming to be a patient’s friend wanting a room number in the hospital to go visit them. Confidentiality is a very delicate situation in the practicing field of professionals.

The limits and consequence of dual relationships from an ethical perspective in social work could lead to discrepancies between professional duties and ethical code. Frederic G. Reamer’s article, Boundary Issues in Social Works: Managing Dual Relationships addresses the case study of Angel Z which explains the role of social workers seem throughout three different categories, such as intimate relationship, altruistic gestures, and emotional and dependency needs; it also describes unethical behaviors portrayed in this field. Also, by exploring The Code of Ethics of Social Work the professional get a clear understanding of the dual relationship between ethical versus unethical behavior. Social workers must focus on rethinking the effects of dual

Confidentiality is one of the most important things concerning social work. Clients confide in us and trust us with their information. They trust us and we should not break that trust. The NASW Code of Ethics 1.07 (a) and (b) states, “Social workers should respect clients' right to privacy… Once private information is shared, standards of confidentiality apply… Social workers should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained” (2008). Our clients expect the privacy they deserve and the Wyoming State Statues also agree that confidentiality is key. It states, “Client registration records and treatment records relating to persons receiving mental health or substance abuse treatment at a treatment facility under contract with the department shall remain confidential” (2017). People really do depend on social workers to maintain their privacy in which they disclose to us. Both the NASW Code of Ethics and the State

Since the profession was recognized many concerns arose regarding the values and ethics of social workers. The key points of the NASW Code of Ethics, the CSWE Educational Policy and Standards, and HIPAA will be summarized. Some of the most challenging ethical issues facing social workers and the social work profession today, have been explored. The core values of the

There are many different instances in which ethical practise can effect a social care practitioner’s daily tasks in the work place. One example of where this happens, is the where ethical practice and the law coincide. In many instances, ethical standards are consistent with legal standards and requirements. However, social workers sometimes encounter circumstances in which legal standards clash with the profession’s ethical standards and their beliefs about their moral duty. If a member of the Gardaí was to ask a social care worker for confidential information regarding a

The social work profession consists of the six core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These core values are portrayed within the roles of this profession by assessing and evaluating client’s needs, advocating for improving community resources, managing crisis situations, providing therapeutic support, and referring client’s to beneficial services. As well as, developing a dual client relationship to strengthen the helping process and treating each client ethically. Social workers are constantly progressing their professional expertise. They do this