Abstract: It is important for any social worker to be consciously aware of the ethical issues that pertain to clients and client’s privileges. Understanding that every client has, legally and ethically, his or her own right to their privacy and their disclosure is key to assuring that each client is assisted in the most maximum way possible. Social Workers have and use a code of ethics which explain acceptable general precepts to be used for social work cases and client relationships. Although there is a code of ethics that social workers use as a general use of resource, social workers are encouraged to sometimes use their personal judgment, only when it doesn’t contradict what is stated in the code of ethics.
Opening thought: The first phase of treatment lays a foundation for selecting and implementing interventions. This is aimed at resolving a client’s problems and promoting the client’s problem solving skills. Here, we will speak of the first step in the first phase of treatment: exploring the client’s problem.
Factual Paragraph #1: Code of ethics should be your “primary” resource, but it cannot be used for every given specific situation due to various natures of certain issues at hand. The code of ethics only contains general precepts that guide your conduct as a social worker. Remember to use you educated judgment, and know to base your behavior upon precepts used in the code. Laws governing social work practice should not be limited to a social workers specific area of work, but only the laws that pertain to every social worker should be used upon examination. Ethical values can relate to how a social worker makes their decision. Personal values can sometimes interfere with the code of law and ethnics. If such is the case, then personal values are advised not to be taken into consideration over what is found in one’s code of ethics.
Factual Paragraph #2: Generally, social workers must obtain a general form of consent before rendering their services. A valid consent usually requires that four conditions be met: the client they must be able to consent to therapy, must provide the client information concerning their treatment that might affect the decision to enter treatment, client must give consent freely free from unbiased influence, and an informed consent must be documented properly.
Factual Paragraph #3: The client must be able to understand the purpose and reason for your services. Clients who aren’t able to sign consent for themselves include those who are minors, mentally handicapped, or mentally retarded. These types of clients need permission through their legal parents, legal guardian or another type of legal authority.
Factual Paragraph #4: A social worker must know that a client has a right to how much personal information about the client can or cannot be shared with others. As a social worker, the code of ethics states that a social worker should not share information that was obtained during the course of the client-social workers relationship unless extreme reason causes you to do so. Information about your client cannot be disclosed even to another worker who may assist your client in another way. Questions asked about your client must be handled in two ways: you must decline to answer and the person asking the question must not know that you are seeing that client. The only time it is ethical to review information is when the parents of a minor or a legal representative consent to the disclosure; consultant can review information as long as the clients’ identity is disguised.
Factual Paragraph #5: Privilege refers to an individual’s legal right to prevent confidential information from being revealed in a court or other legal proceeding without their consent. They are the holder of privilege in most situations. They must sign a waiver in order for that information to be released. The only exceptions that can waive a clients privilege is when a court appoints a therapist to review the clients mental state, and when a clients become unable to make the decision themselves, in which a legal guardian, parent, or court appointed aid can release the clients information.
Factual Paragraph #6: At the beginning of a therapy session with a client, fees should always discuss there. How insurance will be reimbursed should also be discussed as well. There will be instances where a client will no longer be able to afford therapy anymore. The code of ethics, must come to a mutual terms of agreement for payment, otherwise take action to terminate treatment. Never abandon a client.
What is most interesting about this podcast? What makes this podcast interesting is the responsibilities that a social worker entails is more than just a service call. This responsibility requires that the client’s best interest be taken into consideration.
What can you share with other students about this podcast? Students can take a lot of valuable information from this podcast. The most they can take from this is knowing that the choices that are made concerning future clients is vital.
Concluding Sentence: In order to fully assist with a client, a social worker must be fully aware of his client’s rights.
References:
Ethics & Professional Issues. Association of Social Work Boards, Audio.
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