Confidentiality
What information is considered confidential?
-Name, address, contact information
-Mental or physical health information
-Personal history or trauma information
You join a Facebook group, and realize that a client/clients parent is also in that group. What do you do?
If you joined not knowing that the member is in the group, it's most likely okay to remain in the group, as long as you maintain strong boundaries:
-Do not interact with the member within the group (no commenting, liking their posts, or chatting with them)
-Be mindful of what you post, would it be okay for the family to know this information about you?
Why is it risky to self disclose?
-It can shift the focus away from the client, and onto the professional.
-It can create sympathy for the professional. Clients may feel bad for the professional, and may choose to not disclose something because they feel concern.
-It can blur professional boundaries. Create a sense of friendship or closeness beyond the professional role.
One of your youth gives you a handmade bracelet as a gift. Do you accept?
In general, you can accept a handmade bracelet.
When receiving gifts, remember the following:
-Gifts are generally appropriate if they're low in value (less than $5).
-If gifts are higher value, politely decline and explain the policy
-When accepting a gift, also make sure to set the boundary that gifts are not expected
How to ensure confidentiality when working from home?
-Private workspace - where others cannot see or hear
-Don't leave documents in the open, or confidential informed pulled up on screens where others can see
-Use headphones for calls if needed
-Make sure that others in the household know not to enter your office space during client meetings, or other times where confidential information is being shared
You receive a friend request from someone you know to be a clients family member, what do you do?
In general, you should not accept, especially if this family member is involved in the client's care.
-Blurs professional boundaries
-Could unintentionally reveal client information
-Reveals your information to the family!
What questions should you ask yourself before you self-disclose?
-Why am I wanting to share this?
-Does this benefit the client? (Or does this benefit me?)
-Will this shift attention away from the member, and onto me?
-Will this change the dynamic/will this cause the member to have sympathy for me?
You run into your client in public, they stop you and thank you for helping them. How do you respond?
Even if your client publicly acknowledges your professional relationship, that does not allow you to acknowledge as well.
-Respond politely, avoiding acknowledging the professional relationship
-Keep it brief and neutral
-Avoid discussing services or personal information
How do you determine if a public location is appropriate for maintaining confidentiality?
-Are others able to overhear me/the conversation?
-If meeting in public, has the youth or family agreed to the confidentiality limitations of meeting in public?
-Does the place you're meeting have an option for a private room? Possibly a corner or something less visible?
When is it okay to google/facebook/search a client?
Almost never! While this can be tempting, googling a client is generally considered unethical and risky. Why?
-It violates client privacy expectations. When you google a client, you obtain information they choose not to disclose.
-It undermines informed consent
-It can introduce bias. Googling means you may discover information that can shift your view of them, or even information that is inaccurate.
*If there is a scenario in which googling might be warranted, it requires clear rationale, needs to be documented, should ideally be disclosed to the client, and requires consultation with your supervisor
A client asks you, "Do you have kids?". Do you answer?
You are not required to share personal information. However, in general, brief, neutral answers are usually okay. A brief answer here is most likely acceptable, and can help build rapport.
In any situation where you are sharing personal information, ask yourself, "Will this benefit the client?".
A parent frequently calls or texts you, during and after work hours, for things that are non-emergencies. What do you do?
Answer politely, but encourage maintaining boundaries.
Potential Steps:
-Schedule a time to talk about concerns, rather than responding every time
-Only respond during work hours
-Remind parent about other resources that can fulfill the need... does this really need to go to us? What does OhioRise have to do with this concern?
Someone you know says, "I know you work with [youths name], how are they doing?" How should you respond?
Do not confirm the relationship. Just because someone claims to know, it does not give us permission to break confidentiality.
Politely redirect the conversation, avoiding confirming the relationship or sharing any details.
A former client (from 3 years ago) requests to friend you on Facebook. Is this okay to accept?
Best practice: do not accept.
The power imbalance does not disappear with time. You still have knowledge of confidential information, and a history of professional authority. This can also create dual relationship concerns
Bottom Line: Time passing does not negate ethical responsibility
A client who is grieving asks you, "have you ever lost someone?". Is it appropriate to respond?
It's possibly appropriate to respond, if it benefits the client to do so. If sharing, keep it brief (a simple yes or no is more than enough). Also, make sure to direct the attention back to the client immediately, do not continue to disclose.