Laws to Know
All 50 states have statutes making it mandatory for professionals to report this concern, whether it's suspected or known.
What is child abuse (mandated reporting)?
We're often playing catch up to keep current with this. Treatment notes, Intakes, Caregiver Assessments, and more!
What is documentation (client records)?
Helps ensure that services are respectful and responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of clients.
What is cultural competence?
Involuntary hospitalization, while sometimes necessary to maintain a client's ability to avoid harm to themselves or others, can be challenge this ethical responsibility to clients.
What is Self-Determination?
A client discloses that someone is seriously harming them, they will seriously harm someone else, or they will seriously harm themself.
What are exceptions to confidentiality (reasons to breach)?
A high school student declines to participate in counseling. The student's parents and school staff really think the student needs counseling, and ask you to keep meeting with the student until they agree to services. You are concerned about not honoring the student's ____ ________.
What is Self-Determination?
Service, Social Justice, Dignity & Worth of the Person, Importance of Human Relationships, Integrity, Competence
What are the core values of Social Work (Code of Ethics)?
Example: A therapist discovers that their new client is also the sibling of a close friend. As they continue sessions, the therapist feels conflicted about maintaining professional boundaries.
What is a dual relationship?
A Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
What is FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)?
In attempting to reach a parent by phone, the call is answered but the person is not the parent and is not listed in the student's Aeries profile. They share that they are step-dad and would like to know why the school is calling. You are unable to disclose specific details because it would breach the student's __________.
What is privacy/confidentiality?
This ethical standard is related to protecting information gathered during the treatment process, access to records, ROIs, and more.
What is confidentiality?
You are assigned two new cases at your elementary school site. One student was referred for bullying a classmate repeatedly, and the other for being the target of bullying. After meeting with these students separately, they identify each other by name. In engaging both students in their own counseling, you could face an ethical dilemma related to ___________.
What is a Conflict of Interest?
A series of regulatory standards that outline the lawful use and disclosure of protected health information.
What is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)?
A parent is given a counseling consent form in a language that they don't read or understand, but they sign it anyway. This is a dilemma because it hinders the parent's ability to have ________ ________ about treatment.
What is Informed Consent?
Striving to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions.
What is professional competence?
At termination, a client hands you a gift bag. This bag contains a handwritten thank you card from the client and a $100 gift card. This poses a dilemma related to this ethical standard.
What is receiving gifts?
The legal obligation of a therapist when a client expresses imminent danger or threat to an identified person.
What is Duty to Warn (Tarasoff)?
A school-based therapist is approached by a student who wants help with academic stress. The therapist soon realizes that this student is the principal's child. Something to consider if working with this student is a potential...
What is a Conflict of Interest?
According to ethical standards, if you believe a colleague is behaving in an unethical manner then your first step would be to...
What is speak to the colleague directly?
These limits allow for supportive and safe connections between therapists and clients. When these limits are altered or violated, what is allowable in the relationship can become ambiguous and harmful.
What are boundaries?