Professional Boundaries Self-Assessment Below are red flags that professional boundaries may be compromised. Some relate to you and some to clients. As you honestly answer the following questions Yes or N o , reflect on the potential for harm to your client. Yes No Have you ever spent time with a client “off duty”? Have you ever kept a secret with a client?
Have you ever adjusted your dress for a client? Has a client ever changed a style of dress for you? Have you ever received a gift from a client? Have you shared personal information with a client? Have you ever bent the rules for a client? Have you ever given a client a gift? Have you ever visited a client after case termination? Have you ever called a client when “off duty”? Have you ever felt sexually attracted to a client?
Have you ever reported only the positive or only the negative aspects of a client? Have you ever felt that colleagues/family members are jealous of your client relationship? Do you think you could ever become over-involved with a client? Have you ever felt possessive about a client?
Clients who lack decision-making capacity The practitioner’s responsibility is to safeguard the rights and interests of clients who lack decision-making capacity. Persons who lack this capacity include intellectually delayed or impaired individuals, some older adults, and children under the age of 18. It is especially important to utilize consent forms at all times, and inform and document contact with family and other service providers. In addition, social work professionals should understand how these clients may become vulnerable to – and potentially harmed by – businesses, institutions, and family or other caregivers. Social workers, for example, are obligated to serve within the best interests of children, and to help guide decision making; to ethically work toward children’s well-being, therefore, social workers must focus on the potential for abuse. The welfare of all children must be of utmost concern to society: Their best interest is at the heart of decision making. Yet caring and ethical conduct also stresses the importance of promoting positive relationships – working toward the prevention of family disintegration. This can pose an ethical dilemma in some scenarios. Payment for services With regard to payment for services, it is most helpful to refer to your particular professional association’s financial arrangement ethical standards. Professional association ethical guidelines, in general, call for fair and reasonable fees for services, prohibition or no prohibition of solicitation of fees for services entitled and rendered through the workers’ employer, and avoidance of bartering arrangements. Other guidelines include no Interruption of services and termination Mental health practitioners should demonstrate reasonable efforts for continuity of services when services must be interrupted or terminated. Interruptions may come from practitioner’s or client’s vacation or illness. There may be a loss of funding for the service. The typical reasons termination occurs is
For example: Parental rights are in the process of being terminated for two sibling clients. Ana, their mental health counselor, must consider how the two girls would adjust to their prospective adoptive placement: One of the children has a severe attachment disorder. Should the two children be placed together, or will placing them together prolong a prospective adoption? Should each sibling’s placement be separately planned? Ana knows that sibling bonds may be stronger than parental attachments in families where the parental system is dysfunctional. So she must refer to sources outside of her immediate level of expertise as she considers her recommendations. One important source of information would be the Child Welfare League of America’s (2016) standard for out-of-home care for neglected and abused children, which states that siblings should remain together. However, the standard also indicates that, in some cases, separation is indicated. acceptance or offering of kickbacks, rebates, bonuses, or other remuneration for referrals. Clear disclosure and explanation of financial arrangements, reasonable notice to clients for intention to seek payment collection, third-party payor fact disclosure, and no withholding of records because payment has not been received for past services, except otherwise provided by law, are also examples of ethical financial guidelines. ● Client can no longer benefit from treatment/service. ● Client will be referred to another professional or service. Other reasons include a client’s failure to make adequate progress toward treatment goals or failure to comply with treatment recommendations, therapist retirement, discovery of a hitherto unrecognized conflict of interest, or client
when the client and practitioner agree that the: ● Goals of treatment or service have been met.
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