Out of the five cases Reamer mentioned, one that stood out to me was the first example, where a clinical social worker started receiving after-hours contact from clients due to her using her phone to send text messages and schedule appointments( Reamer, 2023). My assessment of this situation is that the clinical social worker needs to have a work cellphone to separate her work life from her personal life. By using a work cellphone, she can turn it off after business hours. I understand that issues may arise with clients after hours, but she could set her voicemail to instruct callers to dial 911 if it is a life-threatening situation and provide a suicide hotline number for those in need. This highlights the importance of boundaries to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy separation between work and personal life.
The emotional and dependency needs dynamic is something I selected from the list Reamer provided (Reamer, 2023). Often, as a social service director, families come to me with personal stories, and I have to remind myself not to share personal information about myself in return. While I sometimes feel that sharing my experiences builds closeness, I now recognize, based on Reamer’s insights, that this is not appropriate in the social work field. One thing I will not do is provide my personal information in a text or email to a client, as this opens up my private life and may complicate the client-worker relationship. Let’s take a look at the article, ‘Working with emotions in social work practice. A pride-building model for institutional care of young people’. This article discusses the emotional and dependency needs that must be managed when it comes to the relationship between social workers and clients (Jansson and Gunnarrson, 2024). Social workers should avoid expressing their personal issues in an attempt to show clients that they understand their experiences. A social worker’s emotions can significantly impact the quality of the relationship with the client (Jansson and Gunnarrson, 2024).
In my perspective, a social media policy is essential for establishing boundaries between social workers and clients. This policy can help both parties understand the nature of their relationship and its limitations. Key points to include in a social media policy are guidelines against adding each other on any social media platforms. Personally, I have made my social media profiles private and difficult to find. I cannot count how many times a resident has told me that they searched for my name on Facebook but could not find me. Additionally, I believe social workers should inform clients not to message them on social media if they cannot reach them after hours or during work hours. If these policies are not adhered to, the social worker may need to discontinue service to the client. In my opinion, such policies will be effective because it is the responsibility of the social worker to enforce them. If a client violates the policies, the social worker must adhere to the policy of ending service. Establishing these boundaries helps future clients understand that the organization operates as a business and that clear boundaries must be set.
References
Reamer, F. G. (2023). Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Emerging Ethical Issues. International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 20(2), 52-71. https://doi.org/10.55521/10-020-205
Jansson, P., & Gunnarsson, N. (2024). Children and Youth Services Review. Working With Emotions in Social Work Practice. A Pride-Building Model for Institutional Care of Young People, 161. https://doi.org/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740924001828
Latoya,
Your response in question 1 is a good one, and the idea of having a separate device to manage work communications is a strong option. Lots of your classmates thought that would be a good suggestion as well. In terms of the message to call a suicide hotline, that might not be your best option is you are working with a vulnerable client base where suicide is a potential problem. There are ways to manage this, but it is a difficult one and there have been cases where social workers have had legal action regarding the suicide of patients.
I’m not suggesting I know all the answers, but if this is the population you are seeing, then there needs to be conversations among the organization’s professionals about appropriate and responsive alternatives. Part of this is about the population with whom you are working, as well as the needs and boundaries of the professional, right? Again, I’m not trying to suggest the answers are simple, but the questions need to be discussed.
Emotional and dependency needs can be a barrier to the professional relationship. Sometimes those needs are expressed by oversharing, which you talk about. It’s a good example, and the article adds to your understanding of this issue. I do think that sometimes sharing in ways that make you more real to the client can be helpful, but that line is difficult to find. Everything is about evaluating the relationship with the client and it must be based on their needs. As you state, that is the most important element in making those choices. I would have liked to hear a bit more about the article, but you incorporate the issues well.
Question 3 is a good job in discussing the important elements of a strong social media policy. Well done.
Dr P