I chose the example of the social worker texting a client late at night because it presents a grey area in professional boundaries. Social workers should be able to contact their clients, especially regarding services and support. However, this communication should happen during appropriate hours and through professional channels. Texting a client close to midnight, even if the topic is work-related, crosses a boundary and can create confusion about the nature of the relationship. It may also give the impression that the social worker is available at all hours, which can lead to future boundary challenges and even burnout. This behavior was inappropriate, and the social worker should have set clear expectations with the client about when and how to communicate. The remedy should include informing the client that non-emergency communication should only occur during business hours. The agency should also implement a communication policy and provide training on ethical digital interactions to prevent similar situations.
For the boundary dynamic, I chose the example of a social worker posting case-related details online, even though the client’s name was not mentioned. This stood out because it shows how confidentiality can be breached even when names are omitted. Sharing identifiable details like specific circumstances, demographics, or outcomes can still lead to recognition, especially in smaller communities or among people familiar with the situation. A similar real-life example involved a nurse in Texas who posted about a measles outbreak at her hospital. She didn’t name any patients, but her Facebook comments included enough detail that others could potentially identify who she was referring to. This shows how easily privacy can be compromised online. To better understand this, I read a peer-reviewed article by DiLillo and Peters (2023), emphasizing that even de-identified posts can lead to ethical violations when they include recognizable details. The article underscored the need for extreme caution when sharing anything related to client work online and encouraged professionals to treat all case information, even general anecdotes, as confidential. This helped reinforce my understanding that professional boundaries in the digital age require heightened discretion.
Regarding Reamer’s recommendation that social workers develop a social media policy and share it with clients, I believe this is an innovative and necessary strategy. Having a clear policy helps set expectations early in the professional relationship and creates accountability for the client and the practitioner. It also provides a reference point if boundary issues arise. A firm social media policy should include clear guidelines that professionals and clients should not follow or friend each other on any platform, no work-related communication should occur through social media, and that posting about clients or the therapeutic process directly or indirectly is strictly prohibited. A zero-tolerance policy for posting client-related information can help eliminate grey areas and protect confidentiality. This strategy would be highly effective, especially when paired with regular training and open conversations with clients about digital boundaries. As social media continues to evolve, social workers must avoid ethical risks and maintain the trust at the core of the client relationship.
Garison,
This first example in Reamer talks about contact via text or email after non-traditional working hours. I don’t remember midnight, but I do remember late at night, I think the difficulty in the digital age is the concept of regular business hours. Does that concept still hold and how do we define it? Although we as instructors do not have a clinical relationship with you, the concept of normal working hours continues to be a problem for me. I know that you all have a lot on you and many of you are trying to raise families. How do I define my availability? This is the question and your suggestion is correct, if maybe just a bit simplistic. I think the main solution is to decide on your policies regarding availability and then to have complete communication with your clients about exactly what that is.
All that being said, it is still true that it is easy to use digital communication and not stop to think about when. I like for social workers to utilize a separate device for their client work (phone and perhaps computer) and a separate one for their personal use, That helps to create a physical distinction that can help make these boundaries ore obvious. If the client works for an agency, these things are much easier, but many social workers are now providing clinical social work in independent practice. That means the policy is your policy to establish.
Your discussion on the second question is a really important one. I think Reamer is very clear that what this social workers did was totally inappropriate and that sharing ANY DETAILS about clients online (identified by name or not) is not acceptable under the code of ethics. If any worker is feeling the need to talk about their frustrations supervisors are really important for the role. I am not familiar with the article you read, but I think it’s important to know that it is more than important to not post information, IT IS REQUIRED BY THE CODE OF ETHICS. My hope is that this article said that, but I couldn’t tell from your brief description. I actually tell social workers not to even be on social media if they a re working directly with clients in clinical settings.
Good answer to the third questions.
Dr P