Blog Post 3: Social Work Boundary Issues in the Digital Age:

I chose case study #3 because my mind went directly to self-disclosure and how this could become very problematic. My concern is that how social workers share some personal information in a public space. While self-disclosure can be therapeutic in some contexts, doing so outside of a clinical setting, especially in a group where potential clients may be present can complicate future therapeutic boundaries. Engaging in advocacy and personal sharing on social media can expose the social worker to privacy risks, especially if clients or potential clients can easily find and interpret personal information. Reamer consistently emphasizes that digital ethics require heightened awareness. Social workers must treat online interactions with the same ethical scrutiny as in person ones. I think there should be three responses Supervision, Referral option, and social media policy. First, with this case the social worker should consult with her supervisor. Secondly, if concerns about boundaries arise the social worker should refer to the individual to another qualified clinician. Lastly, the social worker should work on developing a personal or professional social media policy.

I selected this dynamic because I think its very important to set boundaries when building a professional relationship. I know someone who was in a very similar situation. I have a close friend who’s an awesome clinician. He was very selected about his female patients. He would often share that a clinician setting boundaries was a very important part of his role. He was counseling a adult female who instantly found him attractive but did not say so until 4 weeks into their sessions. My friend immediately referred her to another qualified social worker.  article “Therapy-patient romance, sexual misconduct and boundary violation: A psychological and legal exploration” This article explores therapist-patient relationships. These types of relationships are considered unethical, immoral, and may result in legal actions. The landmark cases of the late 1960s and early 1970s involving female patients who publicized this issue and took legal action against their abusive therapists are discussed. Most professionals believe that clients are damaged in these cases, even if they initiated romantic or sexual activity with their therapists.

It’s very important to set boundaries, it sets clear expectations around online interactions, such as friend request, comments, and direct messages. Setting boundaries also helps prevent dual relationships or inappropriate disclosure that could compromise the therapeutic alliance. Social medical policy also helps you to maintain professionalism. It ensures that the social worker’s advocacy, opinions, or personal disclosures online don’t unintentionally the therapeutic alliance. I think this strategy would be very effective because it would keep a lot people of trouble.

References

(Barglow, 2005; Farber, 2006; Knox & Hill, 2003; Roberts, 2005; Stricker & Fisher, 1990)

Brodsky, A. M. (1986). The distressed psychologist: Sexual intimacies and exploitation.
In R. R. Kilburg, P. E. Nathan, & R. W. Thoreson (Eds.), Professionals in distress:
Issues, syndromes, and solutions in psychology (pp. 153-171). American
Psychological Association.
Celenza, A. (2007). Sexual boundary violations: Therapeutic, supervisory, and academic
contexts. Aronson.