Provide an explanation of how you might respond to the situation with the 15-year-old boy on the hotline. Include ways your decision may impact the client. Support your position not only with references from the resources, but professional experience, and additional research. How will you address a possible dual-role relationship? Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
RESOURCES
Daley, M., R., & Hickman, S. (2011). Dual relations and beyond: Understanding and addressing ethical challenges for rural social work. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 8(1). Retrieved from http://jswve.org/download/2011-1/spr11-daley-hickman-Dual-relationships-and-beyond.pdf
Gonyea, J. L., Wright, D. W., & Earl‐Kulkosky, T. (2014). Navigating dual relationships in rural communities. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 40(1), 125-136.
Halabuza, D. (2014). Guidelines for social workers’ use of social networking websites. Journal Of Social Work Values & Ethics, 11(1), 23-32.
Mattison, M. (2018). Informed consent agreements: Standards of care for digital social work practices. Journal of Social Work Education, 54(2), 227-238.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Reamer, F. G. (2011, November 30). When bad things happen to good social workers: The perils of ethics mistakes. Social Work Today. Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/news/eoe_113011.shtml
Reamer, F. G. (2017). Evolving ethical standards in the digital Age. Australian Social Work, 70(2), 148-159.
SCENARIO:
You receive a hotline call at your mental health agency from a client requesting a same-day appointment. You are the only social worker available to work with clients at the time, as your coworker is out of town on vacation for 10 days. A 15-year-old boy struggling with depression (no suicidal ideation) and addiction calls asking for help. While you are gathering information over the phone, you realize that he happens to be the son of a friend. Do you continue the process, planning on providing him with services, or do you refer him to another mental health clinic that is over 30 miles away? Do you make him wait until your coworker returns? Do you contact his parents and tell them he called?
Understanding the significant impact of a dual-role relationship with a client is important in order to avoid harming the client. Further, recognizing the impact on the client and the relationship will assist in the creation of strong professional boundaries. In these situations, a social worker might feel his or her ability to maintain these boundaries is compromised or may even experience a value dilemma due to the existence of dual-role relationships.
Consider the importance of boundaries in a therapeutic relationship. Think about ways a social worker might violate the NASW Code of Ethics as it pertains to dual-role relationships. Is there ever a situation in which dual-role relationships are acceptable, or even preferable?
