The Social worker’s Ethical Responsibility to Clients

1. The Social worker’s Ethical Responsibility to Clients — sexual relationships

2. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS • 1. (a) Social workers should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced.

3. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS • 2. (b) Social workers should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with clients’ relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a close personal relationship when there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. Sexual activity or sexual contact with clients’ relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a personal relationship has the potential to be harmful to the client and may make it difficult for the social worker and client to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Social workers—not their clients, their clients’ relatives, or other individuals with whom the client maintains a personal relationship—assume the full burden for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.

4. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS • 3. (c) Social workers should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with former clients because of the potential for harm to the client. If social workers engage in conduct contrary to this prohibition or claim that an exception to this prohibition is warranted because of extraordinary circumstances, it is social workers—not their clients—who assume the full burden of demonstrating that the former client has not been exploited, coerced, or manipulated, intentionally or unintentionally.

5. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS • 4. (d) Social workers should not provide clinical services to individuals with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. Providing clinical services to a former sexual partner has the potential to be harmful to the individual and is likely to make it difficult for the social worker and individual to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

6. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS • This is one of the few sections of the code that incorporates a clear prohibition. Sexual involvement with current or former clients is one of the most frequent causes for complaints and law suits against social workers. It has proven to be devastating to many careers. Sexual involvement with clients, former clients, supervisees or students is always a boundary violation. • The prohibition is not as absolute with relatives or those with close relationships with clients. Nevertheless, the intent of this section is to communicate the requirement for the social worker to demonstrate how factors leading to their decision to enter a sexual relationship sufficiently mitigate the risk of potential harm. The predominance of opinion, and therefore the standard of care in the profession, would recommend avoiding sexual involvement with client’s relatives or close personal relationships.

7. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO COLLEAGUES • 5. (a) Social workers who function as supervisors or educators should not engage in sexual activities or contact with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over whom they exercise professional authority.

8. SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO COLLEAGUES • 6. (b) Social workers should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest. Social workers who become involved in, or anticipate becoming involved in, a sexual relationship with a colleague have a duty to transfer professional responsibilities, when necessary, to avoid a conflict of interest.

9. This section extends the fiduciary duty inherent in relationships with a power differential to supervisors, educators, and colleagues.

10. Conclusion • 7. Boundary issues are inherent in the practice of social work. Careful risk management decision-making procedures allow practitioners to avoid boundary violations and make informed, ethical determinations when assessing boundary crossings. Clients and colleagues are protected from harm, while ensuring their rights to self-determination. Practitioners are protected from complaints and given the tools to make decisions that live into the mission of social work, to promote human well-being.

11. THANK YOU!