Week 2: Confidentiality

Important Note: Please use the media player below to hear an audio course introduction that will give you more background information about the course topic. Also provided is a transcript for you to download and print out.

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Confidentiality [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Accessible player –Downloads–Download AudioDownload Transcript

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze potential confidentiality challenges
• Identify agency policies or mandates related to confidentiality
• Analyze potential challenges in communication with clients in agencies

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 5, “Communication” (pp. 51-64)

Saxon, C., Jacinto, G. A., & Dziegielewski, S. F. (2006). Self-determination and confidentiality: The ambiguous nature of decision-making in social work practice. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 13(4), 55–72.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Wulff, D. P., St George, S. A., & Besthorn, F. H. (2011). Revisiting confidentiality: observations from family therapy practice. Journal of Family Therapy, 33(2), 199–214.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Confidentiality [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note:  This audio introduction is located in the “Introduction and Objectives” section. The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.

Optional Resources

Click the following link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.

MSW home page

Assignment: Week 2 Blog

Refer to the topics covered in this week’s resources and incorporate them into your blog.

By Day 3

Post a blog post that includes:

• An explanation of potential challenges in adhering to confidentiality in your field education experience
• A description of agency policies or mandates with regard to confidentiality
• An explanation of potential challenges in communicating with clients within your agency

By Day 4

Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Validate an idea in your colleague’s post with your own experience.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Expand on your colleague’s posting.

Be sure to support your blog posts with specific references to this week’s resources and provide full APA citations for your references. For more information about posting your blog assignment, click on the Field Education Blogs link on the course navigation menu.

Wk 2 Blog Emily Worley

Posted by  Emily Worley  at Tuesday, September 3, 2019 4:33:55 PM

The potential challenges of confidentiality that may arise for me is that I am working in my hometown with adolescents. I currently have a teenage daughter and some of the youth who are referred to my field agency could possibly go to school with my daughter, or at one time been on the same sports team. Also, my current employment of medication assisted treatment could potentially be source of confidentiality dilemmas.  If a parent shows up for an assessment but is also in treatment where I work; I have been advised to discreetly excuse myself from any interactions with them as we do not want any kind of breach to happen.

Wulff, St. George & Besthorn, 2011 defined confidentiality as “an arrangement that a therapist has with a client that invites the client to disclose sensitive information required by the therapist to conduct effective therapy, with the proviso that the therapist will not reveal that information to anyone else” (pg. 200). Working in a small town it is vital that social workers are sensitive to confidentiality and take the steps necessary to protect the client and allow them to gain the most from treatment.

Confidentiality is taken very serious at my field agency, not only are we working with substance use disorders, mental health disorders but we are working adolescents. The following information is a part of my field agencies confidentiality policy:

All patient information is to be treated as confidential, including the fact that the patient receives (or previously received) services through this office. The privacy and confidentiality of our patients are protected under the Ethics Codes of the mental health professions, state laws and regulations, and federal HIPAA Regulations. No patient information may be disclosed without the explicit informed consent of the patient and authorization by his/her clinician.

There are certain exceptions to releasing confidentiality information and that is minors and their parents, the courts and the adolescent’s probation officer. During the intake process all clients are to sign appropriate releases before treatment so that the boundaries of confidentiality are known to all parties involved.

Communicating is an art that must be practiced and learned. Garthwait, 2017, stated that understanding the importance of effective communication is a prerequisite for becoming a skilled communicator, which is the goal of both the student and lifelong practitioner (pg. 52). Some communication barriers that could occur when working within my field would be countertransference, with me having a child around the same age as most of the clients I have to stay vigilant that I do not transfer my own feelings of my personal experiences onto the clients. Any communication with youth can be challenging, but one thing I know for sure is they read body language more than most adults think they do. So always being conscience of my non-verbal cues is a must.

References:

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Wulff, D. P., St George, S. A., & Besthorn, F. H. (2011). Revisiting confidentiality: observations from family therapy practice. Journal of Family Therapy, 33(2), 199–214. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2010.00514.x

Week 2 Surnita Warner

Posted by  Surnita Warner  at Tuesday, September 3, 2019 8:51:01 PM

An explanation of potential challenges in adhering to confidentiality in your field education experience

NASW(2017) references that “once private information is shared, standards of confidentiality apply(pp.1).” Therefore, when working for a crisis hotline, I believe a potential challenge to adhering to confidentiality is to make clients aware that information such as plans of suicidal must be reported to authorities.  NASW(2017) asserts that “Social Workers should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons.(pp. 1)” In this case, the Social Worker must report only information that is directly relevant to the purpose. However, the Social Worker must report information that also evokes interest of the social work practice.

A description of agency policies or mandates with regard to confidentiality

At the agency, the  confidentiality agreement states, “No information about a caller/client shall be distributed unless there is a risk to health, safety or life, either verbally or in written or electronic form, to any agency or any individual without the informed consent of the caller/client to release said information.” This agreement indicates that the caller or client must provide a document or verbal consent before any information in reference to the client is conveyed to other individuals. However, if information must be given, it may only be given if the client is at risk due to health, safety or life. 

An explanation of potential challenges in communicating with clients within your agency

Ineffective communication is a potential challenge that I most likely will endure at the agency I’ve chosen because it is a crisis hotline and continuous verbal communication is desired. Interrupting, dominating the conversation, and  failing to show respect are all potential challenges in communicating with clients within the agency. Interrupting can cause a negative impact on the professional relationship and lowers chance for mutual understanding. (Garthwait, pp.55) Interruptions occur when an individual is speaking and the other wants to speak at the same time. Similar to dominating the conversation, it demonstrates a lack of interest in understanding. (Garthwait, pp.55) As an intern or the client, failing to show respect to the communicator can cause a disinterest in the message sent. (Garthwait, pp.55) 

References

NASW. (2017)“Read the Code of Ethics: Ethical Principles.” www.socialworkers.org, 2019, 

www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students 

(7th ed.)(pp. 51-64). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Week 2 Blog Noelia Antonio

Posted by  Noelia Antonio  at Wednesday, September 4, 2019 11:44:10 AM

In regards to confidentiality, Wulff, St. George & Besthorn state:

Confidentiality is an arrangement that a therapist has with a client that invites the client to disclose sensitive information required by the therapist to conduct effective therapy, with the proviso that the therapist will not reveal that information to anyone else (2011, p. 200).

The agency policy regarding confidentiality states that all service providers are not to share confidential information except under the duty of fulfilling responsibilities, confidential information is not to be discussion in public areas, electronic communication must meet the same confidentiality standards and be in compliance with HIPAA privacy and security regulations. Those who are aware of violations and fail to report will face corrective action and possible termination (Catholic Community Services, 2015). 

A potential challenge in adhering to confidentiality in the field education experience is using electronic forms of communication such as text messaging. Although this form of communication allows for easier contact with clients, when used incorrectly, it can become an issue in regards to confidentiality (Garthwait, 2017). When texting is used, it is not always known who is really on the other side receiving messages, so the information that is relayed should be professional and not have any privileged information, such as social security numbers or medical health information.

When communicating with clients within my agency, a challenge that can occur when communicating with clients is being met with clients that are hostile or resistant. The clients within my agency are receiving services involuntarily. These individuals could feel angry, ashamed or feel like their life is being intruded upon, so being understanding of why they feel this way is essential to determine how to respond appropriately and effectively (Garthwait, 2017).

References:

Catholic Community Services. (2015). Personnel policy manual. 

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Wulff, D. P., St George, S. A., & Besthorn, F. H. (2011). Revisiting confidentiality: observations from family therapy practice. Journal of Family Therapy, 33(2), 199–214.