Social Work in a Digital Age
Social Work in a Digital Age: Ethical and Risk Management Challenges
Sung Sun
MGMT 4330
July 28, 13
Article Summary
Long time ago, social workers began their work always used typewriters; hard copy and services were provided to consumer in offices or homes. Now social workers have the option to communicate with consumer on social networking, they provide online services to people. They don’t meet in person. The electronic records in the virtual “cloud”, E-mail, and text messages with consumer by their smartphones. Social work’s profession includes online social networking, e-mail, video counseling and cybertherapy. The digital and electronic have ethical and risk management issues including consumer privacy, and conflicts of interest, boundaries and dual relationships, practitioner competence, consultation and consumer referral, documentation, and research evidence, termination and interruption of services.
These diverse digital, online, and electronic tools pose compelling ethical issues for social workers. Since social work 's formal inauguration in the late 19th century, the profession has developed increasingly sophisticated and comprehensive ethical standards.( banks,2006; Barsky, 2009; Congress, 1999; Dolgoff, Loewenberg, & Harrington, 2008; Reamer, 2006b) When social worker chose use digital and electronic forms of technology to serve consumer that have a moral obligation to keep secret their information. The digital technology deliver service has added a new challenging confidentiality and privacy issues. Also has introduced new and complicated boundary issues. For example, if social workers choose not accept a consumer’s friend request on the social networking, maybe let consumer to feel a bad.
Social workers use of online and other electronic tools to provide services will has potential benefits and risks. People need for help during no working time or schedule cannot cooperate; social worker can access services remotely any time. They
Sung Sun
MGMT 4330
July 28, 13
Article Summary
Long time ago, social workers began their work always used typewriters; hard copy and services were provided to consumer in offices or homes. Now social workers have the option to communicate with consumer on social networking, they provide online services to people. They don’t meet in person. The electronic records in the virtual “cloud”, E-mail, and text messages with consumer by their smartphones. Social work’s profession includes online social networking, e-mail, video counseling and cybertherapy. The digital and electronic have ethical and risk management issues including consumer privacy, and conflicts of interest, boundaries and dual relationships, practitioner competence, consultation and consumer referral, documentation, and research evidence, termination and interruption of services.
These diverse digital, online, and electronic tools pose compelling ethical issues for social workers. Since social work 's formal inauguration in the late 19th century, the profession has developed increasingly sophisticated and comprehensive ethical standards.( banks,2006; Barsky, 2009; Congress, 1999; Dolgoff, Loewenberg, & Harrington, 2008; Reamer, 2006b) When social worker chose use digital and electronic forms of technology to serve consumer that have a moral obligation to keep secret their information. The digital technology deliver service has added a new challenging confidentiality and privacy issues. Also has introduced new and complicated boundary issues. For example, if social workers choose not accept a consumer’s friend request on the social networking, maybe let consumer to feel a bad.
Social workers use of online and other electronic tools to provide services will has potential benefits and risks. People need for help during no working time or schedule cannot cooperate; social worker can access services remotely any time. They
Cited: banks, S. (2006). Ethics and values in social work(3rd ed). basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan. Barsky, A. (2009). Ethics and values in social work: An integrated approach for a comprehensive cumiculum. New York: Oxford University Press. Congress, E. (1999). Social work values and ethics. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Dolgoff, R. L. (2008). Ethical decisionsfor social work practice (8th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social Work in a Digital Age: Ethical and Risk Management Challenges. Social Work , 163-72. Reamer, F. (2006b). Social work values and ethic(3rd ed). New York: Columbia University Press.