TEXTBOOK INFORMATION

Title: Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services Edition: 2nd (2012) Author: Frederic G. Reamer Publisher: Perseus Book ISBN: 978-0-231-15701-8

In the Reading, you will become familiar with new challenges faced by human service professionals practicing in the digital age. You will also explore solutions or suggested risk management techniques for facing these new challenges and thoughts about when the law and ethics are in conflict.

Please read the following:

In the following article found in the Library, you will learn of new challenges and potential solutions.

Reamer, F. G. (2013). Social work in a digital age: Ethical and risk management challenges. Social Work, 58(2), 163–172.

The next article will show that at times, the law and ethics may disagree. This article offers some thoughts about decision making when that is the case.

Reamer, F. (2008). When Ethics and the Law Collide. Retrieved from http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/EoESepOct08…

In NOHS Standards 8, 9, 33, and 42 you will learn the expectations of the human service professional with regard to technological issues in practice.

National Organization for Human Services. (2015). Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals. Retrieved from http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/index.php?opt…

In this Assignment, you will apply the risk management techniques you have learned to a real-life scenario:

Mr. X is a caseworker at the County Human Services Department. One of his clients, Mr. Y, is a young man who presents with many issues. He has been in foster care and is about to age out of the program to live on his own. Mr. X will be assisting him with this transition.

In an effort to connect with his young client, Mr. X accepts Mr. Y’s invitation of friendship on social media. In addition, he provides his agency email address to Mr. Y when he asks if there is not another way to make an appointment than making a telephone call and going through a receptionist.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Y experiences several disappointing events. He loses his job, and the young woman he was dating tells him she is no longer interested in seeing him. Further, he is struggling to make ends meet and becomes unable to pay the rent on his first apartment.

At his wits end, he makes a vague suicidal threat on Facebook and sends a desperate request to Mr. X to set up an appointment as soon as possible. Out on calls, Mr. X does not check his email or his Facebook account for several days, missing Mr. Y’s cues. His young client is found dead of an overdose of medication he has been prescribed by the Department psychiatrist.

Use the internet and the Library to research the implications of this case study under current law and practice expectations. Also review your Reading.

In a 3–4 page paper, list each of the problematic decisions Mr. X made in this scenario. Analyze each in terms of its effect on the outcome. Indicate other choices he could or should have made. Discuss the implications of this case study that you have learned from your research. Apply the risk management techniques you have learned over the past two units to this case. Do you believe they would likely have led to a different outcome for Mr. Y? For Mr. X? Why or why not?

Your Assignment should:

• Be presented in the form of a well-written graduate level document
• Use an essay format, 12 point font, and double spacing
• Be 3–4 pages in length, not including the title and reference pages
• Include a title page and reference page
• Include at least two references in support of your observations and conclusions using proper APA citation and reference formatting

All work should be in your own words with quotes used very sparingly. Please be sure to answer every question within the body of your paper. The Library offers you credible articles from which to draw your supportive references.