Reference no: EM133226603

Lenny, a 15-year-old, has been referred to see you because he was expelled from school for carrying a knife. His parents Shannon and Thomas are angry with the school, but have agreed to comply with their request to take Lenny in for an evaluation and treatment. They let you know that Lenny has been complaining of being bullied at school and he was probably just carrying the knife to protect himself. You let them know that your evaluation process includes seeing Lenny for three or four sessions alone before you make any recommendations for treatment that could include family or group sessions. You also explain to them that although they have the right to know what is shared in his sessions, you will be sharing the heart of what is important for them to know and the information will mostly be about how they can help Lenny. Your first session with Lenny is a very good one. He lets you know that he was indeed carrying the knife because someone has been threatening him at school, that he really did not intend on using it, just scaring the other student, and that he wishes that his parents would get off his back about a lot of things. In your conversation with Lenny you assure him that you will not be giving them a blow-by-blow transcript of your conversations with him, but will need to let them know certain things (such as when he has been harmed or is possibly going to harm someone else, to which he responds with a laugh). You also tell him that these conversations will be mostly about how they can help him, and that he may even be present during these conversations, such as when family sessions are held.

That evening you receive a call from Lenny's father who wants to know what Lenny told you during the session.

Please choose the response that you believe to be the most legally and ethically sound.

Each state has different rules and different reporting agencies. Be sure to check and see what the proper reporting channel is.

Application of Ethics in Practice

For this discussion, choose one of the scenarios presented in the Ethical Dilemmas media piece. Identify which scenario you chose and, using the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and Mattison's 2000 article, "Ethical Decision Making: The Person in the Process," discuss how you would respond to the ethical dilemma. What specific ethical standards apply to the dilemma? Using the reflective self-awareness process outlined in Mattison's 2000 article, identify any value preferences that may have impacted your response to the ethical dilemma presented.