Reference no: EM133283049

Assignment:

Read the scenario

Understanding the Limits of Competence

One afternoon, Jane received a call from the mother of one of her clients, Qiu Min, who is a 15-year-old girl who struggles with depression. Her mother told her that Qiu Min had just revealed to her that she has been binging on food and purging, which are clear signs of an eating disorder. She confirmed this information with Qiu Min and they agreed to increase the frequency of our clinical sessions in order to address the eating disorder issues.

Jane has been practicing for six years. In university, she had read some literature and heard several presentations on the subject of eating disorders while attending one of the advanced clinical courses that provided an overview of treatment approaches. However, she has not had any formal postgraduate training in it.

Qiu Min continued to struggle with her eating disorder. Three months after her disclosure, she was suddenly hospitalized with symptoms of severe malnutrition.

"I'm very troubled that your social worker, Jane, did not refer Qiu Min for specialized treatment right away," expressed the hospital psychiatrist. "In my judgement, her current condition may have been prevented had Qiu Min been treated in an eating disorders clinic as soon as these symptoms surfaced."

Qiu Min's parents were deeply distressed and angry to learn that their daughter's current crisis may have been prevented. They filed a complaint with the accreditation board against me, alleging incompetent practice.

After:

1. Summarize the ethical dilemma for the social worker.

2. Apply at least one NASW code of ethics guideline to this situation that would assist you in making an ethical decision.

• NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Standards- 1.04 Competence (a) Social workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience. (b) Social workers should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision from people who are competent in those interventions or techniques.

3. Based on the reading, provide an example of how countertransference could emerge for the social worker in this ethical dilemma.

4. Based on the reading, provide an example of how the social worker could demonstrate positive self-regulaton and maintain professionalism in this practice situation.