Reference no: EM133742493

Chances are someone has asked you to keep a secret at some point in your life. But what if that secret involved someone harming themselves or another person who was in immediate danger? Would you feel compelled to tell?

Thankfully, this question of when to divulge information to outside parties is not a mystery in social work. There are strict laws that govern when a social worker must report to authorities a client's disclosures. At the beginning of treatment, the social worker should inform the client of these limits to confidentiality in order to avoid any confusion or feelings of distrust.

In this Discussion, you examine the requirements of mandated reporting and share your views about confidentiality.

To prepare:

Review the Learning Resources on social work ethics, including confidentiality and mandated reporting.

Think about a time when an assumption of confidentiality in your own life was violated by someone. For example, perhaps someone shared private information or a secret of yours with another person.

Consider your perspective on mandated reporting in light of that experience.

Assignment

Describe at least two circumstances when social workers are legally mandated to break client confidentiality and disclose selected privileged information without the client's consent.

Identify a time when someone broke your confidence (e.g., shared a secret of yours), and explain how you felt in response.

Describe how your experiences related to confidentiality have shaped your view on mandated reporting.