I’m good at technology and I love it. It enhances my social work practice and personal life. I recently took time to download and look over a draft proposal of Technology Standards in Social Work Practice [“The Standards” or “Technology Standards”].

Found it. Bound it. Gonna share some #swtech knowledge and hope that my #SocialWork comrades dig it.

A photo posted by Social Work Tech (@socialworktech) on Jun 30, 2016 at 5:52pm PDT

The movie quote that should guide all social workers was delivered by a fictional sociopath…

But I love being a social worker, love technology, and hope that the investment of time and thought I’ve put into this helps our profession…

Technology Standards in Social Work Practice

I just rejoined NASW so that an NASW member could contribute to revising the Technology Standards. It was put together collaboratively by NASW, ASWB, CSWE, and CSWA… I don’t know how this document came about, but the spirit is there…

The original draft can be found here.

The Standards is separated into main sections:

• Provisions of Information to the Public
• Designing and Delivering Services
• Gathering, Managing and Storing Information
• Communication with and About Clients
• Social Work Education
• Glossary of Terms
• Resources

I’ll go over the sections and subsections in the next section of this blog post.

Suggested Revisions

I wanted to revise the language in The Standards to reflect contemporary language and have a flow that makes sense to the reader. And not to be nitpick, but thus far in my brief perusal, there are many antiquated words and phrases that are out of date. The challenge with discussing technology is that in 5 years, I’m curious to know how much of my rewrite will be considered antiquated.

The Standards repeatedly refers to technology as “electronic” or “digital” technology when really, it should simply be “technology”. When people talk about technology used for documentation, I think very very few will immediately think “typewriter” instead of the computer. There are different types of technology relevant to The Standards: online, communication, and record-keeping.

The rewrite of the Preface is as far as I have gotten to shifting the language to contemporary and professional… it remains very academic and this exercise may be for naught, but it was a labor of love. The sections that follow have bullet lists (rather than re-writes) of suggested additions or revisions.

Preface

Paragraph 1:

1 Social workers’ use of technology is proliferating. Digital, online, and other electronic
2 technology has transformed the nature of social work practice. Contemporary social workers can
3 provide services to clients by using online counseling, telephone counseling, video conferencing,
4 cybertherapy, self-guided Web-based interventions, electronic social networks, social
5 networking sites, e-mail, and text messages. Social workers’ routine use of digital technology—
6 especially social media, text messaging, and online and video chat—has created new ways to
7 interact and communicate with clients and raised fundamentally new questions about the
8 meaning of the social worker–client relationship.

Revised by me to state:

Social workers are compelled to use technology with increased frequency. Computer-based and mobile technology have transformed the nature of social work practice. Contemporary social workers can provide services to clients through technology tools that that connect social worker and client via voice, video, and messaging services to provide counseling, therapy, self-guided interventions, access to special communities, social networking, and information. In addition to using technology to engage and intervene with clients, social workers also routinely use technology to assess, case manage, document, and evaluate outcomes. These tools raise new questions about the fundamental meaning of the social worker-client relationship.

Paragraph 2:

9 In addition, social workers now use various forms of technology to access, gather, and otherwise
10 manage information about clients. Social workers maintain encrypted electronic records, store
11 sensitive information on their smartphones and in the “cloud,” and have the capacity to search
12 for information about clients using Internet search engines.

Revised by me to state:

Social workers use technology to access, gather, and manage information about clients. Social workers maintain encrypted electronic records, store sensitive information on mobile devices and on-demand services (e.g. “the cloud”), and have the capacity to search for information for clients using online search engines.

Paragraph 3:

13 Digital technology has also influenced social work education. Today’s undergraduate and
14 graduate students may take courses online, view prerecorded lectures posted on Internet-based
15 course sites, participate in online social work practice simulations, interact with fellow students
16 enrolled in a course from multiple locations around the world, and listen to podcasts. Social
17 workers may satisfy their continuing education requirements by enrolling in live online webinars
18 and attending lectures delivered from remote locations that are transmitted via satellite. They
19 may provide training, supervision, and consultation from distant locations using
20 videoconferencing technology.

Revised by me to state:

Online connectivity has greatly influenced social work education. Current undergraduate and graduate students may take courses online, view prerecorded lectures posted on internet-accessible course sites, participate in online social work practice simulations, interact with other students enrolled in a course that are situated in multiple geographic locations, and listen to educational podcasts. Social workers often satisfy their continuing education requirements by enrolling in online webinars, many of which are on-demand or live. Social workers may provide training, supervision, and consultation from distant locations using tele-conferencing technology.

Paragraph 4:

21 Social workers’ increasing use of technology has created new ethical challenges, especially
22 related to issues of informed consent; privacy and confidentiality; boundaries, dual relationships,
23 and conflicts of interest; practitioner competence; client records and documentation; collegial
24 relationships; and social work education. These dramatic developments require new and
25 unprecedented practice standards that contemporary social workers need to consider. These
26 standards address social workers’ use of digital and other electronic technology to (a) provide
27 information to the public; (b) design and deliver services; (c) gather, manage, store, and access
28 information about clients; (d) communicate with and about clients; and (e) educate social
29 workers. They are designed to guide social workers’ use of technology; enhance social workers’
30 awareness of their ethical responsibilities when using technology; and inform social workers,
31 employers, and the public about practice standards pertaining to the use of technology in social
32 work. Social workers should consider these standards in conjunction with relevant social work
33 laws (including statutes, regulations, rules, and case law). New forms of electronic technology
34 continue to emerge; the standards provided here should be adapted as need

Revised by me to state:

Social workers’ increasing use of technology in its various forms has created new ethical challenges, especially related to issues of informed consent; privacy and confidentiality; boundaries; dual relationships, and conflicts of interest; practitioner competence; client records and documentation; collegial relationships; and social work education. These dramatic developments require new and concise practice standards that contemporary social workers need to consider. These standards guide social workers to use computer and mobile-based technology to (a) provide information to the public; (b) design and deliver services; (c) gather, manage, store, and access information about clients; (d) communicate with and about clients; (e)educate social workers, and (f) manage their personal conduct on social media. These standards are designed to empower social workers in their use of technology, enhance awareness of social worker ethical responsibilities when using technology; and inform social workers, their employers, and the public [consumers?] about practice standards pertaining to the use of technology in social work. Social workers should consider implementing these standards in conjunction with relevant social work laws (including statues, regulations, rules, and case law) and existing standards set forth by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2009). As technology changes, the standards provided here should be adapted and modified as needed to ensure that ethical, competent, and moral social work practice is delivered to clients.

Section 1: Provision of Information to the Public

Standard 1.01: Ethics and Values
Standard 1.02: Representation of Self and Accuracy of Information

This section has semantic revisions that I’m currently working on

Section 2: Designing and Delivering Services

Part A: Individuals, Families, and Groups

Standard 2.01: Ethical Use of Technology to Deliver Social Work Services
Standard 2.02: Services Requiring Licensure or Other Forms of Accreditation
Standard 2.03: Laws That Govern Provision of Social Work Services
Standard 2.04: Informed Consent: Discussing the Benefits and Risks of Providing Electronic Social Work Services
Standard 2.05: Competence: Knowledge and Skills Required When Using Technology to Provide Services
Standard 2.06: Confidentiality and the Use of Electronic Technology
Standard 2.07: Electronic Payments and Claims
Standard 2.08: Maintaining Professional Boundaries
Standard 2.09: Social Media Policy
Standard 2.10: Use of Personal Technology for Work Purposes
Standard 2.11: Unplanned Interruptions of Electronic Social Work Services
Standard 2.12: Responsibility in Emergency Circumstances
Standard 2.13: Digital and Online Testimonials
Standard 2.14: Assessing Clients’ Relationships with Technology

Part B: Communities, Organizations, Administration, and Policy

Standard 2.15: Organizing and Advocacy
Standard 2.16: Fundraising
Standard 2.17: Primary Commitment to Clients
Standard 2.18: Confidentiality
Standard 2.19: Appropriate Boundaries
Standard 2.20: Addressing Unique Needs
Standard 2.21: Access to Electronic Resources
Standard 2.22: Programmatic Needs Assessments and Evaluations
Standard 2.23: Current Knowledge and Competence
Standard 2.24: Control of Messages
Standard 2.25: Public Access to Information
Standard 2.26: Administration
Standard 2.27: Conducting Online Research
Standard 2.28: Social Media Policies

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

• Section 2.09: Social Media Policy: Should be changed “Developing A Social Media Policy”. The current title implies that the section gives guidance on what your social media policy should be.

Section 3: Gathering, Managing, and Storing Information

Standard 3.01: Informed Consent
Standard 3.02: Boundaries
Standard 3.03: Maintaining Security of Confidential Information
Standard 3.04: Access to Records within an Organization
Standard 3.05: Releasing Electronic Records upon Client Consent
Standard 3.06: Electronic Consent
Standard 3.07: Breach of Confidentiality
Standard 3.08: Credibility of Information Gathered Electronically
Standard 3.09: Sharing Information with Other Parties
Standard 3.10: Client Access to Own Records
Standard 3.11: Using Search Engines to Locate Information about Clients
Standard 3.12: Using Search Engines to Locate Information about Professional Colleagues
Standard 3.13: Treating Colleagues with Respect
Standard 3.14: Open Access Records
Standard 3.15: Accessing Client Records Remotely

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

• This section should have a stated policy between 3.09 and 3.10 that discusses cloud computer services and that social workers should not place client-sensitive documents onto services such as Dropbox or Evernote or personal storage devices (e.g. USB thumb drives) unless they are HIPAA compliant, meets current encryption standards, can be remotely wiped, etc.

Section 4: Communication with and about Clients

Standard 4.01: Communications Policies
Standard 4.02: Confidentiality
Standard 4.03: Informed Consent

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

• Standard 4.01 should be revised to “Setting Communication Policies for Communication with Clients”
• This section should also indicate clearly (not sure if in 4.02 or 4.03) that email is not a secure method of communication.
• A separate Standard (4.04?) should be titled “Communications Between Social Workers and other Helping Professionals” and should emphasize a standard in which social workers exchange information about a client that are HIPAA compliant and are consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics (e.g. don’t disparage clients, don’t disparage other social workers) with a warning that email can be hacked and its contents exposed, thus the potential for harm to the client.

Section 5: Social Work Education

Standard 5.01: Use of Technology in Social Work Education
Standard 5.02: Training Social Workers about the Use of Technology in Practice
Standard 5.03: Continuing Education
Standard 5.04: Social Media Policies
Standard 5.05: Evaluation
Standard 5.06: Technological Disruptions
Standard 5.07: Distance Education
Standard 5.08: Support
Standard 5.09: Maintenance of Academic Standards
Standard 5.10: Educator–Student Boundaries
Standard 5.11: Social Work Supervision

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

Some quick thoughts about this:

• Between Section 5.01 and 5.02, there should be a section called “Use of Technology as a Teaching Tool”. This section should incorporate a few things, primarily that social workers should not just use media (e.g. YouTube) gratuitously, but should have a purpose in its use.
• The above-proposed section would also describe the use of the “trigger warning” in which social workers who present in a classroom, continuing education, seminar, etc. -type context should clearly identify that potentially upsetting material that is to be presented, the type of upsetting subject matter (i.e. topic), it’s purpose (i.e. why this is being shown), and relief (e.g. the option to excuse oneself) prior to the implementation of the material.

Glossary of Terms

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

Resources

This section (probably) has semantic revisions that I’ll be working on, but I have yet to fully review this section.

Suggested Section Addition

Section 6: Personal and Professional Conduct of Social Workers on Social Media

• Identifying Oneself as a Social Worker
• Personal and Professional Social Media Profiles
• Boundaries and Client interactions Online and on Social Media
• Discussing Social Work Practice on Social Media
• Advocacy and Advancing Social Work and Related Policy or Practice
• Citing the Work of Others

This proposed section is something I would like to see debated or considered by social workers. I hope to see a whole horde of social workers tell me I’m full of it, embrace it, or suggest modifications.

Social workers are on social media and either represent themselves personally or professionally or both. I am proposing a delineation of the two with exceptions to be made. For example, if I have a personal Facebook account, it can’t be held against me if I talk about social work, but I’m also obligated to not disparage my profession or clients while still maintaining the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics (e.g. I can’t talk about a difficult client I had at work today). If I have a public Facebook page to promote my business, idea, policy, etc.. where I clearly identify myself as a social worker, I’m to adhere to NASW Code of Ethics standards.

This section is not intended to stifle, scrutinize, or admonish content put online by known social workers in their personal social media use, however, it is intended to rectify the following examples of appalling behavior I have seen online in which a person who clearly and primarily identifies as a social worker:

• Makes a Facebook post about trick-or-treating with their children; jokes that their costume is “Social Worker” and that they are there to “take your children away”. [I swear to God I saw this on my Facebook feed, posted by a colleague from graduate school, and I’m still offended.]
• Twitter Profile Name is “FirstName LastName, LCSW” and they talk about an ex who called them for a “booty call” the night before [this is a recent thing I’ve seen].
• Complains on Twitter about the difficult session they had today with a “borderline” client (In my Trainee day, I made a similar mistake, a dear colleague of mine pointed it out right away, and I deleted the Tweet).
• Twitter profile indicates “Social Worker” and stream consists of incredibly potty-mouth, incendiary, or racist language.
• Social worker identifies self as such, comments on a news story, declaring that the person in the article “is clearly borderline or a sociopath” and gives reasons why [I did not know the social worker in this case, but this incident was reported to my licensing board where this action resulted in disciplinary action and a fine because the social worker, in their capacity, identified themselves with their credential and diagnosed a person that was not their client.]

The following expands on the above-noted sections

Standard 6.XX: Identifying Oneself as a Social Worker

• If you’re going to identify as a social worker online, you have to abide by standards set forth by the NASW Code of Ethics.
• If you chose to clearly identify yourself as a social worker, be aware of the Profession Code of Ethics mission, purpose, values, principles, and ethical standards when you’re doing anything online whether it’s social media, blogging, or participating in public discussions.

Standard 6.XX: Personal and Professional Social Media Profiles

Social workers are entitled to a private life and personal social media profile.In a personal social media profile:

• A social worker can refer to their work, profession, etc., but they are encouraged to not disparage their profession or do harm to clients, intentionally or unintentionally.
• A social worker should not talk about specific clients. (e.g. “my bratty 1 PM today was such  headache”).
• A social worker should abide by the NASW Code of Ethics in their personal profile (e.g. don’t disparage clients, don’t breach confidentiality, don’t disparage other social workers, maintain human dignity of clients, etc.).
• On a personal social media profile, a social worker should not list their credentials as there is implications that they are representing a part of their professional self on this profile.

Social workers are encouraged to make a professional social media profile if they want to talk social work online on whatever venue they want.

• Social workers can list their credentials.
• Social workers should be clear that they are not providing legal, ethical, clinical advice.
• Social workers should direct interested parties to their website if they are seeking consultation, therapy, etc. or an outside resource if the interested party is looking for a resource beyond the scope of the social worker.
• Social workers should not assess, diagnose, or provide treatment via social media.
• Social workers are encouraged to discuss practice policy in shaping decisions and advocacy in our profession.

Standard 6.XX: Boundaries and Client interactions Online and on Social Media

• Clients are naturally curious; some may Google You.
• Social workers should be mindful that clients may be able to access your blog or online presence.
• Social workers are discouraged to engage with clients online as this will cause boundary issues and the possibility for unintentional harm, confidentiality breaches, etc.
• Social workers should actively lobby websites (where information can be posted about anonymously or freely) to remove their information without breaching client confidentiality. For example: a social worker should try to remove themselves from Yelp!, even if a client posted the information and is praising or complaining about them. In this example, the social worker should not engage with comments made about them, including endorse, dispute, etc. so that client confidentiality can be maintained.
• Clients have avenues to express their grievances, which include licensing boards and professional associations.
• If a client engages a social worker online, the social worker should do what they can to not cause harm to the client, but terminate the online relationship in an appropriate manner. They should refer to the Social Media Policy the should have developed (discussed in Section 2.09), and remind the client that they mutually agreed on the principles of the policy. If the client is an active client, a discussion on boundaries may be indicated.

Standard 6.XX: Advocacy and Advancing Social Work and Related Policy or Practice

• Social workers are encouraged to discuss practice policy in shaping decisions and advocacy in our profession. These discussions can occur in public online forums such as message boards or chats organized on social media (e.g. Twitter chats, #MacroSW on Twitter).
• Social workers are encouraged to share their knowledge, expertise, and opinions to advance the profession. This can be done via blog posts or social media participation.
• Social workers should speak out against injustice, inequality, and promote human dignity.

Standard 6.XX: Citing the Work of Others

• Whenever possible, social workers should give credit to works others have made online.
• In social media or online blog posts, social workers often use or borrow ideas, pictures, or content from other parties and those parties should be given credit or attribution.
• A due diligence should be made to find the source of the original content for the purpose of attribution.
• Social workers should license their content as free or easily accessible and attributable (e.g. Creative Commons).
• When a social worker reposts content on sharing sites, e.g. Tumblr, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter the obligation falls on the original post author to give proper attribution, whether it is their own work of the work of someone else. The original post should contain the URL where the post was found if possible, or the username (@username, e.g. Twitter) of the content creator.

The following is borrowed from Section 4.08: Acknowledging Credit, in the NASW Code of Ethics

• Social workers should take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed and to which they have contributed.
• Social workers should honestly acknowledge the work of and the contributions made by others.

What do you think about the Technology Standards or proposed changes or additions on this post?

I would love to hear from you!

Technology Standards in Social Work Practice: Give NASW feedback — #MacroSW Chat 07-14-16 https://t.co/sn1zS7HHtk…

— Official MacroSW (@OfficialMacroSW) July 11, 2016