It’s a Friday afternoon and you are sitting with your last client. And it’s a three-day weekend! Everyone else has already left for the day; it's just you and the receptionist and when you are done with this client session, the day will be done!
Wait? What did she just say?
“I’m gonna kill him!” you hear your client say.
“How do you mean that? That you’re very angry?” you ask, hoping that this won't go in the direction that you know it will.
She answers with a raised voice “No. I mean I’m gonna kill him! I am tired of his abuse and lies and I’m gonna fix it TONIGHT!”
“OH NO!” you think to yourself.
What do you do? Do you know how to respond to your client this situation? Do you know what actions to take? Do you know how to document this?
On a regular basis, social workers confront situations such as this one in their practices. Situations that involve the risk of harm and the question of confidentiality. Situations that demand very quick thinking on how to respond within the conflict between these two areas.
What's your thinking on this very difficult practice area? Is this something you've encountered in your practice?
At the NASW-NJ Annual Conference, I will be presenting a workshop to help provide social workers with a paradigm to understand this situation. I will provide tools on how to respond to these clinical and ethical dilemmas. We must learn these skills before we encounter these situations, so we can prevent danger to ourselves, our clients, and others - consider it preventative care! Encourage your agencies to provide these trainings, come attend my workshop at the conference, make sure that you are well-informed and prepared.
Submitted by James H. Andrews, LCSW, BCD, Forensic Fellow
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1 comment:
This is such an important topic! You don't know HOW important until it's happened to you!!
Don't be unprepared. Attendance at this workshop can only strengthen our skills, and our comfort level!
Thanks for rasing this important issue.
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