What are the ethical

1. Social Media & Ethical
Considerations
Janlee Wong, MSW
National Association of Social Workers
California Chapter
Presented to San Fernando Valley Unit
June 8, 2012

2. Why social media?
• Original powerful social networking tool
• Free
• Fit with the individualistic culture of our time
• How do you get the best fit with your
personality, culture, likes, dislikes, but to
present yourself outwardly?
• How do you get rather instant feedback on
yourself?

3. Safe Social Exploration
• How do you get to know other people without
actually meeting them?
• Safe, you control the meeting, you don't have
to observe any niceties or manners
• How do you get to know people you already
know but don't really know alot about them?
• Safe, they volunteer their information; they
seek approval or disapproval from you and
others

4. The Thrill of Social Media
• Excitement
• Daring and Risk
• Challenge
• Disappointment
• Reward
• Positive reinforcement
• DRAMA

5. The world unlimited
• When I was in college, my world was very
small, limited to my classes, my school and my
community
• When my daughters entered college, their
world was unlimited, as unlimited as the
Internet
• The possibility of finding "matches," likes,
dislikes, alternatives, and differences is
unlimited

6. Social media turns commercial
• A fad that didn't fade
• A gold mine of likes and dislikes for millions of
individuals
• A way to "spread the word" to millions
instantaneously
• Imagine the marketing/business applications

7. What does it mean for clinicians?
• Clinicians have a need to form therapuetic
relationships
• Social media is a means to share and exchange
personal, professional, cultural and other
information
• Social media is a way to get the word out
quickly about one's professional self and
business

8. Other considerations
• Can social media help develop and maintain
therapuetic relationships
• Can social media reach those who can't be
reached by traditional means but need/want
help?
• Does social media redefine the traditional
definitions of confidentiality and dual
relationship

9. Confidentiality
• Traditional confidentiality is one way (clinician
maintains client's confidentiality but client can
say whatever they want about themselves and
their therapy/counseling/case to whomever
they want
• Social media continues the one way street for
clients, but the clinician is challenged to not
break confidentiality but operate in an open
networking system

10. Hidden But Not
• Venting about clients on Facebook
– Even without identifying details, violation of client
clinician confidentiality
– Clients can sometimes identify themselves
– Done before in an elevator, office but not global
• Google you, Google me

11. Dual Relationship
• Traditional client/clinician relationships were
bound by a physical office, where no one
knew. Even chance encounters could be
managed.
• Social media relationships are open to the
"everyone"
• Despite some "privacy" and "friend" controls
which are not foolproof

12. What can be found out
• Licensing boards can use social media too
• Evidence of a dual relationship
• Dual relationships are not just sexual
• They can be platonic or business

13. Are their ethical uses of social media?
• One macro social worker believes social media
is an essential tool to community organizing
• Sharing information, bringing to light
injustices
• Applying pressure tactics such as change.org
– Injustice- Trayvon Martin
– Greedy fees - BofA, Sallie Mae
– Policy change - Access to guns by mental health
clients

14. Evolution of Ethics
• Can ethics evolve?
• Can it evolve to adapt to social media?
• How has it evolved?
– The Ethical Code is full of exceptions
– Legal overides such as Tarasoff
– Special therapuetic situations such as corrections
– The hiring of consumers in the mental health
system

15. How could ethics evolve due to social
media?
• Will/do clients share about their therapuetic
experiences on social media?
• Will/do clinicians learn more about their
clients through social media?
• Will/do clients learn more about their
clinicians through social media?
• Can social media be regulated?

16. Your own considerations
• Are you too drawn into, intrigued by social
media?
• Will/do you have a social media presence?
• Will/do you communicate with clients through
social media?
• Will/do the benefits of social media outweigh
the risks?
• Have/can you prepare yourself for social
media whether you use it or not?