This workshop is designed to help supervisors support students and early-career social workers in developing both confidence in their emerging knowledge and comfort with situations in which the answer is not yet clear. Supervisors will consider how to teach that tolerating uncertainty, seeking consultation, and reconsidering assumptions are important professional skills rather than signs of incompetence. The workshop will examine how cultural and professional humility can be modeled and reinforced through openness to feedback, awareness of power, recognition of professional limits, and a commitment to continued learning.

A ride home in an unexpected snow storm, spontaneous self-disclosure, a small gift for a client who is graduating from college… not all boundary “crossings” are harmful, unethical, or illegal. Yet, almost every harmful boundary violation started with a series of boundary crossings.

This session explores the concept of confidentiality in light of the mental health professional’s duty to protect. The historical evolution of the duties to protect and/or warn others from client caused harm and to protect clients from self-harm are explored. Important attention is paid to critically evaluating these duties, considering many factors that are often overlooked. Real life examples, like the important Tarasoff and Ewing cases, are used to clarify ethical and legal obligations, and highlighting the challenges found in the conflict between the two.

Mental health professionals have a legal and ethical obligation to keep records to memorialize their work with their clients. However, what you record, and how it is recorded, can be confusing to navigate. This workshop will explore the legal and ethical requirements of clinical record keeping, while highlighting ethical challenges and the realities of busy professionals.