Clinical Social Work Practice Tools:
Technology

Practice Alert

Get tips for clinical social workers use of technology, based on some of our members' most common concerns related to this topic.

The cloud is a way of storing data on shared servers and accessing the information via the Internet instead of a computer hard drive.Many clinical social workers have questions about relying on the cloud to protect patients’ health information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). NASW has reviewed requirements of cloud storage for protected health information. The following outlines current expectations and best practices to maintain privacy and security standards for clinical social workers using the cloud,especially those in private practice.

NASW has compiled statutes, statements, and regulations issued by each state’s or jurisdiction’s governing body for social work (licensing board).

Social workers’ use of technology is proliferating. Technology has transformed the nature of social work practice and greatly expanded social workers’ ability to assist people in need. Contemporary social workers can provide services to individual clients by using online counseling, telephone counseling, videoconferencing, self-guided Web-based interventions, electronic social networks, mobile apps, automated tutorials, e-mail, text messages, and a host of other services.