SOCW 6520 WK 6 responses  Respond to the blog post of three colleagues Has to be responded to separately and different responses in one or more of the following ways: Name first and references after every person Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways: Share an insight      from having read your colleague’s posting. Validate an idea      in your colleague’s post with your own experience. Peer 1: Alicia Legal Considerations I think when working in the field, it is important to understand that legalities will affect various areas of social work practice. For example, the legal system may come into play with social workers who are working in areas of “child welfare, domestic violence, crime victim counseling, adult protection, housing, immigrant services, youth services, and public policies” (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). Social workers should also be aware of the workings of the legal system, in order to “communicate and work successfully with judges and attorneys, recognize the rights afforded to clients by law, recognize certain problems of their clients as essentially legal problems or social policy problems, and minimize their legal risk in practice” (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). With my placement, I work with clients who have been involved with the courts whether it be clients who are in recovery, or with parent groups who have been involved in courts due to their children’s issues with truancy, etc. With that being said, I have to be aware of any legalities that may affect any of the clients during times. Some legal considerations I have to consider may come in terms of confidentiality or having consent for services before working with clients. Also, we have a very client-centered approach here at the agency; what the client says or wants is what we work with. I have to remember that and take that into consideration as well. Potential Challenges When working with clients, there’s always potential challenges involved when in practice. For one, it is important to consider that confidentiality may have to be broken in some cases. For example, when a client is considered a risk to themselves or someone around them, confidentiality is no longer possible. Also, a challenge can arise when a client is severely in need of services but refuses to sign the consent forms. That puts us in a dilemma because we know the client needs help, but legally we cannot provide them with services unless we have their consent. References Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018). The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and fieldwork. New York, NY: Pearson. Peer 2: Candise Any legal considerations      during your field education experience that you may have had to address or      that you might address.          The audio from Laureate Education (2013e) states that much like the code of ethics within social work, laws dictate how social workers conduct services. This pertains.

1. SOCW 6520 WK 6 responses
Respond
to the blog post of three colleagues Has to be responded to
separately and different responses in one or more of the
following ways:
Name first and references after every person
Respond
to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the
following ways:
Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
Validate an idea in your colleague’s post with your own
experience.
Peer 1: Alicia
Legal Considerations
I think when working in the field, it is important to understand
that legalities will affect various areas of social work practice.
For example, the legal system may come into play with social
workers who are working in areas of “child welfare, domestic
violence, crime victim counseling, adult protection, housing,
immigrant services, youth services, and public policies”
(Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). Social workers should also
be aware of the workings of the legal system, in order to
“communicate and work successfully with judges and attorneys,
recognize the rights afforded to clients by law, recognize

2. certain problems of their clients as essentially legal problems or
social policy problems, and minimize their legal risk in
practice” (Birkenmaier & Berg-Weger, 2018). With my
placement, I work with clients who have been involved with the
courts whether it be clients who are in recovery, or with parent
groups who have been involved in courts due to their children’s
issues with truancy, etc. With that being said, I have to be
aware of any legalities that may affect any of the clients during
times. Some legal considerations I have to consider may come
in terms of confidentiality or having consent for services before
working with clients. Also, we have a very client-centered
approach here at the agency; what the client says or wants is
what we work with. I have to remember that and take that into
consideration as well.
Potential Challenges
When working with clients, there’s always potential challenges
involved when in practice. For one, it is important to consider
that confidentiality may have to be broken in some cases. For
example, when a client is considered a risk to themselves or
someone around them, confidentiality is no longer possible.
Also, a challenge can arise when a client is severely in need of
services but refuses to sign the consent forms. That puts us in a
dilemma because we know the client needs help, but legally we
cannot provide them with services unless we have their consent.
References
Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2018).
The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and
fieldwork.
New York, NY: Pearson.
Peer 2: Candise

3. Any legal considerations during your field education
experience that you may have had to address or that you
might address.
The audio from Laureate Education (2013e) states that
much like the code of ethics within social work, laws dictate
how social workers conduct services. This pertains to progress
and prevention while maintaining the law. Yet there will be
times that the clients fear the law because they do not think the
laws will protect them or work to satisfy their rights of services.
Within my field experience, one case has a constant concern
regarding if the laws are meant to protect him or work against
him. He is worried about what will be shared with the courts
and how is words could be used against him legally. This was a
constant fear for him that what he would open about or how he
would respond to certain questions would be used against him in
court or taken out of context. I spent the first 2 weeks of
engagement simply building his trust in the matter of knowing
that our sessions would not be shared verbatim and that the only
information I must share is regarding abuse within the home to
himself, spouse, child, or elder. However, this was not enough,
I also had to get confirmation from his case worker, my intern
placement, and my supervisor that his communications would
not be used against him.
This situation was a very teachable moment for me as a
social worker to understand how family cases affect both
dynamics within the household. At first, I was not sure what his
hesitation was founded upon until we had our first session. At
the end of our first session, he immediately called me back
frantic over a conversation with his spouse. She had lied and
told him that he had to report all sessions to her (date, time, and
detail). This was the foundation of his fear. His fear was not the
court itself but how she would use any information against him.

4. After I informed him of my placement’s confidentiality policies,
tension only grew within the home because she could not get
information out of him. This resulted in her putting him out.
An explanation of potential challenges in adhering to legal
considerations during your field education experience.
Challenges may not be locally in nature but rather the
limited understanding of rights that the clients have. The issues
that my client was dealing with were based in the limited
understanding and communication he received from the family
case worker. There is also a concern regarding the limited
information known that a male has versus a woman in a
domestic case if he is falsely accused. Social workers must
provide counseling services to individuals, groups, couples, and
families establishing and maintaining an agreement among the
parties involved concerning everyone’s right to confidentiality
and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information
shared by others (NASW, 2017). Whenever a case is sent to the
courts regarding families, the case worker should inform all
participants of their local, state, and federal rights to ensure
their rights are maintained.
References
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013e). Legal considerations
[Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
NASW. (2017) Read the Code of Ethics: Ethical Principles.
www.socialworkers.org, 2019,
www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-
Ethics-English.

5. Peer 3: David
Challenges within the agency and currently with my field
placement have not arose due to careful consideration of the
client in all matters. A potential challenge that does often worry
me is confidentiality between the client, agency staff, and other
parties such as friends, family members, and community
resources. According to (NASW, 2019) when social workers
provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups,
social workers should seek agreement among the parties
involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality
and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information
shared by others. It is my duty and the agency staff to ensure
there is consent to share information amongst various parties. If
an incident was to occur, I believe I would have the support and
assistance of the agency, specifically my supervisor to rectify
and address the situation in the best fitting manner.
Various federal and California state laws recognizes the
confidentiality of therapeutic relationships, while at the same
time requiring social workers to report abuse of children, senior
citizens or people with disabilities. In cases where a client is
suicidal, homicidal or threatening a clinician, the social worker
may also find it necessary to disclose confidential client
information. There is no confidentiality when violence is in the
building. If a client is threatening violence, the agency
recommends that we touch base with a supervisor and other
professionals in the organization who have expertise working
with similar cases.
The agency directs me to also be aware of federal
confidentiality guidelines, as well as guidelines in the NASW
code of ethics. The NASW and its state affiliates provide
continuing-education programs, seminars and workshops on
ethical dilemmas related to confidentiality. The organization
also makes a policy book on confidentiality, which includes

6. information on dealing with subpoenas, available to staff.
When we do have to reveal confidential client information, it is
important that we do so openly and in a way that maintains the
client's dignity. No client should be completely surprised, since
a social worker is required to make clients aware of the limits
and exceptions to confidentiality at the first meeting.
References
NASW. (2017) Read the Code of Ethics: Ethical Principles.
www.socialworkers.org, 2019,
www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-
Ethics-English.