CE: 8 Ethics Tips for Social

Workers Who Practice in School

Settings
Sarah H Freeman
1. Informed Consent in School Settings
• Standard 1.03(a) of the NASW Code of Ethics guides social workers to obtain valid
informed consent before providing services. It is critical that social workers
determine what "valid informed consent" means in school settings based on
federal, state, and local regulations.
• It is important to know the school district policy as well as the state, and
federal policies. This will ensure that you are following protocol.
2. Privacy and Confidentiality in School
Settings
• Privacy and confidentiality are addressed in 23 standards set forth in section 1.07
of the NASW Code of Ethics. Standard 1.07(b) requires social workers to obtain
consent before confidential information can be disclosed to anyone.
• You need to make sure you have your clients consent before moving on. Next,
you should make sure you tell your client their conversation is strictly confident.
3. Mandated Reporting and Duty to Warn in
School Settings
• Standard 1.01 of the Code speaks to social workers’ responsibility to follow legal
requirements, including mandated reporting laws and duty to warn, which may
on occasion supersede the loyalty owed to clients. It is important to note that
mandated reporting laws differ from state to state. Social workers should ensure
that they are aware of the specific reporting requirements in their jurisdiction.
• As a social worker you are not allowed to tell their information unless they are
going to harm themselves or another person.
4. Negotiating Conflicts between School
Policy and Social Work Ethics
• In standard 2.03, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, social workers employed in
interdisciplinary environments are encouraged to “participate in and contribute
to decisions that affect the well-being of clients by drawing on the perspectives,
values, and experiences of the social work profession.”
• Which means they need to do what is best for the client as well as follow
their guidelines.
5. Social Media in School Social Work

• Although it is not common or advisable for social workers to monitor or reference

clients’ social media usage in the course of providing services, per standard
1.07(q), Privacy and Confidentiality, school settings introduce unique
circumstances that at times require social workers to report or otherwise respond
to social or electronic media content and usage.
• Social Workers should stay off of Social Media unless they see it has a tool or a
direct threat to the client.
6. Handling Subpoenas and Court Orders in
School Settings
• Standard 1.07(j), Privacy and Confidentiality, instructs social workers to do the
following: If there is no signed release of information, request that the subpoena
be withdrawn or that it be quashed by the court, as a first step. Request that a
court order to release information be limited as narrowly as possible and that the
court conduct a private review of the file to determine if any of the information is
necessary to be released before issuing an order. Or request that the records be
maintained under seal, unavailable for public access.
7. Avoiding Conflicts of Interest in School
Social Work
• Standard 1.06, Conflicts of Interest, outlines various technology-based boundary
crossings that should be avoided, including connecting with clients, in this case
students or their guardians. Standards 1.06(h) and 1.06(e), respectively, provide
clear guidance pertaining to social workers’ use of social media and concerns
around communicating with clients for nonwork purposes.
8. Ensuring That Documentation Is Accurate,
Timely, and Protects Clients’ Privacy
• the NASW Code of Ethics provides general guidance about documentation in
standard 3.04, Client Records. Social workers providing services in school systems
should be particularly concerned about protecting students’ privacy and who has
access to students’ records.
References
• (2018). 8 Ethics Tips for School Social Workers Who Practice In School Settings.
Retrieved from National Association of Social Workers website:
https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Ethics-Education-and-
Resources/Ethics-8/Tips-for-Social-Workers-Who-Practice-in-School-Settings