The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 2013 | Page 7

to abide by certain professional rules, including maintaining client confidentiality. Accordingly, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who breaches confidentiality would not only be subject to the NASW’s professional review process; the state’s professional boards could hear the case and determine appropriate consequences, as well. One of the most severe consequences of a board determination is revocation of licensure, which prohibits the worker from practicing clinical social work. One might ask, “Can’t you go to jail for breaking the licensing laws?” Generally, no. Regulatory statutes determine which consequences the regulatory board can and cannot impose. If the social worker breaks a criminal law—for instance, defrauding a client—then the worker could be charged criminally, and criminal sanctions (such as fines or incarceration) could be imposed. Whereas criminal law provides punishment and deterrence for criminal behaviors, civil law provides people who have been injured with an opportunity to sue the person who caused the injury. One area of civil law most pertinent to social work is malpractice, or professional negligence. To substantiate malpractice and win compensation, a client must prove that (a) the social worker owed the client a duty of care, (b) the worker breached that duty, (c) the breach led to injuries suffered by the client, and (d) there was a reasonably close link (proximate cause) between the breach and the damages. When determining what constitutes a duty of care, the court considers what a reasonable social worker, acting prudently, would do in a similar situation. In making this determination, the court may consider the NASW Code of Ethics, even if the social worker is not a member of the NASW. This is because the standards of practice in the Code can be used to define what a reasonable and prudent social worker should do. Consider a client who is addicted to sleeping pills and receives advice from a social worker to stop taking the pills. The client stops taking the pills and, without the benefit of a medically supervised detoxification unit, experiences a seizure. If the client sues the worker, the court may consider the NASW Code. In this case, the worker has acted outside the worker’s area of competence by advising the client to simply go home and stop taking the sleeping pills.

Although the forgoing discussion focuses on client complaints that go to the NASW, to a professional regulatory body, to criminal court, or to civil court, note that most client complaints do not go to such formal dispute resolution processes. Consider a client who feels that a worker was disrespectful because the worker touched the client’s shoulder without permission. This touching was a one-time incident. The client comes from a background in which men are expected to avoid touching women in this manner unless they are married. The worker’s actions could be interpreted as a breach of the NASW Code regarding cultural competence, as well as maintaining culturally ap &?&?FR??6?6?&?V?F&?W2??6??v???F??266Rv?F?F?R?5r&?fW76????&Wf?Wr&?6W73??F??Vv?F?R6?V?B?2f?B6??6W&??fW"F?R??6?FV?B??B????B&WV?&R&W?'BF?F?R?5r?F?R6?V?B??&R&?RF???F?RF?R??6?FV?B'?7V???rv?F?F?Rv?&?W"?BG'???rF???F?RF?R6?GVF?????f?&?????bF??2F?W2??Bv?&??F?R6?V?B6?V?Bv?F?F?Rv?&?W.( ?27WW'f?6?"?"&?w&?F?&V7F?"??bF?R6?V?BF?W2f??R6?????Bv?F?F?R?5r?F?R?F????WF??726???GFV^( ?2??F?R6???GFVRv????VVBF?FWFW&??Rv?WF?W"F?R??VvF???2&R6W&??W2V??Vv?F?v'&?BF?R66Rv???rF?&?Vv?F?R&?fW76????&Wf?Wr&?6W72?F?R??F?R6???GFVR???6?6??6?FW"v?WF?W"F?R66R6?V?B&R??F?VB??&R&?&?FV?v?F???F?RvV?7??"F?&?Vv?6??R?F?W"&?6W72?66?&F??v??WfV?F??Vv?F?Rv?&?W"???fR'&V6?VBF?R?5r6?FR?F?R66R????Bv?F?&?Vv?F?RV?F?&R&?fW76????&Wf?Wr&?6W72?'F?7V?&?v?V?F?R??VvF???2?b?66??GV7B&R??B6WfW&R??26?6??v?&?W'2?vR?fR&?vR?b?&?vF???2?vR?fR??&??&?vF???2?6??R?bv??6?6??Rg&???W"&W7V7F?fR7V?GW&W2?B&V?v???2?vR?fRWF??6??&?vF???2?6??R?bv??6?6??Rg&???W"ff??F???v?F?F?R?5r?vR?fR?Vv??&?vF???2???6?VF??rF??6RF?Bv?fW&??W"vV?6?W2?B&?fW76????2vV??2F??6R7&?????B6?f???w2F?Bv?fW&???V??R???bvR'&V6??W"?&?vF???2?F?R?FV?F??6??6WVV?6W2?bF?R'&V6?FWV?B??F?R?GW&R?B6WfW&?G??bF?R'&V6???b?7&VBv?76?&?WB6??v?&?W'2????&R??'&V6??b?&?fW76????WF??6?&??6??W2?B??&R7V&?V7BF?&?fW76????&Wf?Wr???vWfW"?F?R'&V6?????B&R6WfW&RV??Vv?F?v'&?B&?fW2??6????&Wf?Wr?7F????????fR'&V6?VB???&??&?vF???2?b&W7V7Bf?"F?RF?v??G??Bv?'F??b??V??R??BF?R??7B6?v??f?6?B6??6WVV?6W2??&RF?R??f?&??&V7F???2?b?v?&?6???VwVW2??????6RF?V?"G'W7B?F?W???&WF?FRfW&&???"F?W????V?FR?R?????6?fVV?F?Rw&F??b??v?6??66?V?6R?W&?2fVV??r&B?B??6??r6?VW?fW"?W'F??r?6???VwVW2???W2??B?2W6VgV?F????rF?R?FV?F??6??6WVV?6W2?b7F??rV?WF??6???7F?????W"?????F?fF???f?"7F??rWF??6??6??V?B??B&RF?RfV"?b&?fW76?????6???V????Vv???"vV?7?6?7F???2?2V???VV???B?v?B7VvvW7B?vR7BWF??6??&V6W6R?B?2F?R&?v?Bv?F?7B?vR6VR?W'6V?fW22&?fW76?????&W7V7FgV??6??WFV?B?G'W7Gv?'F??????W7B??B66?V?F&?R?2&?7F?F?R?v?B7VvvW7B?vR?fRF?W6Rf?'GVW2&V6W6RF?W?&Vf?V7Bv??vR&R?Bv?BF?&R?f?"gW'F?W"??f?&?F?????5r6?FR?bWF??73??GG???wwr?6?6??v?&?W'2??&r?V'2?6?FR?FVfV?B?7G"????&'6???2&?fW76?"?b6?6??v?&?Bf??&?FF??F?2V??fW'6?G??B6??"?bF?R?F????WF??726???GFVR?bF?R?F????76?6?F????b6?6??v?&?W'2??R?2F?RWF??"?bWF??72?Bf?VW2??6?6??v?&????f?&BV??fW'6?G?&W72??6??f?7B&W6??WF???f?"F?R?V???r&?fW76???2?'&???2?6??R???B6???6??2??6?W'B?wV??f?&B&W72??F?Rf?Ww2W?&W76VB??F??2'F?6?RF???B?V6W76&??&Vf?V7BF?Rf?Wr?b???bF?R?&v?F???2v?F?v??6?G"?&'6???2ff??FVB?FV????W"g&?V?G2?B6???VwVW2&?W@??D?R?Ur4?4??t?$?U ?wwr?6?6??v?&?W"?6??7V??W"#2P??F?R?Wr6?6??v?&?W ???