LABSWE Complaint Review
This exercise is designed to (1) increase your understanding of State Regulatory Laws (in Louisiana you can review LA Social Work Practice Act/Rules and Regulations or visit aswb.org to review your state law) and what constitutes a standards/ethical violation. You will choose two of the four cases below that represent a variety of complaints to complete the review (only two cases are required). You will use the outline below to complete your responses to these complaints. Responses should be in complete sentences and cite when appropriate. Each review should not be more than two pages (but if it is do not stress, just giving some idea of expectation).
Case Review Format
1. Review each complaint and reflect on if this is a reportable event to the State Social Work Board, NASW, authorities or if any action is needed.
2. Clearly identify the complaint being reviewed.
3. Reflect on your personal reaction to this case.
4. Briefly summarize the identified violation(s) which may include NASW ethical standards or practice act regulations to determine if a report needs to be made to the Social Work Regulatory Board and/or NASW.
5. Briefly summarize the action you deem as the required next step to be taken and if a report would be made to the Regulatory Board and support/rationale for this report and/or any recommendations that could have been used to prevent this situation.
Complaints
1: A social worker that works for a hospice agency was involved in a car accident and her car had to be towed. A few days after the wreck the towing company tried to contact the SW to pick up her personal belongings as the car was totaled. The towing company did not get a response by the next day so they contacted the social worker at her listed agency as they found her work information, along with client files, and wanted to make sure they were returned to the agency. The Director of the agency was very upset and concerned that the files were in the towing company possession. The Director requested the social worker’s supervisor to address this concern and to determine if they need to take action.
2: A social worker who contracted to complete adoption home visits used her home office to complete the studies. She had a domestic dispute with her partner and the partner took her computer with all her files and was able to access the files. The social worker contacts you to determine next steps on what they should do, but did not want to contact the contracting agency or the clients.
3: A social work colleague in your agency has been showing signs of forgetting information, missing appointments and late documentation. In talking with her, she seems to be having some possible side affects from a medical diagnosis that she is currently receiving treatment. You are concerned if the SW can provide services at this time. The colleague asks you to not share this with anyone as she may lose her job and her medical benefits.
4: You have a social worker colleague that you know socially and share mutual friends on social media. You notice on social media that she is dating someone that your agency just started providing services to for physically assaulting a coworker and exhibited a history of violence. You see pictures on the colleague/friends social media page that he is spending time with her daughter.
