Tag: social work ethics
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When Home Becomes Office
Read more: When Home Becomes OfficeYou’re three minutes into a session with Isabel (a composite case representing common telehealth experiences) when your cat jumps onto your desk, knocking over your coffee mug. Behind you, your teenage daughter’s TikTok music starts blaring from upstairs. Isabel laughs and says, “Your house feels so homey—nothing like those sterile office buildings.” Your stomach drops…
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Preventing Burnout and Secondary Trauma in Social Work
Read more: Preventing Burnout and Secondary Trauma in Social WorkYou know that feeling when you’re driving home from work and can’t remember the last three clients you saw? When you realize you’ve been staring at the same progress note for twenty minutes? That’s not laziness—that’s your nervous system waving a red flag. Burnout and secondary trauma don’t announce themselves with a dramatic moment. They…
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When Truth Is Cruel: Dementia, Therapeutic Lying, and Social Work Ethics
Read more: When Truth Is Cruel: Dementia, Therapeutic Lying, and Social Work EthicsThis is an excerpt from the 2.5 CE ethics course, Truth vs. Trust: The Ethics of Therapeutic Deception in Dementia Care available at SWTP CEUs. Three months ago, when you first started working with Mrs. Patterson, you did what you were trained to do. You told her the truth. You sat down next to her,…
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Foundations of Ethical Supervision: The Moment Supervision Matters Most
Read more: Foundations of Ethical Supervision: The Moment Supervision Matters MostThis is excerpted from the SWTP CEU’s course, Ethical Social Work Supervision, a 6.0-CE course. The 60-Second Test A supervisee knocks on your door at 4:45 PM on a Friday. Her face is pale. “I need to tell you something,” she says. “I backdated a progress note this morning. The client was a no-show, but…
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You Have Bias. Now What?
Read more: You Have Bias. Now What?Excerpted from SWTP CEU’s Recognizing and Managing Bias 4.5 CE course.) You’re reviewing your case notes from this week. One client—a Black woman in her 30s—you described as “guarded” and “resistant to engaging in treatment.” Another client—a white woman, same age, similar presentation—you described as “appropriately cautious” and “taking time to build trust.” Same behavior.…
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Immigration Status on Intake Forms: What Social Workers Need to Know
Read more: Immigration Status on Intake Forms: What Social Workers Need to KnowAdapted from the SWTP CEUs course, Immigration Status & Social Work Practice. Your intake form has a dropdown menu labeled “Citizenship Status” with options: U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, Work Visa, Student Visa, Other, Prefer Not to Answer. The field is marked with a red asterisk—required. You can’t move forward in the electronic health record without…
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What Makes a Quality CE? Red Flags to Avoid
Read more: What Makes a Quality CE? Red Flags to AvoidNot all continuing education is created equal. For social workers, high-quality CEUs aren’t just about checking a box for license renewal—they’re about learning something that truly strengthens practice, aligns with our values, and supports ethical, evidence-based care. At SWTP CEUs, every course is built to meet the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing…
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Meeting the Moment: Ethics in a Digital Age
Read more: Meeting the Moment: Ethics in a Digital AgeTimes aren’t just changing—they’ve changed. Social work has shifted from paper files and office visits to encrypted portals, video calls, text messages, and AI-assisted documentation. A typical day might now include reviewing a midnight crisis text, running back-to-back telehealth sessions, and updating notes with predictive software. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about fundamentally different ways…