1.3 Discussion: Case Study: Social Work Ethics

NON-RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION

1.3 Case Study: Jill’s Dilemma As a social worker in a family counseling agency, Jill has had the opportunity to gain experience and enhance her clinical skills. The family counseling agency is located in a college town, and serves clients with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs. Rose, Jill’s supervisor, has given Jill a new client file to review. After a long, busy day, Jill remembers the new case that Rose assigned her. Jill is in a hurry, but she takes a moment to review the file and notes that her client, Michael, has indicated he thinks he may be transgender. He prefers to be recognized as Michelle. He has received counseling before at this agency without incident. The file also states that this client is very depressed, has suicidal thoughts, and is lonely without a support system. Jill is surprised that an individual in this community would be transgender, since she has not had any personal relationships with anyone who identifies as transgender (to her knowledge). She does not accept that Michelle is right about how she feels, and Jill can’t accept the idea of a man wanting to be a woman. Jill heads home, but has already begun an internal debate about whether she can work with this client because of her own religious beliefs. How should she handle this? Typically, the agency does not turn clients away because of beliefs or values. The agency policy is determined in line with the NASW Code of Ethics. After a restless night, Jill has made a decision and plans to speak to Rose.

************* After considering this situation, go to the 1.3 Discussion forum and respond to the questions about this case study. Your discussion posts should demonstrate a high level of scholarship by connecting your ideas to course materials and citing scholarly sources using proper citation and references to support your thinking.