Boundaries Issues
Ashley Decamp, Christina Karsen, Jose Cevallos, Katy Norris, Samantha Cruse, Monica Green
BSHS 335
February 23, 2015
Mary Ann Little

Boundaries Issues
Human service professionals are taught to understand their client’s as well as the role they play in their life professionally. The most important part of that is understanding that it is a professional relationship and should be nothing more than that. Boundaries are put in place in many different parts of a person’s life to help them understand what they are to do and where they are to avoid. This is also something that is implemented with human service professionals. They are taught boundaries for themselves and given the tools to help their clients’ understand what their boundaries are. It is done so that the clients’ can receive the best possible help there is for them. The following is going to explore different boundaries and relationships between a client and the professional, what to avoid, and the best possible solutions if a boundary is compromised. Below is some examples of human services professionals, and clients experiencing the issues with boundaries. A caseworker for DHS-Child Welfare, receives an anonymous report, that a young child has been physically abused. After interviewing the child and reviewing family information, the caseworker realizes that this is the son of another women she attends a local Mom’s group with. The mother has spent time during recent group meetings talking about her challenging ex-husband and how she wished he was not involved in their son’s life.
At this point, the child is the client. It is important to determine if taking this case could have any negative effects on the child. In contemplating the dynamics and relationships, the caseworker realizes that it would be impossible for her to remain unbiased. Already, she has a slighted view of the father based on the version of him she has been hearing in past weeks. The caseworker cannot help but wonder if this report was made because Mom knew the position she has with DHS.
This child deserves a caseworker that can look at all angles of the family dynamics and relationships to make an educated unbiased decision regarding the child’s health and wellbeing. By removing herself from the situation, she removes bias, so a different caseworker can create an environment where healthy boundaries can be set. It would also be important, for the caseworker to set boundaries with the mother during Mom’s group, if she chooses to continue to attend. This would set expectations and prevent herself from being drawn down a “slippery slope” (Corey, 2011). If at any point the mother crosses those boundaries, such as discussing the situation or issues, the casework should immediately remove herself form the situation.
As a human service professional, you will indefinitely be challenged by ethical decisions regarding everyday life, interactions, and relationships. In fact, a national survey by Pope and Vetter (1992), looked at “blurred, dual, or conflictual relationships” and found that respondents consider them to be the second most troubling issues faced in day-to-day practices (Barnett et al, 2007). In life, boundaries become blurred, relationships cross, situations present. Knowing how to manage these situations and recognize when a boundary has been crossed or a relationship becomes inappropriate is vital to the ongoing care and future of the clients. Reflecting on the necessity of the relationship, potential harm of the relationship (to the client), whether it is unavoidable or even beneficial, could the relationship disrupt the therapeutic benefit, or if you as the caseworker can objectively evaluate the situation due to the relationship, are all questions that can be used to help you make an accurate and ethical decision in regards to boundaries and dual relationships (Barnett et al, 2007).

When assisting others or helping others in the human service field, most of us do it for just the simple fact of helping our clients in dealing with issues, or helping them obtain life's essentials when times are tough. Some health care or human service professionals may use this to an advantage. There could be cases where the caseworker may feel they deserve a little extra from the client because of all the assistance, skills or help they have given to the client, or in some really bad cases it could even get as bad as, the caseworker, telling the client they can no longer help them without some sort of "payment". Now I find this disgusting that someone would actually use their ability to help someone, to gain their own personal needs. The example under the red flag alert on the reference site said "getting you a better deal from her business"(Koocher, 2013). It could be anything from discounts at their or a families work place all the way to something as bad as sexual favors. Expecting anything from a client at all is very unethical. A caseworker is not there to personally gain anything from a client, and this should be strongly discouraged. Boundaries should be set by the caseworker and they should make the client aware of these boundaries. When researching this to see how often it happens, I was actually surprised to find recent articles of caseworkers and clients engaging in sexual acts. The example I read was the Gregory Bunkley case. It states in the news report by Delaware Online, when Bunkley used his position to coerce a client to engage in sex. The woman who came forward in this case was afraid that he would use his authority to take away her children. It is sad that some people use other's weakness against them to get something they want. As of right now Bunkley is in a correctional facility while the investigation is still going on.
Crossing boundaries in the human service field can occur depending on the client and the situation. There are some who feel that it is possible to maintain the needed professional relationship that is necessary to effectively treat his or her client and be able to maintain a social relationship outside of the treatment realm; but there other who feel that when a human service professional attempts to acquire a social relationship with his or her client is not only impossible but also is a conflict of interest and a violation of the client/provider code of ethics (Corey, Schneider, & Callahan, 2011). The idea of social relationships in regards as a form of dual relationships within the human service professions has not been definitively categorized as immoral or moral, based on research and personal opinion, social relationships can cause more of a hindrance rather than an enhancement. Based on cultural background, according to Corey, Schneider, & Callahan, there are circumstances where dual relationships are necessary therefore being an exception to the code of ethics rule where it states that within the Asian culture “it is believed that personal matters are best discussed with a relative or a friend… self-disclosing to a stranger (the counselor) is taboo and a violation of familial cultural values” (2011). In a situation like this, the human service professional who may feel it unethical to maintain dual relationships with his or her client would have to be mindful to not come across as being insensitive and intensively go through a process of selfexamination in order to be able to adjust their thinking to be respectful of their client’s beliefs and or opinions. The decision as a human service professional to decide to enter a social relationship with their client or even not, can be a double-edged sword, regardless of what has been decided there are some things to be taken into consideration. The American Psychological Association specifies when it is appropriate to go into a dual relationship but with some considerations which are the amount of time that passed within the professional relationship; nature, duration, and intensity of the professional relationship; reasons behind termination of the professional relationship; the mental state and history of the client; and the impact it may have on the client (Dewayne, 2010). On the other side of this dilemma, because of the decision to go into dual relationships, the amount of lawsuits against human service professionals has risen because the client has started to feel exploited, and according DeWayne is the primary issue in dual relationships. With the issue of social relationships, the human service professional should always keep in mind the social work Code of Ethics which states “that if a dual relationship is exploitative, whether it begins before, during, or after a professional relationship, it should be avoided (Dewayne, 2010)” while always remaining balanced and considerate of his or her client while being flexible avoiding issues within the client/professional relationship that could ultimately cause a breakdown in the professional relationship.

References
Barnett, J. E., Lazarus, A. A., Vasquez, M. J. T., Moorehead-Slaughter, O., & Johnson, W. B. (2007). Boundary issues and multiple relationships: Fantasy and reality. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38(4), 401-410. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.38.4.401
Corey, G., Schneider Corey, M., & Patrick, C. (2011). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Dewayne, DEd, LCSW, BCD, C. J. (2010). Respecting boundaries — the don’ts of dual relationships. Social Work Today, 10(1), 18. Retrieved fromhttp://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/012610p18.shtml