Human/ Social Services

Human/ Social Services

Human/ Social Services is a sensitive field that requires as it revolves around crucial aspects of people’s lives. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the social worker to adhere to set rules and regulations to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the clients. Every day social workers have access to critical and sensitive information that is relative to case proceedings.

In the case presented, the client should have consented before disclosure of information to the colleague. According to Summers(2016), the client should sign a blanket statement before information id disbursed to a third party (Nancy, 2016).  Ethically a human/ social professional should convey the information face to face with the presence of the client. Physical communications reduce misinterpretation of the information and provide insights that help the social officer to perceive the client accurately.

Sharing of patients’ information without the clients’ consent violates the patients’ privacy. While disclosure of patients’ information without the clients’ permission may facilitate service delivery and prevent the harm, it exposes the social worker to the risk of a lawsuit. Social work should be quick to point out cases involving married partners, diseases, and other health-related conditions. In such a case, the social worker should seek the consent of the client, as stated in the HIPPA, as this information is a high stake. In cases where the client refuses to sign the approval, the social worker can share the data if there is a compelling medical reason.

Furthermore, social workers should share the minimum information required for treatment. The social worker requesting information should record who needs the health records and for what purpose.  Any source without physical documentation should be treated as an unauthorized source, including colleagues.  Individuals should also have access to their health records if they want to and can make corrections as they see fit.