The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 20

Making the Tough Call:
Social Workers as
Mandated Reporters
Part IV: Conflicted Over Confidentiality?
by Kathryn S. Krase, Ph.D., J.D., MSW

Editor’s Note: See Spring and Summer 2013
issues for parts I, II, and III.

S

ince your very first practice class
in a social work program, you’ve
probably been told a thousand
and one times that you must keep client
information confidential. “Don’t talk
about clients with friends or family.”
“Don’t discuss clients in the hallway or
elevator,” and so forth. And yet you are
a mandated reporter, required by law
to report suspicions of child abuse and
neglect. Isn’t there a conflict here? The
short answer is “yes,” but this article will
spell out the long answer for you that
finds that your legal obligation to report
trumps your ethical responsibility to your
client.

Responsibility to Keep Client
Information Confidential

Confidentiality means that information shared within a relationship will
not be shared outside that relationship.
The expectation is that what a client
tells a social worker, the social worker
will not reveal to others. The purpose
of client confidentiality is to encourage
clients to share information that may be
embarrassing, or even self-incriminating.
Through the sharing of such information,
the social worker can help the client address an issue, concern, or problem the
client may be experiencing. The social
worker’s obligation to keep client infor-

18

Th ??9??M??????]????()?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????9M\?
???)???????($)%?????9M\?
????????????9M\?(?????M????????????????????????)??????q?????????????????e??????)??????t?????m?t??????????????q????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????t(????m?t???M??????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???q???????????????????????????t??)????????????????????????????????)??????????????q????t($)??????????????????e???????)??????????????????????????????)
????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)?????%??M?????????????
????????????????????????????????)??????????e??????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????Q??????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)??????????($)M??????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????Q??)9M\?
??????????????????????????????)???????()Q???%????????????%??????)
?????($) ?????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????M????????????)????????????????????????????????????()????????()?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????($)%????????????????????????)???????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????Q????)???????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????)?????????????e?????????????($)%?????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)Q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????)??????????????????????%??????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????($)U????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????????????????????%????????)?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????($)%???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????)?????????????%?????????????????????????????????????????????((0