The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 4, Fall 2013 | Page 7

too personal. From his perspective, Amy is
crossing a professional boundary. Supervision
is starting to feel like therapy. As with Randi’s
situation, Bill does not want to rankle his
supervisor. So, how can he respond to Amy in
a professional, constructive manner?

One option is to ask questions in
a nonthreatening manner. Rather than
state, “You’re not supposed to ask personal questions,” or “You’re crossing my
personal boundaries,” Bill might humbly
enquire, “Where are you going with
these questions?” As a student, Bill is in
the position of learner. Asking questions
fits with this role. “I’m not sure about the
supervision process. This is my first field
placement. If I’m feeling the questions
are too personal, what am I supposed to
say?” If Bill conveys a genuine interest in
wanting to know about the supervisory
process, Amy is more likely to respond
in a positive manner. If they do not
resolve the concerns about supervision
versus therapy, then Bill may engage his
faculty field liaison for assistance. As in
the first case, it is better to work through
issues informally rather than initiate
formal complaints. That does not mean
avoiding issues or passively accepting
inappropriate supervision.
SCENARIO 3: Rosario is tardy for three of
her first four days of field work. Rosario has
a three-month-old baby, and her babysitter
keeps showing up late. Rosario’s supervisor,
Marc, contacts Rosario’s faculty field liaison
asking for Rosario’s placement to be terminated because of the student’s “obvious lack
of professionalism.” In this situation, the supervisor may have a legitimate concern. Still,
going directly to the liaison without trying to
assess and resolve the situation with Rosario
may have been premature. The liaison contacts

Rosario to discuss the situation. How do you
think Rosario should respond?

Rosario’s first inclination may be to
defend herself: “I am very responsible.
The problem is my babysitter. Marc
didn’t even ask why I was late.” Unfortunately, her very statement of responsibility shows lack of responsibility. To accept
responsibility, she might say, “I know
I have been late to work and I know
this behavior is unacceptable [pause for
response]. I have a commitment to my
agency and my clients to be on time. I
apologize for the inconvenience I have
caused. To show my sincerity, I want to
present a plan to make up for the missed
time and to ensure that I am not late
again.” By starting with the concerns
of the supervisor and clients, Rosario
demonstrates responsibility. She may
need help from the supervisor, for instance, varying her work times to make it
easier to obtain reliable babysitting. Still,
Rosario is more likely to win favor if she
holds herself accountable.

As you read these scenarios, it may
appear that I am holding students to
a higher standard than I am holding
field supervisors. If I were writing for
an audience of supervisors, however, I
would ask them to take the high road,
and to perform at the highest standards
of practice, even if their students are not.
The bottom line, for students and field
instructors alike: please maintain professional ethics at the highest levels even if
(and perhaps especially when) the other
person is not.
Dr. Allan Barsky is Professor of Social Work
at Florida Atlantic University and Chair of
the National Ethics Committee of the National Association of Social Workers. He is the

author of Ethics
and Values in Social Work (Oxford
University Press),
Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions
(Brooks/Cole),
and Clinicians in
Court (Guilford
Press). The views
expressed in this
article do not necessarily reflect the view of any of the organizations with which Dr. Barsky is affiliated.

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