Why do you need a social media
policy? There are two reasons you need a policy, risk management and ethical
practice. How soon do you think it will be before someone records a therapeutic
session, a group, a conversation, or a meeting (without your consent) and it
ends up on social media? Some states only need consent of one person in the
recording. The recording can be removed, but if at any time it goes viral it
will never be off the Internet. Malpractice is a broad area. When you send
something out through social media outlets, how do you vet the impact of this
information? Cases of social media and ethical misconduct are already surfacing.
New ethical dilemmas present themselves with new technology. What happens if we
are on the Internet and find our client has posted an inappropriate video? People
are videotaping themselves harming children or participating in unlawful and
high risk situations. A social media policy is needed to protect the client, the
social worker, and the organization.
Wherever you are working, go to your
supervisor, dean, or director and ask for the social media policy. This policy
should include standards for employees and digital boundaries for clients. The
consent for treatment should outline social media expectations and limits. Clients
should know what to expect about social media behavior of their social worker.
An explanation of the social worker, organization, and client's social media behavior expectations
should be explicit. Use of video and audio recordings, computer behavior, and
phone usage should be outlined. Teenagers may not think it is an issue to post
about their therapy or another group members behavior. Digital boundaries need
to be defined for each population.
These are areas to review about your
social media policy:
When
was it drafted?
Social media innovation and laws
surrounding it, change on a regular basis. If your draft is over one year old
it needs to be updated.
Which areas does it include?
This is a list of areas to consider.
a.
Cell phone privacy (passwords, theft
management, texting, e-mails, social media involvement through apps)
b.
Security of confidential information
at home and at the office on digital devices
c.
HIPAA or FERPA considerations?
d.
State laws versus federal laws
e.
Personal social media behavior negatively
affecting the organization
f.
Client social media behavior
Do the rules expand into your
personal life? There are some ways organizations
can limit your personal behavior on social media. Identify which of these areas
are lawful and which are not.
How does it protect you?
What happens if you are the target of a social media attack or incorrect
information is posted about you online? Have a policy and procedure addressing the
event of a negative social media instance. This policy should address
individual and organization negative publicity.
What happens if you don’t follow the
policy? What are the consequences to each infraction?
Is there a method to revise a policy when it becomes out of date? What if you have an unintended breach
of ethics due to technological ignorance?
How legal is it?
A policy can say anything with good intentions, but it still may not be legal.
Obtain professional council about your policy.
The Canadian Association of Social
Workers recently released a “Social Media Use in Social Work Practice” manual. This
manual is the start of defining ethical behaviors specifically for social
workers using social media.
