Social Work Malpractice and Liability: Strategies for Prevention

Long regarded as the standard text for classroom use and an invaluable reference for agency administrators, social work supervisors, line clinicians, and private practitioners, Social Work Malpractice and Liability has now been updated to include new material on the revised NASW Code of Ethics, recent court decisions related to social work malpractice and liability, boundary issues and dual relationships, and how social workers can conduct an "ethics audit" in the workplace. After introducing the concepts of negligence, malpractice, and liability, Frederic Reamer turns to the subject of risk management. Using recent cases, he describes a wide variety of problems related to privacy and confidentiality, improper treatment and delivery of services, impaired practitioners, supervision, consultation and referral, fraud and deception, and termination of service, concluding with practical suggestions for social workers named as defendants in lawsuits.