Social Work Reflection Paper

Setting boundaries is an important core value in the field of social work. In the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics, “Social workers should provide and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience” (Code of Ethics of the NASW). Professional social workers are generally compassionate people, but they need to recognize the value of setting limits. This was the case while working as an adjunct instructor, which included the duty of providing individual tutoring. My relationship with Sara Towns (name changed), a student and cousin-in-law, evoked the clouding of boundaries. For new social workers, this reflection may be helpful as they define their roles. Through a series of professional and personal experiences with Sara, I learned that boundaries must foster a positive relationship and prevent potential conflicts. Sara, age 51, whom I had never met before, requested tutoring from me. After we finished our sessions, she asked if we could maintain contact regarding her education and career goals. She completed her bachelor’s and applied to graduate school for a Master’s in Social Work. However, she was not sure if she should reveal that she had bipolar disease, a psychiatric illness. Bipolar disease, also known as manic/depression, is a brain disorder. This causes shifts in mood, energy,