SSW Ethical & Legal Practices 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A school social worker learns during a session that a student engaged in illegal activity two weeks ago with no ongoing risk. In most circumstances, confidentiality should be:
- Broken immediately because any illegal act must be reported
- Maintained, as past illegal activity without current risk does not trigger mandatory disclosure (Correct answer)
- Disclosed to law enforcement as a standard protocol
- Shared with the student's parents to ensure accountability
Correct answer: Maintained, as past illegal activity without current risk does not trigger mandatory disclosure
Past illegal activity without present or ongoing risk generally does not meet the legal threshold for breaking confidentiality, and the social worker should maintain privacy.
Question 2: Which ethical standard guides a school social worker who realizes a student's case exceeds their area of competence?
- Continue services to avoid disrupting the relationship
- Seek consultation or refer the student to a more qualified professional (Correct answer)
- Expand practice scope through independent self-study before acting
- Disclose the limitation only if the student asks
Correct answer: Seek consultation or refer the student to a more qualified professional
The NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to practice only within their competence and to seek consultation or referral when a case exceeds their expertise.
Question 3: A school social worker receives a gift from a grateful student's family at the end of the year. The NASW Code of Ethics guidance on gifts suggests:
- Gifts must always be refused without exception
- Small, culturally appropriate gifts may be acceptable when refusal would harm the relationship (Correct answer)
- Gifts should be accepted to reinforce positive family engagement
- Accepting gifts is only ethical after services have ended
Correct answer: Small, culturally appropriate gifts may be acceptable when refusal would harm the relationship
While the Code cautions against conflicts of interest, it acknowledges that in some cultural contexts, modest gifts may be acceptable when refusal could be culturally harmful.
Question 4: Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, school social workers have an ethical and legal obligation to:
- Enroll homeless students only after they provide proof of residence
- Ensure immediate enrollment and access to education for homeless students without barriers (Correct answer)
- Report homeless families to child protective services automatically
- Place homeless students in alternative education settings
Correct answer: Ensure immediate enrollment and access to education for homeless students without barriers
McKinney-Vento mandates immediate school enrollment for homeless youth and requires removal of enrollment barriers, including residency proof requirements.
Question 5: A school social worker uses social media and notices a current student has sent a friend request. The most ethical action is to:
- Accept the request to maintain rapport outside school
- Decline the request and maintain professional boundaries online (Correct answer)
- Ignore the request without addressing it with the student
- Ask the student to follow a separate professional account instead
Correct answer: Decline the request and maintain professional boundaries online
Professional ethics require maintaining clear boundaries in online spaces; accepting personal social media connections with current students risks boundary violations.
Question 6: Which legal concept protects a student's right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment?
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
- FERPA
- IDEA (Correct answer)
- Title IX
Correct answer: IDEA
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) guarantees eligible students the right to FAPE delivered in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs.
Question 7: When a school social worker disagrees with an IEP team's decision regarding a student's placement, the most appropriate ethical response is to:
- Refuse to sign the IEP in protest
- Implement the decision anyway and document their professional disagreement in the record (Correct answer)
- Override the team's decision using their clinical authority
- Immediately file a formal complaint with the state education agency
Correct answer: Implement the decision anyway and document their professional disagreement in the record
Social workers should implement team decisions while ethically documenting their professional objections in the record through appropriate channels.
SSW Ethical & Legal Practices 4
A school social worker learns during a session that a student engaged in illegal activity two weeks ago with no ongoing risk.
In most circumstances, confidentiality should be: