PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES Training for staff and volunteers Catholic

PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES Training for staff and volunteers Catholic Archdiocese of Perth

PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES VS PERSONAL BOUNDARIES “… legal, ethical and “… physical, emotional and organizational frameworks mental limits that protect both people use to clients and employees, or workers, protect themselves from being drawn too much physical & emotional harm, into their clients’ lives and help to maintain a safe and from being manipulated working environment. ” 1 or violated by others. ” 1 1. RAV n. d.

EXAMPLES PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES Keeping clients’ private information confidential Avoiding physical contact with clients such as hugging Seeking unnecessary information from the client that is not relevant to the service you’re providing Performing additional/special favours for clients that are outside the scope of your role Keeping information to yourself and not documenting where necessary Adapted from Ausmed 2019 PERSONAL BOUNDARIES Receiving and keeping gifts Inappropriately disclosing your own personal information Declining invitations to socialise outside of the work setting Inappropriate touching and sexual contact Shopping for your client in your own time and/or with your own money

SETTING PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES Know the limits of your role as a staff member or volunteer Be assertive – let clients know what the limits of your role are Establish your own personal boundaries and recognise your triggers Maintain objectivity through self-reflection (guidance questions) Taken from RAV n. d. and Ausmed 2019

GUIDANCE QUESTIONS 1 1. What is my role in this situation? - E. g. Am I the carer / consultant / service provider or friend? 2. Am I sharing personal information for my benefit or for the benefit of the person I’m helping? 3. Are my emotions or feelings about the client clouding my judgement on this issue? - E. g. Strong like or dislike? Transference? 4. Are the client’s emotions or feelings clouding our working relationship? - E. g. Am I setting off strong positive/negative feelings in the client? 5. Should I / shouldn’t I? … If in doubt, don’t! 1. Ausmed 2019

SAYING ‘NO’ ASSERTIVELY HOW YOU SAY IT Adapted from Michel and Fursland 2008, p 4 WHAT YOU SAY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

WAYS OF SAYING ‘NO’ Direct ‘No’ Raincheck ‘No’ Adapted from Michel and Fursland 2008, p 5 -6 Reflecting ‘No’ Enquiring ‘No’ Reasoned ‘No’ The ‘Broken Record’

SCENARIO 1 A client has invited me to be friends on a social networking site. Is it breaching boundaries if I accept? Taken from AASW 2017, 5

SCENARIO 2 I have been working with a particular client for a long time and we have never had any physical contact. Today our professional relationship ended and he asked if he could give me a hug to say thank you. Is this okay? Taken from AASW 2017, 5

SCENARIO 3 During a casual conversation, my client asks me about my personal past experiences (e. g. whether I have ever struggled with alcohol/drug addiction) and also about my personal information (e. g. What suburb do you live in? Where do you work when you are not volunteering? ) How should I respond? Taken from AASW 2017, 5

SCENARIO 4 A former client whom I worked with several years ago returned to the Agency today, but was helped by another staff member. I want to know how they are doing and why they have come back. Would it be appropriate to find out by looking up the client’s case notes in the database? What if I were to contact the client to ask them directly? Adapted from Australia. Department of Health 2004.

SCENARIO 5 I was helping a client today when they began to cry. Is it ok to hug my client or touch them on the arm to comfort them? Adapted from Ausmed 2019.

QUESTIONS? Adapted from Ausmed 2019.

REFERENCES Australian Association of Social Workers. 2017. Professional Boundaries and Dual Relationships. https: //www. aasw. asn. au/document/item/2354 Relationships Australia Victoria. n. d. Maintaining personal and professional boundaries. https: //www. relationshipsvictoria. com. au/assets/PDFs/Resources/Tip-Sheets/Maintaining. Professional-Boundaries-Tip-Sheet-19062. pdf Ausmed. 2019. Understanding Professional Boundaries. https: //www. ausmed. com. au/cpd/articles/professional-boundaries Australia. Department of Health. 2004. 2. 3 Developing and maintaining professional boundaries. https: //www 1. health. gov. au/internet/publications/publishing. nsf/Content/drugtreat-pubsfront 11 -fa-toc~drugtreat-pubs-front 11 -fa-secb-2~drugtreatpubs-front 11 -fa-secb-2 -3 Michel, Fiona and Anthea Fursland. 2008. “How to Say “No” Assertively”. In Assert Yourself. Western Australia, Perth: Centre for Clinical Interventions. ISBN: 0 -9757995 -5 -X. https: //www. cci. health. wa. gov. au/~/media/CCI/Consumer%20 Modules/Assert%20 Yourself/Ass ert%20 Yourself%20 -%2006%20 -%20 How%20 to%20 Say%20 No%20 Assertively. pdf