Social Work Efficiency

Many social worker’s job requires face-to-face interactions with clients, so they rely on technology to help them manage their time and clients. The use of technology in their work presents both benefits and challenges. It’s ideal for project management, maintaining meticulous records, and sharing information among social service agencies. On the other hand, technology creates new challenges for social work agencies regarding information security, technology reliability, and accessibility.

For these reasons, in 2005, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) created a set of technology standards and digital social services for social work practice.

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Technology throughout a Social Worker’s Career

Social workers use technology and social work tools in all aspects of their careers, from education to job searches and beyond. Below are some more specific examples of how social workers use technology and tools:

Earning an education:

Accredited higher education institutions offer online undergraduate and graduate social work degree programs. Students new to social work can earn an MSW in about three years. It is an excellent option for those with a full schedule with family and work.

Finding work:

Today’s job search often begins online, and if you want to relocate, it may include video-chat interviews. Sites include NASW’s JobLink, Social Worker Careers Magazine, and the well-known job-search sites CareerBuilder, Indeed, Monster, and SimplyHired.

Taking and storing client notes:

Instead of keeping a collection of handwritten notes, social workers use electronic systems to efficiently track and retain data. Tools range from simple spreadsheets to sophisticated project management platforms. Here are a few types of software application platforms that social workers may use:

Electronic data management (EDM) services, electronic medical records (EMR), and electronic health records (EHR) are components of massive digital warehouses of information used to manage patient/client care.
ColorNote and Google Docs/Sheets are note-taking apps and web-based document collaboration tools.

Conducting counseling sessions:

Internet technology and live chat platforms like Facetime and Skype make meeting with clients much easier and more efficient by requiring the social worker to travel less.

Disseminating information widely:

Innovative communication tools make it easier than ever to share information with carers and social service agencies. Google Docs and Google Sheets allow multiple users from any location to access, comment, and share documents. Smart apps such as Trello, Basecamp, Slack, and other similar sites also help social workers stay organized and facilitate communication among groups of people who share resources but not necessarily locations.

Researching resources:

Social workers can keep up to date on peer-reviewed research, social issues, and what other social workers are doing by following blogs, social media accounts, and newsletters published by social work organizations such as NASW and ASWB.

Business operations and management:

Social work managers monitor personnel, develop programs, manage budgets and organizational finances, and use technology to communicate with other professional organizations, government entities, stakeholders, and employees.

Pros and Cons of Technology in Social Work Careers

While technology has many benefits in social work careers, some concerns must be addressed when incorporating technology into social work practices:

The security of data and information storage exposes sensitive client information to hackers. Not every server, including e-mail and cloud computing systems, is secure and dependable. A security breach could result in the violation or release of client information and data, with legal and other ramifications.

Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996, which includes a section on the protection and confidentiality of records by healthcare providers and organizations. Social work agencies that breach client or patient data may face penalties.

Unless information stored electronically, such as staff members and client records, budgetary documentation, and professional plans, is adequately backed up, it is always possible that information will be lost or erased during a system failure.

These concerns raised in the NASW Technology Standards guiding documentation highlight the need for the NASW to establish a set of ethical standards to which social workers must adhere.

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Social Work Code of Ethics

Regardless of technological standards, the NASW has a well-established social work code of ethics to which all social workers must adhere. These ethical guidelines are based on the core mission and values of social work, which are:

Service
Social justice
Dignity and worth of the person
Importance of human relationships
Integrity
Competence

The social work code of ethics attempts to meet all human basic needs while empowering and enabling those constrained by their situation – poverty or another form of oppression. This led to several technology standards from the governing ethical body.

Technology Standards

The goal of the technology standards is to ensure that as social workers use technology, they continue to follow ethical regulations that protect client integrity and privacy. Specifically, technology standards state that:

Regardless of the medium, social workers should communicate in ways appropriate to their Code of Ethics.
Social workers should ensure that services are accessible to consumers, particularly those with disabilities.
Social workers must be mindful of cultural and social contexts.
They must stay on top of emerging technologies.
Regardless of the mode of communication, social workers must follow the rules that govern their activities.
Social workers must identify themselves and verify those with whom they communicate.
Social work agencies will follow laws governing client rights, electronic transactions, data and password protection, and other aspects of client data storage and transmission.
Risk management assessments and practices following the NASW Code of Ethics will be implemented to ensure the security of client information and protect the organization.

Conclusion

While incorporating technology into social work careers raises ethical concerns, these concerns can be overcome. The numerous benefits of using technology to perform social worker duties outweigh the drawbacks. Technology has positively changed the field of social work in a variety of ways, including the ability to prepare more candidates for careers in social work, access to information, research, and resources, the ability to communicate with clients more quickly, increased access to client information, and the ability to provide services to a larger volume of clients.