Perhaps the most noticeable micro-level practice error displayed in the Gabriel Myers case can be seen in the case worker’s careless effort to provide informed consent for Gabriel’s medical treatment. According to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, “In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, social workers should protect their clients’ interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients’ level of understanding. In such instances, the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients’ wishes and interest” (Socialworkers.org, 2008). To address certain behavioral issues related to traumatic experiences, case workers …show more content…
This commitment often takes the form of providing primary services to clients in order to promote positive outcomes. In child welfare cases, case managers are often assigned to a child to assume the responsibility of coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating treatment plans specific to their client’s needs. In the Gabriel Myers case, the assigned case worker failed to “consult psychiatrists contracted by DCF” and didn’t coordinate adequate preventative treatment plans for Gabriel, even after learning he was the victim of molestation (Tampa Bay Online, …show more content…
First, the case worker should have coordinated preliminary treatment plans for the initial stages of Gabriel’s placements. Here, the worker should have referred foster parents to speak with specialists or attend educational/informational classes on caring for children with unique social, cultural, and behavioral barriers. A class such as this would have been geared toward educating foster parents on identifying common behavioral disturbances, how to respond to future issues, and, importantly, warning signs of suicidal ideations. Plans set forth by the case worker should have also included family therapy sessions to better prepare Gabriel and his foster parents for their transitions in living situation. Next, the case worker should have worked together with the foster parents in collectively coordinating a step-by-step ongoing treatment plan to aid in Gabriel’s recovery, including continued family therapy sessions and weekly reports from the foster parents updating the case worker on Gabriel’s progress, changes in behavior, and/or any concerns that may have arisen. The last part of this plan should have been geared toward promoting communication between all parties associated with Gabriel’s recovery, including Gabriel’s school personnel, healthcare professionals, and foster parents. This would have allowed the case worker to accurately monitor and