Challenges Faced by Settlement Workers in Supporting Clients

Principle 1: Relationship with Clients

Principle 1: Relationship with Clients

You are completing your field placement at a small grassroots organization supporting non-status youth. A young woman arrived in Canada six months ago, but she was unable to submit a refugee claim because her lawyer advised her that she was inadmissible. Worried about living without status (as her visitor visa is about to expire), the young woman wants your help to apply for permanent residence on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds (H&C). You have shared that it is unlikely that the application would be accepted, as it would be very difficult to meet the criteria after only being in Canada for a very short time. You have also shared that the application will cost more than $500, which will be difficult for this woman to afford as she is unemployed and without savings. Despite this information, the young woman insists on completing the application, as she believes it is the only way she can gain status in Canada. You know from previous experience, and from information from your organization, that applying hastily will only yield negative consequences.

1. If you were the student, how would you apply self-determination in this situation?

2. How could you support this woman with her decision making? What tools might benefit you use in this approach?

Principle 2: Competency and Integrity 

You have been working for a long time with a young person needing a wide range of settlement supports. Due to previous trauma, it has taken a long time for this person to trust you – but you have managed to build rapport with them. One day they come to you and ask you to help them finish their Basis of Claim form for their Refugee Claim. They have not been able to get a lawyer, and ask you to keep this confidential, because they are afraid of their story getting out. They even ask you not to talk to your co-workers or supervisors, because they feel their story will get back to the people who are persecuting them. They assure you that they just need some help with some of the questions on the form, and nothing bad will happen.

1. How would you respond to the client in this situation?

2. What additional information should you share with this client? Should you seek additional supervision/consultation? Why or why not?

Principle 3: Responsibility to Clients

How to Apply Self-Determination

You are a student doing your field placement at a settlement agency. Your role includes facilitating a life skills workshop for newcomer women. Each week, one of the participants arrives about 15 minutes early and chats with you while you set up the room for the workshop. Over time, she has opened up to you about her life.

Recently, the participant disclosed to you that she is in an abusive relationship with her husband who sponsored her to come to Canada. You informed her that the agency has counselling support for women experiencing abuse and she asks you to make a referral. You call her the next day to follow up about the referral and she says no longer wants to access counselling support. You are disappointed that she did not follow through with the referral and ask her to reconsider, but she declines.

The following week, she does not attend the workshop and you call her to check in. She tells you that she is no longer interested in attending the workshop and asks you to stop contacting her. You think that she should complete the workshop because there are only two more weeks left. Before hanging up, you tell her that you will call her back next week in case she changes her mind.

1. What could the student have done differently when the participant shared that she:

a. Does not want to access counselling support?

b. Is no longer interested in attending the workshop?

2. What should the student do if they are having difficulty accepting the client’s choices?

Principle 4: The Social Service Work Record

You are a student doing your field placement at a drop-in center that provides services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Due to COVID-19, you are only on site for one of your placement days and you spend the other day doing work from home. Your field supervisor has instructed you to do your administrative tasks from home. At the beginning of your placement, you informed your supervisor that you share a computer with other members in your family. You were given approval to use your personal computer for writing client notes and told to save them on a password-protected USB that was provided by the organization.

While working from home, a family member asked to briefly use the computer to send an email. You remove your USB and let them use it while you take a short break. When you return to your computer, they tell you that you accidentally left a client’s note open and they read the first sentence before realizing that it is private information. Your family member assures you that you should not bother telling your supervisor because they will not tell anyone about what they read.

Supporting Client Decision-Making

You are worried that you broke the client’s confidentiality because your family member knows where you do your placement and the note contains the first name of the client. You are scared to discuss this with your field supervisor because you do not want to get into trouble.

1. What would you do if you were the student in this situation and why?

2. Do you think the field supervisor could have better prepared the student to work from home?

3. What other principles are applicable to this scenario and why?

Principle 5: Confidentiality

Your placement organization is hosting a training for the community on parenting issues. You have been with your placement for five months and have begun to form good working relationships with both staff and clients.

During the break, you run into a former client named Jasmine who has come to benefit from the training. After speaking with Jasmine, you come to learn that she is actively looking for employment. Towards the end of your conversation with Jasmine, a new colleague joins your conversation. In trying to be polite, you introduce Jasmine to your colleague and say, “Jasmine used to use our services and now she’s looking for work. Do you know of anyone who is hiring?”.

1. Do you agree with the student’s approach? Base your reasoning on Code of Ethics guidelines.

2. Is there another way the student could have handled this? Explain.

Principle 8: Sexual Misconduct

You’re doing your placement at a homeless shelter. One day, you’re assigned to complete an intake with a new client. The client is in the shelter due to a recent job loss, which eventually led to them being evicted from their apartment and experiencing homelessness. Upon meeting the client, you are immediately physically attracted to them and you get the feeling that they are attracted to you as well. You are very aware that it is against agency policy to have personal relationships with clients. You are able to contain your feelings and they do not interfere with your ability to support the client effectively.

After three weeks at the shelter, the client informs you that they have a new job and will be leaving the shelter. They give you their personal phone number and ask you to give them a call in the hopes that you can get-together for dinner one day soon.  

1. If you were the student, what would you do if you were in this situation and why?

Why is it important to recognize and address romantic and/or sexual feelings towards a client in an ethical manne