Ethical Dilemma In Social Work

A situation from my practicum where I may experience an ethical dilemma is if I needed to visit a patient I knew. If a patient was identified as potentially having social work needs and I knew them personally it may be uncomfortable for them to discuss sensitive issues, especially if I wasn’t aware of the issues prior to reading their medical history. The patient may not be as honest with me because they wouldn’t want an acquaintance to know about sensitive subjects they are experiencing. The agency requires a social worker to visit patients that lack support, are low-income, have a history of substance use, or a mental illness. Visiting these patients is consistent with the social worker’s responsibility to clients.
The social work values involved in this ethical dilemma include service, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, and competence. The social work value of service requires social workers to assist people

If I recognize a patient’s name as someone I know, my supervisor said I should use my judgment to determine if our relationship would be helpful, or harmful in discussing the sensitive issues. She also suggested I ask if the patient is comfortable discussing sensitive subjects with me, or if they would prefer a different social worker. My supervisor informed me that if I determine it would not be helpful for me to visit the particular patient, I can ask a co-worker to visit in my stead.
I experienced a situation in my practicum where I realized I knew a patient when I entered her room, but didn’t recognize her name beforehand. I informed her of our acquaintance and asked if she would prefer to be visited by another social worker. The patient told me it was alright for me to visit her. Since our relationship had been as acquaintances, and the issues I needed to discuss weren’t extremely sensitive, I was able to fulfill my agency’s responsibilities and intern