Ethical Boundaries & Dual Relationships
A Step-by-Step Decision-Making Framework to Reduce Risk and Protect Clients
- Speaker:
- Susan Radzilowski, LMSW-C, ACSW
- Duration:
- 3.5 Hours
- Copyright:
-
Feb 05, 2027
- Product Code:
- POS151155
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar
Description
- Know when a gift, friend request, or grocery store run-in is a problem, and when it isn’t
- The latest guidance on boundary questions unique to telehealth and social media
- Catch your own bias and countertransference before it shapes your judgment
Most ethical dilemmas don’t look like the case studies in a textbook.
A client friend-requests you on social media, small-town life puts you in the same grocery store or soccer league, an integrated care team pulls you into decisions outside your scope, a gift arrives that feels wrong to refuse …
None of these moments come with a rulebook attached.
They come with a decision, made on the spot, that can carry real consequences: client harm, ethics complaints, and even licensing risks.
That’s why we created this training with ethics expert Susan Radzilowski, LMSW-C, ACSW. A former chair and 16-year member of the NASW Michigan Chapter Ethics Committee, Susan holds a Certificate in Pediatric Bioethics from Harvard Medical School. With more than 40 years of clinical social work experience, she brings deep expertise in ethics, clinical practice, and consultation. She’ll walk through a practical decision-making framework clinicians can apply in their own work, including how to:
- Distinguish a boundary crossing from a boundary violation
- Assess dual-relationship risk
- Document the reasoning behind a judgment call
- Use supervision and consultation as active tools, not afterthoughts
Leave prepared to navigate the moment, not just cite the rules.
Don’t miss out, purchase today!
Credit
Speaker
Susan Radzilowski, LMSW-C, ACSW Related seminars and products
Susan Radzilowski, LMSW-C, ACSW, has practiced in mental health and educational environments for over 30 years. Susan holds a certificate in gender identity and clinical concerns. Susan was the founding co-chair of GLSEN SE Michigan and is a past member of the GLSEN National Advisory Committee. She has been a member of the NASW-Michigan Chapter Ethics Committee since 2010. Susan has published several articles on clinical and ethical issues of providing social work services to the transgender youth. Susan has a private practice in Michigan and is a part time faculty in the School of Social Work at The University of Michigan and at Wayne State University. She consults and trains on issues related to working with transgender youth for the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services, the NASW, Michigan State University, Michigan Medicine, Wayne, The University of Michigan and with local school districts. Susan is the parent of a transgender adult who came out in 2005, at age 15. Her experience as a parent of a trans youth inspired her to shift her professional focus to working with transgender youth and facilities and training professionals to improve access to competent, compassionate care.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Susan Radzilowski maintains a private practice and has employment relationships with Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan School of Social Work, and the Wayne State University School of Social Work. She receives a speaking honorarium, recording royalties, and consulting fee from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Susan Radzilowski serves on the NASW Michigan Chapter Ethics Committee (CEC).
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Objectives
- Differentiate boundary crossings from boundary violations and the dual relationship risks in healthcare and community practice.
- Apply a structured, ethical decision-making model to real-world scenarios using professional guidelines, ethical principles, and contextual factors.
- Choose practical boundary management strategies (communication, documentation, self-reflection, and consultation) to support patient/client welfare and reduce ethical risk.
- Integrate informed consent principles into practice by ensuring clients/patients understand risks, benefits, and limits of services, while maintaining ethical boundaries and promoting autonomy.
Outline
Ethical Boundaries in Practice
- Common boundary challenges
- Dual relationships
- Gifts
- Self disclosure
- Role conflicts
- Social media
- Boundary crossings vs. boundary violations
- Maintain professional integrity while building therapeutic alliance
- Role of supervision/consultation and organizational policy in boundary management
Ethical Decision Making Model
- Identify the ethical issues and the stakeholders
- Review relevant guidelines, laws, regulations, and organizational policies (APA, NASW, ACA, AAMFT)
- Generate options and evaluate risks/benefits
- Apply core principles
- Autonomy
- Beneficence
- Nonmaleficence
- Justice
- Fidelity
- Decide, implement, document rationale, and communicate appropriately
- Monitor outcomes and adjust as needed
- Use supervision and interdisciplinary consultation effectively
Practical Strategies & Skills
- Communication strategies for setting and maintaining boundaries
- Issues specific to telehealth or virtual therapy
- Address informed consent in complex cases
- Documentation practices to support ethical reasoning and continuity of care
- Manage ethical tension in interdisciplinary teams
- Self-reflection strategies to identify bias, countertransference, and value conflicts
Case Studies & Application
- Real world ethical dilemmas involving boundaries and dual relationships
- Guided discussion and ethical reasoning exercises
- Practice applying the decision making model to scenarios
- Debrief: What to document, when to consult, and how to reduce future risk
Research Evidence, Limitations, and Potential Risks
- Summary of relevant research and practice guidance
- Common limitations
- Context specific findings
- Limited longitudinal data
- Variable definitions
- Risks of misapplying research or “one size fits all” ethics rules
- Ethical and legal considerations, including reporting obligations when applicable
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Case Managers
- Therapists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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