Technology in Social Work: Tips and Best Practices

Technology brings incredible advantages to social work: It enhances collaboration, gives social workers and their clients immediate access to information and programs and makes video meetings possible. That said, it should be noted that technology in social work can also present concerns, especially related to privacy and confidentiality. 

In the digital era, aspiring social workers should be aware of the benefits and potential drawbacks of using technology in their day-to-day roles. An effective Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) program takes an evidence-based approach to promoting human rights, cultural awareness and overall social good using a variety of tools, including modern technology.

Technology Standards in Social Work Practice

In 2017, four well-known social work organizations — the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) — came together to create official standards to govern the use of technology in the field. Today, these are known as the Technology Standards in Social Work Practice. 

These standards are based on trusted sets of guidelines, including the NASW Code of Ethics and the ASWB Model Social Work Practice Act. They are divided into four sections that cover privacy and confidentiality, the design and delivery of social work-related services, the use and storage of information and the use of technology in social work education.

Types of Technology Used in Social Work 

Social workers use many forms of technology to improve how they deliver services to their clients and in the use and storage of information, including protected health information and the use of technology. Common applications include video conferencing software, mobile applications, automated tutorials, self-guided online interventions and digital social networks.

Video Conferencing Software and Telehealth

Video conferencing software and telehealth have changed the landscape of social work in recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many in-person meetings between social workers and their clients, peers or superiors were strictly limited due to social distancing requirements. As a result, many social workers relied on video conferencing to deliver vital services to their clients. Telehealth also became a common and integral platform for social workers to provide therapy and counseling services for clients. 

The practice has remained popular since restrictions were lifted due to its convenience, but it does pose risks. Social workers can only use this technology in locations with secure private networks where their conversations cannot be overheard or seen by others. Network interruptions and poor connections can hinder online meetings as well.

Mobile Applications

Social workers use a number of mobile applications in different aspects of their practice. Popular apps include the following:

• DSM-5 Official App: The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) app can help social workers better understand their clients’ unique needs based on their psychiatric diagnoses. 
• Thought Diary Pro: This tool was developed by a cognitive behavioral therapist (CBT) and a clinical psychologist to help people modify errors in their thinking and perception. It allows clients to record their thoughts and progress, and then email that information to their therapist or counselor. 
• Grasshopper Apps: Grasshopper Apps makes education-related apps for children. Some social workers find that allowing their youngest clients to use these apps helps them develop trust and form connections with these clients. 
• Waze: Waze is a comprehensive GPS application that makes it easier for social workers to find their clients’ homes or places of business. Unlike other GPS and map-based apps, Waze provides helpful insights about road closures and traffic accidents in real time. 
• Fluid Monkey: Social work can be stressful, and apps like Fluid Monkey are designed to help. It offers quiet music and relaxing scenes designed to produce feelings of serenity. 

Alongside more mainstream apps are myriad other mobile apps social workers may use. For example, Trauma Informed Medicine Education (T.I.M.E.), an app developed by VCU assistant professor of social work Adrienne Baldwin-White, Ph.D., makes it easier for health providers to conduct trauma-informed care. 

Although these apps offer tangible benefits, they are not without flaws. Mobile apps usually require an internet connection and are not available in areas without good data service. Despite great strides in encryption technology, information accessed or stored online is never 100 percent safe from security threats.

Case Management

Case management tools and software allow social workers to organize or even automate many of the processes associated with their cases. These tools are useful for tracking priorities or appointments and managing each client’s unique needs. According to the NASW, many social workers spend more than 50 percent of their time on case management and paperwork. 

Automation tools like Eclipse can reduce this number and give social workers more time to help their clients in person. SimplePractice is another popular app among social workers. It offers a suite of helpful tools to make telehealth, billing, scheduling and documentation easier. Power Diary is a calendar management product that includes clinical notes management, client management and automated text message and email notifications. 

Case management tools must be used carefully and with good ethics in mind. For example, keeping notes about client cases could compromise their privacy. Keeping online notes also comes with a slight risk of permanent data loss, which could create huge setbacks for social workers and their clients.

Self-Guided Online Mindfulness Interventions

Self-guided online mindfulness interventions have grown popular among social workers in the last decade. These are tools and applications that clients can use to cope with and/or mitigate mental health issues. Some of these self-guided mindfulness and intervention applications involve watching short videos before participating in an exercise, and others mimic short courses. Some popular mindfulness apps include: 

• Headspace 
• Insight Timer 
• Calm

Clients can participate in these interventions when they feel anxious, stressed out or overwhelmed. They can be completed once or multiple times depending on the individual’s needs, and the results are sent to the client’s social worker and/or therapist for monitoring.

Though self-guided online interventions have been used with a great deal of success, they are tools, not full treatment plans. Social workers and clinicians must closely monitor clients using these programs rather than relying on them to solve the underlying issues.

Digital Social Networks

Digital social networks include common media platforms like LinkedIn and Psychology Today, as well as online support groups and meetings. Social workers can use these platforms to interact with their peers or grow their professional networks. Clients often rely on digital networks for group support or self-help. 

Digital networks make it easy to instantly connect with others, but, despite users’ good intentions, these networks can do more harm than good. For the best results, social workers should be sure to only choose or recommend groups with active moderation and rules designed to protect the members’ best interests.

Considerations and Best Practices for Using Technology Safely

Technology in social work can vastly improve the delivery of social services, but it comes with ethical concerns and potential challenges. Below are some considerations for social workers to follow when using technology in their practice. 

Privacy and Confidentiality

Social workers cannot guarantee complete privacy and confidentiality when it comes to online communication, but they can reduce privacy risks by using trusted software and site encryption, password protection and protected networks.

Informed Consent

Informed consent can present ethical quandaries when technology is involved. When communicating via technology, it may be more likely that clients’ identities may not be accurately represented, or clients may be under the influence of a substance that makes them temporarily unable to give informed consent. To overcome this, many social workers prefer to schedule their first meeting with a new client in person and obtain informed consent in a face-to-face scenario. 

Boundaries and Relationships

In some situations, clients can view communication through email, text message or video chats as informal and personal, which can make it easier for them to blur the professional boundary line. Social workers should set firm expectations and limitations up front, and if a client struggles to maintain that boundary, the social worker should refrain from using technology to interact with that client in the future. 

Learn to Use Technology for Social Good

The role of technology in social work is dynamic and requires social workers to stay up to date about the latest trends in their field. Fortunately, the internet makes this easy with the help of newsletters, webinars, podcasts, blogs, journals, databases and other troves of information. 

Social workers use technology to meet with clients, learn more about available services and give their clients access to tools that can improve their overall well-being. If you are interested in a meaningful career helping others, the Master of Social Work online Program format at Virginia Commonwealth University can provide the skills you need to thrive in this important field. 

Discover how you can support a wide variety of clients in a flexible online learning environment.

Credit
Reviewed by Kathleen M. Korndoerfer, M.A., LPC.*

*Kathleen Korndoerfer, M.A., is a licensed professional counselor with over 10 years of experience in the fields of mental health and social work. Kathleen currently practices in Colorado and specializes in the treatment of PTSD & trauma-related disorders and child and adolescent counseling.

Kathleen Korndoerfer, Licensed Professional Counselor, Montrose, CO, 81401 | Psychology Today