After a hard week at work you head off to your regular pub with your friends.
You've had a few drinks and are feeling "happy", when you notice Belinda, an 18 year old client you work with. She is heading in your direction and may or may not have spotted you.
What would you do?
I would be highly inclined to simply go about my business.
ReplyDeleteIt's after hours, there is a high likelihood that my judgement may be impaired, and it is not appropriate for me to be engaging with a young person after work hours.
Additonally, I personally feel that we all need wind down time, so engaging with this person in my own time is not beneficial for them, or myself. My whole life does not revolve around working, and therefore, I would be doing my best to not have to engage with the young person.
If the yp said hello I would respond, I would not ignore them but I also would not make it Ok for them to join the group. We do run into clients from time to time in unexpected places but that doesn't mean we need to be rude.
ReplyDeleteI agree we need our own space and time but ignoring someone could put your working relationship at risk.
I'm not sure why this would be such a dilemma. I'd definitely say hello if they came up to me.
ReplyDeleteI think it'd be good for rapport with young people for them to see that we are normal people too who like to go out with friends and have a drink.
It's not like you are getting drunk with them at work.
OK, YAPA is adding more details to this dilemma...
ReplyDeleteThe client does see you and comes over briefly, then goes back to her table nearby. You are already clearly under the influence, but you want to stay (it is your regular pub) and keep drinking.
What would you do at that point? And what would you say to her when you next see her at your youth service, given that you have been trying to address her alcohol abuse problem?
I don't think I would have stayed for the extra drinks once I had seen a client. It can be hard especially if you are living in a rural area to balance out your own personal life with your work life as you often see young people out in the community. Yes the young person in question is over 18 and yes it is your regular pub so you both have the right to be there. If a young person works with me and says hello to me in public I would never ignore them but I also don't go out of my way to strike up big conversations. In respecting their right to confidentialty we can sometimes be jepordising this confidentiality by speaking to them in public. For example what happens if their friends are like - "Why do you know the worker" etc. I guess it depends what your service does. But I think that is an important thing to think about. The other issue from a code of ethics that comes out here is about boundaries and being able to set up professional boundaries - to make sure that our clients know that we are workers that support them but are not their friends as harsh as that sounds that is what a good youth worker should be doing. The other issue is whether we like it or not for many young people that we work with we do become a role model and whether as people we like that or not we do have to face the reality of it. If this is a real situation after a young person we work with seeing us in a position where we had been drinking and our judgement had been impaired etc we then have to work with them the next time they come into our service. What happens when they walk into the service "Hey Mate how's it going. Awesome night at the pub last weekend. How'd you pull up cause god you were like soooooooooo blind!"
ReplyDeleteDon't ignore the young person, simply make polite conversation and then move on, you are the professional (even on your time off) and the young person is still the client. As you have a pre-established worker-client relationship, even when you meet outside 'work' hours the worker-client relationship still remains. This relationship, all the previous work and all potential future work is put in jeopardy if the relationship moves into social ‘after-hours’ interactions.
ReplyDeleteFor the protection of your own personal and the industries professionalism youth workers need to maintain a positive professional relationship with all clients, regardless of when they are on-the clock to ensure that you can maintain objectivity, discipline, continuity and respect. Young people need to know youth workers are workers and not friends or confidants otherwise situations will arise when the two roles will conflict and the blurring of the boundaries between the roles of professional and friend/confidante will create the scope for confusion, misunderstandings and potentially manipulation by either the young people or the worker. Young people potentially will fail to understand the difference between Youth Worker and friend and therefore not see when the role of the youth worker ends and role of the friend/confidant begins. The young people potentially will be confused by the inconsistency of the roles of youth worker/friend and placing the interests of the youth work ahead of a friendship will become difficult. Youth workers could find themselves being implicated in ‘socially/professionally unacceptable’ or illegal behaviors, which will put into question their and the industries integrity and professional ability. For the sake of continuing to have a drink, the youth workers risk their positive image amongst the management, colleagues, young people, parents and the community which in turn will damage the integrity and achievements of the whole youth work.
Allowing the initial interaction outside of work can in turn lead to ongoing and long term involvement with young people outside working hours. This can lead to premature professional burnout when workers involvement with a young people extends into personal time or issues of divided loyalties may emerge and the youth worker member may find their life quickly taken over by the demands of young people and families. There is the lack of separation between personal and professional lifestyles and a loss of objectivity in dealing with the young person(s) and a potential division between other youth workers when one worker to be seen as a ‘friend/confidante’ and the others as an ‘authoritarian’ and blurred expectations.
These are my 2 cents worth anyway
The young people accessing my service are homeless and mostly have drug and/or alcohol problems that they are struggling to overcome. The most useful way of assisting a young person in this lifestyle is through building a trusting and mutually respectful relationship.
ReplyDeleteIf I was having a drink and one of my young people entered the premises then a couple of issues would be important for me.
Firstly, the yp would see me as a normal person and not some sort of drugs and alcohol cop who can't relax with friends.
Secondly, my duty of care for that young person and my acknowledgement that alcohol consumption is a major problem for him/her would make me be friendly and welcoming but also dictate that our social contact would not continue beyond the initial contact. I have done this in the past and not had a bad reaction either at the time or through our ongoing professional relationship.
I have known youth workers who have partied with their young people and have assisted with illegal and unhealthy practises. I think this brings down the effectiveness of change in young peoples lives as well as the professional relationship that has been established.
My ideas around this dilemma are more general than specific to the problem. I do agree with previous posts. Something that may be helpful to incorporate into youth work practice when beginning the therapeutic youth work relationship is that we speak with the young person about the therapeutic relationship. What it is and what it is not. (This would be informed by our organisations Code of Ethics and our own professional ethics)For example, young people can be asked what they would like to see happen if they 'bump' into you (their youthworker) outside of the workplace. This is especially important in regional areas because it is likely to happen and issues of confidentiality are very important.
ReplyDeleteIt may be beneficial to the important relationship youth workers have with young people to find names for this relationship in collaboration with the young person so that all is out on the table. Assisting young people to see that the relationship is friendly and professional with certain negotiated boundaries can result in solid understandings for both the youth worker and the young person. This will create safety and sustain us in the work.
Once I was at a large shopping centre and came out of the cubicle of the toilet into the area where the basins are. A young person who I had been working with (as a sexual assault counsellor) was waiting to go in - she started screaming and screaming when she saw me, like in fright. I needed to think quickly about what to do - eventually she calmed down, it was like two of her worlds collided and 'freaked her out'.
Julie-Anne SSYS
Some questions I initially thought:
ReplyDeleteIs this pub 18+ or 21+? Sometimes bars are 18+ until 8p or 9p.
Does "happy" mean "buzzed" or slighty drunk?
I would continue to do what I was doing since I know I wouldn't be acting irresponsibly at a bar. I would not seek out conversation with the young person if they did not see me. If the young person walked up to talk to me I would talk to them. How couldn't you? I may not allow the conversation to last too long if I was closer to drunk than buzzed, but I would acknowledge them in either case. I think it would be damaging to your working relationship with the young person if you flat out ignored them in a public place.
Like I said, I know I'd be acting responsible so it would also be a good opportunity for the young person to see someone who is responsible when consuming alcohol.
I understand that people need their "wind down time" and their own space, but as a youth worker your work is your life. Well, I think it should be. You should not only be a youth worker M-F from 9-5, but rather 24/7. It's your job to help develop the positive development of young people when you have that capability. Not only when it's convenient for you.
OK well I've only just completed my youth work course but if you are asking for opinions I'll tell you mine yeah? Well firstly do you want your job or not? If you do stay away from her while being happy! Why is she your client? Shouldn't you be setting a good example. Right now she is probably thinking if she can go out and have a good time, then I'm legal to do it so next time I get drunk she can't "lecture" me. Make sense????
ReplyDeleteIf the client was to see me I wouldn't even acknowledge the client and would go about my business as usual and act lyke she aint there.
ReplyDeleteI would say a very brief hello and a few sentences of talk and then get back to being with my friends. I would probably go home /change venue if I felt like drinking more. I have seen this issue affect worker-client relationships in the past and the worker must always hold their integrity.
ReplyDeletein this situation it is important to remember that we as youth workers are mentors and role ,models for young people who may not have anyone else to look up to.. As an professional we know the Australian standards for drinking and what constitutes alcohol miss use i would hope to think that if we were counseling and giving advise and information to young people around healthy drinking habits that in public we would adhere to the standards of drinking.if the young person were to approach me in this setting i make polite small talk and then leave soon after.i think as a youth worker we remember to set boundaries not only for our clients but for yourself especially if we live in remote or rural areas where it is more likely to run into a client in a public place it is important for they young person to know that there are appropriate channels for referrals/services/support and making sure that these are strength based
ReplyDeleteliving in a small town i find this would be highly probable and could occur regularly. i would continue to go about my business , if my client hadnt spotted me i may suggest to my friends im with that maybe we could go elsewhere for a drink, but if my client had spotted me i would just give a friendly smile of acknowledgement and then go about my business , if the client came up to me and started a conversation i would answer friendly and politely and then excuse myself from the client and move to another area of the pub. it would probably also help if you were aware of your workplace code of conduct on this situation and abide by it if they have one.if you live in a small town where this occurance would be likely maybe you could also ask the client beforehand that " if you ever ran into each other socially what would the client like you to do about it and how would the client like you to respond to them " simply because the client may be embarressed or not want anyone to know that he/she is a client of yours.
ReplyDeleteI would say hello, and have quick chat but make it very clear that iam not at work and have to go. If you do have a drink with them it could change your realionship with that client. That young person might take it the wrong way and think you are now frends, might say things to other clints and could lose your job or respect of workers and/or clients.
ReplyDeleteAs a youth worker you are going to see your clients around from time to time.
ReplyDeleteIf I did see Belinda out at the local I would make sure to say hello to her but not get into a lengthy conversation with her. This will ensure the rapport is kept with her and the client/worker relationship is made separate.
When seeing Belinda again I would not mention the night out, if it was to be brought up it would be only done so if Belinda felt comfortable in doing so.
You must also remember as being a youth working in D/A that you kept your drink intake to a limit as to keep the clients confidence in you as a worker.
Where I do my work placement, we have a very strict rule that we don't acknowledge a client out of work. Only if they say hello to us. Then and only then do we say hello. Being a youth worker we have a responsibility to our clients and one of thoughs are confidentialty. We may jepordis our clients confidentialty, if we were to start up a conversation especially at a pub.
ReplyDeleteIf a client was to come up to me when I was not at work and ask me a question I would ask the client very polity to call me at work and we can address it then. Alot of people don't like to let people know that they are attending a youth centre or seeing a counsellor. So if we were to go up to a client out of the office, you could be putting this client in a very awkward situation and jepordising your raport with them.
being a parent and a youth worker it is our responsibility to act as a good role model at all times especially to people that are involved in our lives.
ReplyDeletehaving said that we are also entitled to have a few drinks or a cigarette in our own time without being judged or seen as a bad example. this is the right of anyone over 18 including the young person at the hotel.
to say hello to this youth would be more or less a given but to involve them in your personal life we would need to show discretion and therefore this environment where judgement could be clouded is one which would not be appropriate.
to build and nuture any relationship we all know that boundaries exist and im sure this situation is no different
peace and love to everyone
Why should i do anything apart from continueing what i was doing, enjoying myself. The yp may or may not have seen me so what she may be just having a much need night out with some friends as well. Being a youth worker does not make us God. We are mere mortals who choose to work with youth therefore them seeing us in a very normal setting enjoying ourselves with our own friends only helps to prove to them that we can relate to them and there proplems on a level playing field
ReplyDeleteIf this was me I would continue doing exactly what I had been doing before the 18 year old client Belinda started making her way toward me. If Belinda chose to say hi and then bye, that would be beneficial but I would be telling her rather politely if she wished to persist with a conversation, and with a witness present, that this is my time to myself and that she should respect the fact that I am not at work and therefore not available to her as an advocate or a friend. Draw a boundary and tell her she is welcome at the youth centre!
ReplyDelete