Retired cards (September 2026)

A visual diagram of a client's connections to systems and resources in their environment (family, work, agencies), showing the strength and nature of those relationships.

An approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, avoids re-traumatization, and emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.

Grief that occurs before an expected loss (e.g., during a terminal illness), allowing some emotional preparation.

Social workers respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals. Social workers may limit clients' right to self-determination only when clients' actions or potential actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others.

A process by which the social worker provides services only in the context of a valid consent based on clear and understandable language that informs clients of the purpose of services, risks, limits of services due to third-party payers, relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, the client's right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the consent.

Social workers should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons. The general expectation that information will be kept confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or others.