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Technology and Social Work
Today’s social workers are surrounded by technology that has changed the way they practice. Most of us can hardly imagine returning to the days before this technology existed. Technology has also caused unprecedented ethical challenges for social workers, primarily in the fields of communication and service delivery. How does (or doesn’t) your agency utilize technology with their clients? Do you see any ethical dilemmas at your site due to the increased use of technology? Discuss with your supervisor how technology hurts or hinders the ability to help the clients they serve. Students should write a 1-2 page paper detailing how technology is utilized at their internship and the pros/cons associated with it.
Notes : I intern at an agency that assists individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, therefore, due to the pandemic, the internship is remote, and as a result, there is a technology barrier. Some need extra assistance because they don’t know how to use a laptop or their phones, they have difficulty joining zoom meetings, or even sending (forwarding, sending, or replying to emails). The department I work for is the department of employment & business services where we help these candidates obtain and maintain jobs, and most of the interviews are video chat, phone, or even questionnaires/assessments but it is hard for them to access or perform.

Another challenge would be a lack of interest and engagement/involvement. I co-facilitate a group and because of the population and their disabilities, it is hard to meet on a zoom meeting than in person, this is due because of their lack of span, or distractions or lack of interpersonal skills. 
agency internship info- https://www.ahrcnyc.org/about/careers/
Ethical dilemmas – Leaving private information about individuals on the screen (since the internship is remote and some employers work at home too, anyone can see the information. Also, there’s a lack of privacy, sometimes we need to access people’s emails to help them with the application process or onboarding process therefore we see lots of their private emails when accessing. We never break confidentiality however, privacy is limited because of this technology barrier. When at meetings, most candidates are home and the meetings are exposed to those in the background or vise versa. It has been really difficult to get in contact with clients because of the pandemic which has hindered the ability to help clients, but we try to get in contact with their family members. The pros are that it speeds up the process (if the client is accessible) instead of having them normally go to the office in person but most files are in the office so if we don’t have their resume or other documents then it slows it down and it may put their case on pause.Â