I’m a social worker experiencing suicidal ideation..what do I do now? Part 4

The next part in this series looks at the implications on our license and being aware of some very real questions and thoughts to ponder when navigating this very tricky experience.

What about my license?

Another concern many of us in the field have when we are experiencing suicidal ideation is how this will impact our license.  Every state in the US has a licensing process which including specific schooling, supervision hours, work hours, and passing the ASWB examination.  It also involves adhering a code of ethics set by the National Association of Social Workers and state licensing regulations.  Their regulations, while are not easy to read, set out code of conduct and standards that a licensed social worker is obligated to adhere to in order to obtain their license. Because a social worker is in a safety sensitive position, they are held to a high standard of conduct in order to not cause harm to the people being served.

Licensing Board:

The licensing board in Michigan is called LARA or Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs does not specifically say that a person with mental health or suicidal ideation would be a harm or risk to clients.  It would depend on the severity of impairment and their ability to practice.  It appears that it might be a case by case basis depending on the totality of the circumstances.  There is nothing in the regulatory rules that explicitly state that being a social worker with suicidal ideation would mean an automatic suspension or revocation of a license.  If a social work professional finds themselves struggling with suicidal ideation, they could be referred to a program in Michigan called the Health Professional Recovery Program(HPRP).  This referral could happen if their conduct had a significant impact on their position and it can be self-referral or through an employer.  This referral could also happen if a person is convicted of a crime involving their mental health or substance abuse needs.  

The licensing board does require self-reporting through the the licensing renewal process when a social worker is convicted of a crime (felony or misdemeanor) along with any malpractice issues or other conduct that would call into question their professional integrity.   This too could trigger an assessment for HPRP for treatment and one that would be required to complete by the licensing board. 

NASW Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics is clear that social workers are obligated to operate in their scope of practice and operate in a competent way. This means social workers cannot be operating when they are impaired.  Impairment can be seen in a number of ways including due to substance use issues (obviously being high or intoxicated during contact with client is not okay) or it can be due to mental health issues.  This can be tricky to determine if having depression/anxiety or suicidal ideation would be an impairment or impair a social worker’s ability to be a competent professional.  One could make a case for either side of the line however it is not clear to what extent a person is impaired due to suicidal ideation (SI) or what type of would indicate impairment.  As a social worker, we are aware someone can have passive or active SI at various times in their mental health experience.  

The NASW code that points to in this direction is 4.05.  Another part of the code is 2.08 and 2.09 which refers to the ethical responsibility that colleagues have to each other.  This could mean if a social worker knows another social worker is experiencing suicidal ideation and/or specific mental health needs, they could report them to the state licensing board. This specific code section of the ethics is unclear as to whether another social worker or even supervisor is obligated to make this report or even if there is another approach that is more beneficial to the social worker experiencing suicidal ideation.

Questions to Ponder:

Perhaps the question should be what is best for the social worker who is struggling?  Like our clients, is it best to have them placed inpatient or to help to be safe in whatever way is beneficial for them?  Would it be beneficial for a social worker to be reported or to get treatment?  I tend to think it is more beneficial for the person to get treatment.  Reporting a social worker could serve to make the suicidal ideation work and/or lead to a tragic outcome including dying by suicide. 

If this is a social worker we don’t know, we are making a very substantial judgment on their competency when they are experiencing suicidal ideation.  We don’t know if they are incompetent or impaired.  Because suicidal ideation has several nuances to it, we would need to know how often, how severe, what is their support and so on.  We also should know if they are already getting helping and where they are at in the process. Perhaps much of these questions are no our business or relevant to our ability to help them.  As a social worker working with another one experiencing SI, is this our line to stay in?

It might also be important to look at the consequences to these actions including loss of a license, loss of employment, maybe loss of the medical benefits they need in order to seek treatment and other financial consequences for this report.  Also, what type of dynamic are we setting up for being a function of surveillance with another clinician verses using our clinical skills to get person help. 

What’s next?

  The next part in this series will look at the nature of depression and how this can trick us into believing lies about ourselves, about others and the world in general.  It will skew our perception of the world, isolate us and alter our perception of what is happening to us.  Much like any medical issue, it needs to be treated and recovery is possible.  

If you like what you are reading, please subscribe to my blog or follow me on social media through Instagram @laurieeldred_lmsw_caadc or You Tube @justasocialworker.  I would love to hear from you including thoughts for new blog posts, thoughts on your experience as a social worker or thoughts about the social work profession.