Problem
Imagine you are a supervisor at an agency providing services for domestic violence victims. A social worker has called you at home to report that a client has informed the social worker that her abusive partner has threatened, in the veiled way that he is prone to doing, to harm the client and her friends or family. The social worker lets you know that the abusive partner has followed through on his threats before but not all the time.
A. Write how you as the supervisor as well as the social worker in contact with the client should deal with this situation.
B. How do you respond during the call?
C. Does this social worker tend to take to heart too many stories that clients relate?
D. Should the social worker believe the client and do something right away to get her to safety?
E. If the social worker states their worry that someone might just die tonight without an intervention, what is your advice?
F. In this situation, discuss the power differentials between you as a leader, the social worker, and the client.