Why did Angelina become so anxious when her husband said he invited Raymond and Jacob for Christmas dinner?

Question

Social worker Angelina Pettit enjoyed practicing in a faith-based agency, where she found deep personal meaning in her work with clients. However, the work was complicated by the agencyís integral connections with her church. Her husband, Philip, a group leader in their church, invited Jacob and Raymond, two single men in his group and the church who were also Angelinaís clients, to their home for Christmas dinner. Angelina generally felt successful in managing her dual relationships, but it seemed this situation was hitting ìtoo close to home.î Their coming to dinner could challenge her sense of professionalism regarding dual relationships. But, she felt compelled to follow her faith and belief that individuals should not be alone during the Christmas season, and that celebrating community and being loved within the church family was important.

Answer 1

Angelina had never specifically invited her clients to her home for an evening dinner. Though this invitation to people at church who were alone was part of their Christmas celebration, never before in her previous job had she come up against the possibility that her fellow congregants were also her clients. Angelina felt conflicted at various levels:
First, she considered whether this was or could become an ethical dilemma according to the NASW Code of Ethics. The Code discouraged dual relationships, and having Raymond and Jacob as dinner guests seemed to intensify this type of relationship.
Second, Angelina feared that this invitation might damage her professional relationship with Raymond and Jacob. For months, she had worked at establishing her therapeutic role as social worker while at IMH. Professionally, she did not want to damage this relationship. If her clients experienced a more intimate interaction with Angelina and her husband, it would be possible that she or Raymond and Jacob could exploit their therapeutic relationships. For example, Angelina may expect more from her clients at work or during her interactions with them, and become personally disappointed if they cannot accomplish a task or complete a therapeutic goal. Conversely, Raymond and Jacob might expect their social worker to become more of a friend at work as they experienced at the dinner table. Potentially, both these expectations might harm the clients and the practitioner.
Third, although her therapeutic role as social worker was important, Angelina felt persuaded by her religious convictions that people, regardless of her professional relationships with them, should not spend the holiday alone. Her personal values and ethics seemed to be pulling her one way and her professional values and ethics were pulling her another.
Fourth, Angelina considered what having her clients over might do to her professional reputation. Not understanding that Angelina and her clients attended the same church and lived in the same community, social work colleagues might believe she was violating professional boundaries with her clients.
Fifth, Raymond and Jacob were in Philipís fellowship group, and she was concerned that her decision might negatively affect his role and friendship with them, as well as her relationship with her husband. If she decided not to have them over, Philip would have to explain to the brothers why he was uninviting them.