Digital Communication Power Tools: Speakers Notes version

The Digital Communication Power Tools Transforming Social Work Today

Marilyn Herie PhD RSW

Ontario Association of Social WorkersProvincial ConferenceNovember 10, 2012

Invited Keynote presentation: http://www.oasw.org/public/membership‐benefits/oasw‐conference‐2012.aspx

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Marilyn Herie PhD RSW

Dr. Herie is Director of the TEACH Project, a University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine Certificate Program in Cessation Counselling at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where she incorporates distributed learning and social media in reaching professionals from across Canada and from over 15 disciplines. As well as being Director of the University of Toronto's Collaborative Program in Addiction Studies, Dr. Herie has engaged in research and education focused on online clinical education in social work and has taught a Masters‐level online addictions MSW course for nearly 10 years.

http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/marilyn‐herie/39/161/945

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Looking forward with a hurricane at our back

The subtitle of this talk – it is not whether to adopt or get on board with these digital tools – it is how we will participate

This is already a reality for our profession, and the momentum is building.

Now, some may be looking for the evacuation route!

But ahead actually lies great opportunity, as well as some peril. This is where we are going to focus – how to make the most of the opportunities, while not ignoring the negative potential that is inherent in any tool. And keeping in mind that digital tools are, first and foremost, tools (not ends in themselves).

So…I invite you to accompany me on this journey.

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social media collaboration e-therapy

I will focus on three general areas

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the digital tools that best fit your professional objectives and needs

2. Anticipate upcoming trends and implications for your practice

3. Access resources and tips for using these tools to their full potential

And these three areas will address the above learning objectives.

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Some caveats:I was alive before email

I was alive before the world wide webI was alive before personal computers

In fact, I once typed university research papers – albeit on an electric typewriter.

However we are all beginners at this, because technology is such a moving target. We are all always learning and relearning.

And YOU also bring a wealth of expertise and wisdom/experience!

social media collaboration e-therapy

Take a couple of minutes and reflect on what you are ALREADY doing in these three areas

social media collaboration e-therapy• Webinar, web conference• Screenr, Vimeo• Online course• Wikis• Google+• Twitterchat• E‐therapy• Other?

• Facebook• LinkedIn• Twitter• YouTube• Wordpress, Blogger• Pintrest, Tumblr• Stumbleupon• Reddit

What is your experience? How do these examples fit? What is missing from this list?

So many possibilities, so little time?

It seems like there are so many tools and applications to master or tend – how is it possible for a busy practitioner to keep up?

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External Factors

Perceived Usefulness

Perceived Ease of Use

Attitude BehaviourIntention to use

Technology Use

Technology Acceptance Model (TAM):Ease of use and usefulness will predict an individual’s attitudes towards, intention to use, and acceptance of the technology

McGowan et al., 2012. Understanding the Factors That Influence the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Social Media by Physicians to Share Medical Information. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

I like to start with a theoretical framework, and TAM hypothesizes that time may not be the most important predictor of technology acceptance/use by practitioners.

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“It appears that the frequency of social media usage is influenced primarily by positive attitudes toward the technology, perceiving that the technology is easy to use, and perceiving the technology to be useful to achieve better performance outcomes. Conversely, factors found to be nonsignificant included demographic variables typically perceived as important, such as years since graduation (a proxy for age), gender, patients seen per week (a proxy for how busy a physician is), and type of specialty. This finding is consistent with other studies, which have shown practice-related characteristics to be unassociated with use of Internet-based communication technologies.”

McGowan et al., 2012. Understanding the Factors That Influence the Adoption and Meaningful Use of Social Media by Physicians to Share Medical Information. Journal of Medical Internet Research.

In other words, OLD and BUSY practitioners are just as likely to use technology.My goal in this presentation is to demystify and demonstrate the utility of some key applications for clinical practitioners (ease of use + utility)

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Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)“A PLN is a system for lifelong learning”

http://edudemic.com/2012/10/build-personal-learning-network/

Blogs

WikisProfessional

Profiles

News AggregatorsBackchanelling

of conferences

Webinars

Social Networking

Social Bookmarking

Microblogging

And to consider how all of these fit together synergistically to comprise your very own PLN

http://educateria.com/2012/10/24/personal‐learning‐networks‐plns/

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Topic #1: Social Media

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The key is to remember that you are jumping into a much bigger pool

i. e.: The world

Let’s look at some key social media applications, but first, a few words about privacy

Many practitioners avoid social media due to privacy concerns. This is justified, and in some cases any online presence may be undesirable.

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Who has a smart phone?

But let’s try an activity…

1. Choose a random person in the audience

2. Ask their name3. Google them4. How many hits? 5. What comes up?

Or…when was the last time you searched yourself online?Was there anything that surprised you in response to this activity?

The Paradox of Online Identity

The question is: Who controls it?

The paradox is this:We hold ourselves back from participating in social media in order to better manage our online identity; yet by not participating we lose control over ways of presenting ourselves online

The majority of people already have some type of online identity regardless of personal preference.

Your Online Identity = Your “Brand”

Social media tools can help you manage and define yourself online.

Use the Security Settings

• Be judicious• But remember that you are probably more visible than you think

• Do an online search of yourself – regularly• Ask an expert (teenager) for help!

But, determine your own individual privacy threshold, and take steps to ensure that you understand and use the security settings among the various tools/applications.

• Facebook• LinkedIn• Google+• Twitter • YouTube

• Slideshare• Pinterest• Stumbleupon• Screenr

Let’s look at these select applications, keeping in mind that this represents only a fraction of what is out there.

JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, 31(3):215–219, 2011

Medicine and Medical education are frontrunners in research and publications on social media applications


• Slideshare• Pinterest• Stumbleupon• Reddit• Screenr

Let’s start with the “big four”

A 15 year old’s perspective…

How does a teenager regard these four applications – in one sentence or less?

A 15 year old’s perspective…• Facebook:

“There’s a lot of ads but it’s really good”

• LinkedIn:“Nobody uses LinkedIn in unless you have, like, a job”

• Google+:“nobody has Google+”

• Twitter:“It’s good for keeping track of things”

Interesting how these statements in fact capture an essential element within each application.

A 15 year old’s perspective…• Facebook:

“There’s a lot of ads but it’s really good”

• LinkedIn:“Nobody uses LinkedIn in unless you have, like, a job”

• Google+:“nobody has Google+”

• Twitter:“It’s good for keeping track of things”

Including much chatter on the Internet about the extent to which Google+ has as much adoption and traffic/sharing as promos suggest?

Graphic from:

http://mashable.com/2012/08/08/infographic‐google‐plus‐ghost‐town/

http://mashable.com/2012/08/08/infographic-google-plus-ghost-town/

This Infographic on Mashable.com illustrates that G+ is well behind the other three applications.

Looking for a job or wanting to network/collaborate with other professionals?

Wanting to share information, invite feedback/contributions, and follow others?

Wanting to push out links/short reflections and follow others?

What’s right for you? Are you….

How do I decide? Here are some suggestions.

http://www.facebook.com/profilesinsocialwork

And here is a small example of the wealth of resources and information available through social media.

Let’s talk about Linked in.Are you on Linked in? If you are, are you using it to its full potential?

For example, do you belong/participate in any active discussion groups focused on your area of specialty? Do you share updates with people in your network?

If you aren’t on LinkedIn, as a professional, this one is a must‐do.

Now let’s talk about Twitter

Twitter

I don’t have a lot of followers, nor do I follow a lot of people or organizations. I am strategic about who I follow and Twitter has been a major source of cutting edge ideas and developments in clinical education.

I love how I am learning about innovations on Twitter long before I see them anywhere else.

Everything about you in

160 characters or less

Profile

So…if you’re not already on Twitter, you need to craft a profile of no more than 160 characters.

Here’s an example of my Twitter profile, but there are lots of great (better!) examples out there.

Try doing an online search for “Top Twitter Profiles” to get some ideas and inspiration.

Quick Twitter Tips

• # (hashtag): categorizes tweets – there is a taxonomy of hashtags, or you can create your own (www.hashtags.org)

• @MarilynHerie: Twitter handle – how your Tweets will appear

• 140 characters max• If sending a link, make it into a “Tiny URL”

Twitter is especially good for sharing links to interesting/important/entertaining content to others in your network. TinyURL is an example of a free online application to shorten the URL so that it can fit in the 140 character limit of a tweet (see next slide).

Like I said, there are lots of other applications out there – this happens to be the one that I like and use.

Twitter Practice

• What is something that is unique to me?

• What is something I have experienced that others may identify with?

http://kellyburstow.com/2011/10/how-to-write-a-twitter-bio/

Here are some key questions to get you started writing (or revising) your Twitter bio.

Twitter Practice

• Turn to the person behind you

• If you’re on Twitter: – Share your handle and bio– Who do you follow and why?

• If you’re not on Twitter:– What would you say about yourself in your brief bio?

– Practice writing a “Tweet”about this session

What’s your bio?Who do you follow?

Who will you follow as a result of networking with others and exploring their interests?

• Facebook• LinkedIn• Google+• Twitter• YouTube

• Slideshare• Pinterest• Stumbleupon• Screenr

Now let’s talk about YouTube…

More than just cat videos

The two talking cats? Really?If you need to see this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

Wow – I love this video so much. It makes me happy just looking at this.

Create Video Content To…

• Share research findings• Demonstrate clinical skills• Hear from stakeholders, guest experts, etc.• Disseminate talks or presentations• Video Blogging (Vlogging)

But YouTube is so much more than cat/music/etc videos. Here are some suggested applications to consider in using this powerful dissemination and communication tool at a professional or organization level.

https://www.youtube.com/user/teachproject

For example, our teachproject.ca has a YouTube channel, with thousands of hits on our information and clinical demonstration videos.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=79YTuZUFRIc

But…a note of caution…this video, quite popular on our TEACH YouTube channel…


…has been syndicated to numerous other websites.


It’s not a huge problem, but something to keep in mind as you may or may not approve of the sites that syndicate your content.

http://vimeo.com/

For this reason, many professionals and organizations are choosing Vimeo.

“Online video has become synonymous with YouTube. Its size and high profile make it an obvious consideration for hosting your business videos — and of course, it’s free. On the other hand, Vimeo has built its reputation on providing a professional platform with advanced features and a more engaged audience.When choosing the best platform to host your business videos, consider the goal of your campaign (views vs. engagement), your budget, and your brand itself. YouTube may be more suitable if high volume and high exposure are key considerations for your videos. If brand reputation and detailed analytics are more important, then Vimeo may be the better choice. In either case, your business will benefit from being part of the vastly popular, online video movement.”

http://sproutsocial.com/insights/2011/08/youtube‐vs‐vimeo‐business/


• Pinterest• Stumbleupon• Slideshare• Screenr

Now let’s look briefly at some other interesting social media applications

http://pinterest.com/

Pinterest seems to be gaining on Twitter. I am not personally a huge fan or user, but the penny dropped as to why Pinterest is so appealing when I saw the Pin Board on the next slide…

http://pinterest.com/rtkrum/infographic-visual-resumes/

This concept – Infographic CVs – is so obvious and compelling, and I love how the examples are curated and collected here.

I was inspired to attempt my own Infographic CV – nothing as visually elegant and accomplished as those other ones, but a fun exercise and challenge.

Also a way to differentiate how you present yourself professionally to prospective or current employers.

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2012/07/26/forget-about-me-vizify-is-your-new-online-profile-of-choice-invites/

And the new kid on the block – Vizify – takes the concept of infographic CV and puts it into an online application/community.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/home

This site is just fun. Stumbleupon can progressively shape recommendations based on your likes and dislikes of websites that you “stumble”

For example: this one came up for me in a recent stumble.

http://www.slideshare.net/mherie/mini-med-delightful-poison-pub#remove_related_cta

Slideshare is another great tool to publish and disseminate slide decks and presentations, and to search and see what others are doing in a specific area.

http://www.screenr.com/

And Screenr is a great way to illustrate how to access information or use computer applications. It’s super‐easy to create a video/audio recording and share.

Lots of food for thought! Now let’s move on…

Group 2: Collaboration and Networking

Collaboration Tools

• Blogging• Webinars, webconferencing• Wikis

In this section we’ll look at these three tools:Blogging, webinars and wikis

Collaboration Tools


What would you name it?

Do you have a blog? What’s it called?If you did have a blog, what would you name it?

Finding the “perfect” name: pithy, memorable, descriptive, can be a challenge.

What blog names have others used?How did you decide?

Do an online search for examples of blog names, or ask others about names they’ve used or considered.

http://wordoid.com/

One tool – and there are numerous others – that can help inspire or give ideas is Wordoid. You input a particular topic or word(s) and the application generates variations that sound like real words.

Educateria

And that is how I came up with the name of my education blog: Educateria(www.educateria.com)

I liked the idea and image of a cafeteria – an array of different dishes from which a person could choose, based on tastes and preferences.The tagline for my blog describes this: “A balanced diet of tips and reflections for educators and presenters”

http://blog-services-review.toptenreviews.com/

So you’ve chosen a name…what platform should you use?This review article nicely compares the pros and cons of different blogging platforms to help you decide which one is right for you.

http://educateria.com/

TemplateTitle

Description

Banner Image

Optional Picture

I have chosen Wordpress for my blog. This slide illustrates the different components that you can populate once you sign up and get started.

http://educateria.com/

Post Title

Subtitle

Categories/Tags

Blogging seems to be very underutilized in social work and human services – at personal/professional/organizational levels.

Yet it can be a powerful reflective and communication tool, and a way to invite others into an ongoing conversation.

Where do the cool people hang out?

Right now there is one blog that is cooler than the rest.Can you guess what it is?

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8znioL6Ti1rx2uiqo1_500.png

These random images, for me, speak to the proto‐typical tumblr images.Tumblr is beautiful, hip, young and “out there”

You might be thinking – this is WAY out of my comfort zone – forget tumblr!

BUT – even if you aren’t on, someone might still be looking for you on that platform.For example, I searched “CAMH tumblr”…

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/camh

And when I looked through tumblr posts #camh I honestly wasn’t sure if I was looking at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health or not???

http://camh.tumblr.com/

The actual CAMH tumblr page helped clarify:Contemporary Art Museum of Houston

Oh…that camh!

http://web.stagram.com/tag/camh/

But it looks like I am not the only person who has done this search and been confused.(White squirrels are unique and known to live around the Toronto CAMH Queen Street campus.)

Take‐Home Messages

• You might be online even if it’s not “you”• Consider a “placeholder” with some content across platforms, especially if you/your organization’s name is not unique

• Don’t assume you/your organization’s name is unique

• Even if you don’t use a platform, someone else might be searching for you on it

So here are some thoughts to consider, even if you aren’t sure that a particular platform is for you.

Especially as an organization, it may make sense to have a presence across platforms.

How do I decide?1. Do I want to install, configure, and host my blog myself, or

would I rather rely on a hosted service? 2. Do I want to create my own blog theme, or am I satisfied

with using or customizing an existing theme? 3. Do I want to be able to install custom plug‐ins or am I

satisfied with the functionality that is built‐in to the platform I choose?

4. Will I be writing more long‐form posts or posting cool things I find online? Or do I need to be able to do both?

5. Do I want others to be able to comment on my post and interact with my content in a social way, or do I just want to be able to have a place to post my writing where people can read it and nobody can bother me?

6. Am I willing to pay for this blogging platform?

http://lifehacker.com/5878847/which-blogging-platform-should-i-use

This article at Lifehacker.com gives some great questions and suggestions to help you to decide which blogging platform is a good fit for your objectives and style.

Collaboration Tools


OK. Let’s talk webinars.

Webinars

I’d like to draw some contrast around “fantasy” versus “reality” when discussing the potential of these tools for collaboration and networking.

The ideal is interconnectedness and vibrant online collaboration!How does this fit with reality? How many webinars have you attended that achieve this ideal?

Unfortunately the reality is often more like watching a really boring TV show

Who has presented a webinar as a speaker/facilitator?

What have you learned from your own experiences facilitating or participating in webinars or web/video conferences?

These valuable experiences about the process yield some important “best practice”tips.

Just in case you are new to webinars, here’s an example of the screen that users see when they log in. (This was from a session that I facilitated on Motivational Interviewing in fall 2012).

Note the chat box on the lower left side of the screen – that is a powerful (and under‐used) enhancement to webinars, especially with large groups of participants.

How can we leverage the technology to really get active participation and collaboration?

Six Webinar Tips

1. It might not be a webinar2. I like text chat better than voice3. Prime participants to participate4. You can’t do it all5. Ready for your close‐up6. Less text more pictures

http://educateria.com/2012/10/02/quick-tips-for-faclitating-webinars/

Here are some tips from my blog post on facilitating webinars:It might not be a webinar: Sometimes network connections fail, either at your end or

for participants. Send out a complete slide deck ahead of time and have a teleconference line just in case.

I like text chat better than voice: In webinars, text chat is really seamless, especially with large groups (e.g., 100 or more). Encourage people to chat with each‐other as well as the facilitator throughout the webinar. This brings me to two more points:

Prime participants to participate:Most people regard online, text‐based communication as more an act of publishing than as an act of speech. This cognition tends to constrain spontaneous conversation, so I ask participants to write down at least one question ahead of time. That way people are “primed” to participate, and once the ice is broken the group can really take off.

You can’t do it all:With lots of sidebar chat it’s pretty much impossible to present AND read comments/questions at the same time. Having a moderator to help cue the presenter with key questions or pauses is essential.

Ready for your close‐up: Built‐in computer webcams tend not to give the most flattering angle. Use a separate webcam for better camera postioning, add extra light, and talk to the camera. Participants want to feel connected to the facilitator.

Less text more pictures: If text‐heavy presentations are boring in person, they are even more deadly by webinar. (Plus, disengaged participants will toggle back and forth between a boring webinar and another, more interesting, website). Keep people engaged with well‐designed content and activities.

Virtual Meetings & Tele‐socialwork

This is a FANTASY of a videoconference…

In my experience, it looks more like this (dark room, not especially excited and engaged audience)

The truth is, it takes a great deal of planning and finesse in facilitation (and materials) to create a successful videoconference.As the technology becomes more accessible and comfortable for people and organizations, this is starting to change and become more natural and dynamic.

http://otn.ca/

The Ontario Telemedicine Network is a wonderful resource, and can help with planning and “best practices” in running these types of events, including virtual treatment consultations.

http://www.gotomeeting.ca/fec/

There are numerous applications for web conferencing as well – this is one that I have used and is intuitive and a nice interface.

Collaboration Tools


Now, on to wikis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Social_Work

Wikis can be tricky.They can harness the very best (as well as the worst) of crowdsourcing and group wisdom. However, creating the momentum and sustaining a dynamic and engaged community of contributors is not easy. Most people tend to “lurk” versus contribute, and it takes time, effort and resources to mobilize the group and sustain a community.

Last but not least…let’s look at e‐therapy.Do you provide e‐therapy? (majority would say “no”)

Do you think that you may be providing e‐therapy in the next 5‐10 years? (majority would say “yes”)

E‐Therapy

• 1st provision of behavioural health services delivered from a distance… 1959

Considerations for the provision of e-therapy, SAMHSA, 2009

This earliest documented telepsychiatry intervention was from the Nebraska psychiatric institute – where a television link used to provide consultation to patients.

http://newsmagazine.oasw.org/magazine.cfm?magazineid=9&articleid=155

And e‐therapy – and attendant opportunities and issues – are the focus of increasing attention within social work and other helping professions.

This article by Paul Parnass in the OASW Newsmagazine gives a great overview and discussion for practitioners.

http://www.ocswssw.org/docs/newslettereng_fall2011-rev5-final-ya.pdf?LanguageID=EN-US

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) has also written about social media and e‐therapy in their “Practice Notes” series, highlighting some important ideas and things to consider.

Clinical Social Work Journal, published online Feb 2012

And this recent article by Mishna et al. is a wonderful example of the power of qualitative research to hone in on thematic observations and issues that are of paramount relevance to clinical practice. Highly recommended reading for ALL practitioners, regardless of discipline and level of interest in social media and e‐therapy.

Because a take‐home message from this research is that we are all affected – and will be increasingly affected – by our patients’ and our own uptake of these tools and applications.

“It Just Crept In”

Mishna et. al., 2012

• Client‐driven practice• Pandora’s Box• Ethical gray zone• Permeable boundaries

These are the four themes that stood out from the research that Mishna et al. conducted. Again, a must‐read!

http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Considerations-for-the-Provision-of-E-Therapy/SMA09-4450

This publication by SAMHSA – available for free download – is also relevant across disciplines and specialties, and provides a rich discussion of logistical, ethical and practice issues relating to the provision of e‐therapy.

What is e‐therapy?“The use of electronic media and information technologies to provide services for participants in different locations”


What is e‐therapy? Here is a working definition from the SAMHSA document.

Applications

• Psychoeducation• General counselling• Self‐help• CBT


How can e‐therapy be applied?Across a range of practice approaches, including self‐help.

For diverse issues, including…

• Substance dependence treatment• Panic disorder• Public speaking anxiety• Agoraphobia• Eating disorders• Depression


For what kinds of issues?Again, e‐therapy has been used and evaluated across a range of presenting issues.

E‐Therapy Platforms

Text-Based Non-Text-Based

Synchronous Internet Messaging (IM)

Online ChatText message

TelephoneVideo-conferenceWeb-conference

Asynchronous EmailDiscussion board/Online forumComments on

blogs, vlogs

FaxVideoVoice recording

I have roughly divided e‐therapy applications into this 2 x 2 table. Note that there is some overlap across some of the categories, and e‐therapy may use numerous communication strategies that encompass both synchronous (real‐time) and asynchronous (not at the same time) communication/counselling styles and methods.

Pros and Cons of E‐Therapy

• Accessibility• Cost• Continuity of care• Demand• Stigma of accessing community resources

• Privacy

• Digital divide• Confidentiality• Technology failures• Communication barriers (e.g., linguistic competence, communication norms)

• Emergencies/crises


These pros and cons are explained in more detail in the SAMHSA document, and are merely highlighted here.

There has been growing research interest and publications on evaluating e‐therapy. The following are three interesting research studies, with some key points highlighted.

Small comparison study of online vs face-to-face manualized group CBT counselling for clients with disordered eating

“Significant improvements on all outcome variables were observed and maintained at follow-up in both groups”

Take home message: Brief group CBT therapy appears to be adaptable to an online, synchronous (chat room/discussion board) delivery context

Small, self-selected sample of online therapy consumers

“Exceeding expectations and despite low power, results on the composite scale and goal subscale of the WAI were significantly higher than those from the representative sample of face-to-face clients”

Take home message: Participants corresponding with therapists using more than one online modality demonstrated stronger working alliance

Meta-analysis of 56 studies published between 1998-2010

“Direct comparisons favour FTFIs over CDIs although the incremental effect is small”

Take home message: Research needs to go beyond simple efficacy evaluations and investigate specific intervention components and their applications in CDIs

Research Issues

• Small sample sizes• High dropout• Lack of comparison groups• Diversity of delivery modes• Lack of standardized interventions


Overall, however, research – especially high‐quality research – is lacking in this area.Therefore, proceed with caution, recognizing that evidence‐informed approaches are less developed for e‐therapy at this time.

Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues

• Confidentiality: – Records can be breached/not easily deleted– Client forwards correspondence to third party

• May favour more affluent, literate, educated• How do we know it works? Outcomes?• Foremost clinical decision is whether to provide treatment

• Jurisdictional issues• Scope of practice• Which region’s regulations take precedence?


Practitioners also need to consider numerous ethical and regulatory issues that may not be clearly defined, and can impact professional practice.

Informed Consent

• Treatment process/procedures• Benefits and risks• Actions taken to prevent risks• Procedures for emergencies• Confidentiality and safeguards

And finally, it’s important to note that informed consent on the part of clients needs to address these general areas – and in the case of e‐therapy, to outline the specific and unique actions and procedures that will apply to virtual counselling contexts.

Well, we have gathered together a bouquet…(+ one goldfish, just to make sure you’ve been paying attention)

… of ideas, reflections, tips and resources.

Lots to think about, and the terrain is changing even right now, at this very moment.

This presentation represents small windows into a vast space, but has hopefully delineated some of the areas to pay attention to, and provided a rationale for WHY you might use these tools in professional practice, and HOW you can go about getting started or using the tools to an even greater potential.

Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor.

‐ Aldous Huxley

And, of course, as you reach proficiency in anything, that becomes the foundation to take it to the next level.

SummaryUtility and ease of use are better predictors of uptake than time, age or specialty

You likely already have an online identity – social media can help you further control and define it + establish PLNs

Social media tools go far beyond vehicles for corporate communication

Online collaboration and discussion (blogging, micro-blogging, wikis, etc.) can further reflective practice and knowledge sharing/exchange

People – clients, students, peers and others – are already driving change

Some disciplines (for example Medicine) are ahead of the curve in adoption, evaluation and research

The collaborative and systems orientation of social work may be a natural fit with these new and emerging technologies

In summary…here is an overview of key points.

More than anything else, I hope that this presentation sparks your interest, curiosity, motivation to continue to explore and make use of these powerful tools for collaboration, sharing and creative innovation.

We are all inventors

And here is a concluding quotation, because I love quotes.

Each sailing on a voyage of discovery

Guided each by a private chartOf which there is no duplicate.

The world is all gatesAll opportunities.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

[email protected]

www.educateria.com

@MarilynHerie

Thanks for tuning in!

Digital Communication Power Tools: Speakers Notes version

Education

Transcript of Digital Communication Power Tools: Speakers Notes version