SPRn8881 Professional Boundaries

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Asynchronous teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Pavel Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Lukáš Kytka (lecturer)
Mgr. Linda Koshi (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Pavel Navrátil, Ph.D.
Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Supplier department: Department of Social Policy and Social Work – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
Sat 5. 10. 13:00–14:40 U42, 15:00–16:40 U42, 17:00–18:40 U42, Sat 19. 10. 15:00–16:40 U35, 17:00–18:40 U35
Prerequisites
Prerequisites are not set
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Professional boundaries are the cornerstone of effective social work. There is disagreement about exactly where to draw the boundary line, but almost everyone agrees that the line must be drawn. Modern professional boundaries in social worker-client relationships are derived from a variety of sources. Some are drawn from legislation (government documents), some are set out and codified in social service quality standards, some are generally considered best practice, and some can be found in organisations' policies and procedures. Professional boundaries are motivated by many different factors: health and safety concerns, knowledge of helping processes, practical considerations, funding, client and worker safety. Maintaining boundaries is a bit like walking a tightrope, trying to maintain a balance between different elements. The social worker must be able to build and maintain a good, close, trusting relationship with their clients, while at the same time maintaining professional distance. The course therefore focuses on reflection and the search for professional boundaries.
Learning outcomes
Acquired knowledge
In this course, students will learn about boundary theory(s), which come mainly from social work, counselling and psychotherapeutic settings. The course will introduce principles and starting points for reflecting on boundaries in professional relationships, drawing on, for example, cognitive behavioural approaches, motivational interviewing and solution-focused schools that are relevant to boundary work.

Skills learned
The course leads to reflection on one's own management of professional boundaries and the ability to shape and maintain professional boundaries for the benefit of the client and the social worker.
Syllabus
  • Lesson 1 Introduction
  • Lesson 2 How Tight Are Your Boundaries?
  • Lesson 3 Why do we have boundaries?
  • Lesson 4 About professional boundaries in general
  • Lesson 5 Confidentiality in a professional relationship
  • Lesson 6 The beginnings and ends of a professional relationship
  • Lesson 7 Professional boundaries and the law
  • Lesson 8 Broken Boundaries
  • Lesson 9 Negative Consequences of Broken Boundaries
  • Lesson 10 Maintaining Boundaries
  • Lesson 11 Self-knowledge
  • Lesson 12 The Self-Care Plan
  • Lesson 13 The Final Thesis
Literature
    required literature
  • COOPER, F. Professional Boundaries in Social Work and Social Care : A Practical Guide to Understanding, Maintaining and Managing Your Professional Boundaries. London : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2012. ISBN: 9781849052153.
    not specified
  • Povinná literatura je uvedena v sylabu.
  • KOPŘIVA, Karel. Lidský vztah jako součást profese. Edited by Jiřina Šiklová. Vyd. 7., V Portálu 6. Praha: Portál, 2013, 147 s. ISBN 9788026205289. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, group work and projects, presentations, homework, reading.
Assessment methods
(A) continuous quizzes for lessons (max. 30%);
(B) reports (max. 20%);
(C) final exam/essay (max. 50%).
Language of instruction
Czech
Study support
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/fss/podzim2024/SPRn8881/index.qwarp
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Teacher's information
Teacher: Doc. PhDr. Pavel Navrátil, PhD.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/SPRn8881