Professional Boundaries: Questions for Success in Child and Youth Care Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/jcycw.2025.456Keywords:
professional boundaries, dual relationships, ethics, child and youth care work, boundary guidelinesAbstract
Reflecting on when I was a child and youth care worker, I would have benefited from structured questions that I could refer to during my shift in helping me think through boundary situations. Not rules that would tell me how to handle a situation, rather, key points that I should consider. This article is intended to serve such a purpose—to aid child and youth care workers in critically thinking about boundary choices they make and the intended or unintended consequences of their choice.
References
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Cooper, F. (2012). Professional boundaries in social work and social care. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Davidson, J. (2005). Professional relationship boundaries: A social work teaching module. Social Work Education, 24 (4), 511-533.
Gabbard, G., Crisp-Han, H. and Hobday, F. (2015). Professional boundaries in psychiatric practice. The Oxford Handbook of Psychiatric Ethics (edited by Sadler, J.,
Fulford, K. and van Staden, W.), 1-19. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198732372.013.27
Grant, J. and Mandell, D. (2016). Boundaries and relationships between service users and service providers in community mental health services. Social Work in Mental
Health, 14 (6), 696-713.
Marshall, N. (2009). Professional boundaries in child and youth care work. Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, 22 (4), 37-38.
North American Child and Youth Care Professionals (2017). Standards for practice. http://www.acycp.org/images/pdfs/ethics_and_practices_ACYCP_v2-1.pdf
Reamer, F. (2017). Unprecedented ethical and risk-management challenges. In O. Zur (Ed.), Multiple relationships in psychotherapy and counseling: Unavoidable,
common, and mandatory dual relations in therapy (pp.196-206). New York: Routledge.
Richmond, P. (2017). I don’t know if I can do this: Survival suggestions for new child welfare workers. NASW Newsletter (Child Welfare Section).
Richmond, P. (2013). Boundary guidance for new workers: Tips of the trade. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 26 (1), 39-42.
Richmond, P. (2006). Boundary realities from the wisdom of female youth in residential treatment. Journal of Child & Youth Care Work, 21, 80-93.
Richmond, P. (2003). Understanding professional boundaries: A worker’s journey. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 9 (1), 46-50.
Richmond, P. and Padgett, D. (2002). Finding the line: Boundary decisions in residential treatment. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 20 (1), 53-66.
Sanders, S., Bullock, K. and Broussard, C. (2012). Exploring professional boundaries in end-of-life care: Considerations for hospice social workers and other members of
the team. Journal of Social work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 8, 10-28.
Sidell, N. (2015). Social work documentation: A guide to strengthening your case recording (2nd ed). Washington, DC: NASW Press.
Zur, O. (2017). The multiple relationships spectrum: Mandated-unavoidable-common-ethical-Unethical…and beyond. In O. Zur (Ed.), Multiple relationships in
psychotherapy and counseling: Unavoidable, common, and mandatory dual relations in therapy (pp.1-14). New York: Routledge.
Cooper, F. (2012). Professional boundaries in social work and social care. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Davidson, J. (2005). Professional relationship boundaries: A social work teaching module. Social Work Education, 24 (4), 511-533.
Gabbard, G., Crisp-Han, H. and Hobday, F. (2015). Professional boundaries in psychiatric practice. The Oxford Handbook of Psychiatric Ethics (edited by Sadler, J.,
Fulford, K. and van Staden, W.), 1-19. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198732372.013.27
Grant, J. and Mandell, D. (2016). Boundaries and relationships between service users and service providers in community mental health services. Social Work in Mental
Health, 14 (6), 696-713.
Marshall, N. (2009). Professional boundaries in child and youth care work. Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, 22 (4), 37-38.
North American Child and Youth Care Professionals (2017). Standards for practice. http://www.acycp.org/images/pdfs/ethics_and_practices_ACYCP_v2-1.pdf
Reamer, F. (2017). Unprecedented ethical and risk-management challenges. In O. Zur (Ed.), Multiple relationships in psychotherapy and counseling: Unavoidable,
common, and mandatory dual relations in therapy (pp.196-206). New York: Routledge.
Richmond, P. (2017). I don’t know if I can do this: Survival suggestions for new child welfare workers. NASW Newsletter (Child Welfare Section).
Richmond, P. (2013). Boundary guidance for new workers: Tips of the trade. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 26 (1), 39-42.
Richmond, P. (2006). Boundary realities from the wisdom of female youth in residential treatment. Journal of Child & Youth Care Work, 21, 80-93.
Richmond, P. (2003). Understanding professional boundaries: A worker’s journey. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 9 (1), 46-50.
Richmond, P. and Padgett, D. (2002). Finding the line: Boundary decisions in residential treatment. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 20 (1), 53-66.
Sanders, S., Bullock, K. and Broussard, C. (2012). Exploring professional boundaries in end-of-life care: Considerations for hospice social workers and other members of
the team. Journal of Social work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 8, 10-28.
Sidell, N. (2015). Social work documentation: A guide to strengthening your case recording (2nd ed). Washington, DC: NASW Press.
Zur, O. (2017). The multiple relationships spectrum: Mandated-unavoidable-common-ethical-Unethical…and beyond. In O. Zur (Ed.), Multiple relationships in
psychotherapy and counseling: Unavoidable, common, and mandatory dual relations in therapy (pp.1-14). New York: Routledge.
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Published
2025-05-23
How to Cite
Richmond, P. (2025). Professional Boundaries: Questions for Success in Child and Youth Care Work. Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 30. https://doi.org/10.5195/jcycw.2025.456
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Practice Issues
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