# need advice from counselors, social workers, psychologists

Category: Jobs and Employment

## Post 1 by dissonance (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 12-Sep-2012 15:23:13

Hi all,
I have a question about taking notes during sessions with clients in a counseling setting. I initially figured I would take notes on my computer and save everything related to clients in encrypted folders on thumb drives, print the notes at the end, and file them in their respective folders. However, it occurred to me that it my using my computer for notes would be distracting since I would have an earphone in one ear. I am now using my Braille sense to take notes on clients and just password protecting the files and printing them at the end, and filling out forms on my computer, however some people at my school are worried that this could be a liability issue. If this is too vague of a description I can elaborate. But I am wondering what other professionals have done to ensure liability and privacy of clients’ files?

## Post 2 by Miss M (move over school!) on Wednesday, 12-Sep-2012 19:27:33

If your agency is OK with it, your clients are aware of your methods and are OK with it, then you're fine. Seriously. You can only do your best to protect privacy. Make sure your password for the files is under lock and key.

## Post 3 by WomanOfWisdom (Generic Zoner) on Friday, 12-Oct-2012 21:55:11

Good thinking using the braille sense or some other braille notetaker. that is what I will do, once a job hires me and doesn't use my lack of face to face client experience against me. I have plenty of phone client contact experience, but that is it. The only thing I can say about computers for taking client notes is that, not only is the one earphone distracting, but it makes it so you can't give the client your full attention. alsok,, the screen being open would create a physical barrier between you and the client that the client could percieve as shutting them out. I myself am a masters lever social worker working on my lmsw and later my lcsw. all of my in school internships where i was allowed to have unsupervised client contact were either on a crisis line or at a resource linkage agency.

## Post 4 by blw1978 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Tuesday, 23-Oct-2012 22:55:00

Hi:
I'm a Case Manager and have a B.A. in Sociology. My company is fine with my using a laptop for notes, assessments ETC. Just inform your clients that you'll be using your laptop. I've had no trouble using one ear phone and listening to the other person. Luckily, my employer has gone totally paperless. There's not a form I can't print out if necessary, and all assessments, case notes, and various cover sheets are done via computer. I am so blessed to have a job whereby most everything is so accessible. Not that I haven't had my issues with accessibility, but they're usually pretty easy to solve.
At my previous job, I would save sensitive files onto a flash drive, then print out the notes. HTH and PM me with any other questions.

## Post 5 by booklover256 (Veteran Zoner) on Wednesday, 24-Oct-2012 19:57:16

you could also get a blue tooth braille display, or some other sort, and use it in conjunction with your computer, so you could turn the speech off. Thus, you wouldn't have to worry about an earphone being in the way of good communication.

## Post 6 by dissonance (Help me, I'm stuck to my chair!) on Wednesday, 19-Dec-2012 19:14:33

Thank you all! I think part of the problem right now is my agency has A LOT of print paperwork that isn't electronic. That should change hopefully when I graduate and get a different internship or job.

## Post 7 by Miss M (move over school!) on Thursday, 20-Dec-2012 11:32:22

I'm with you in that boat right now, dissonance. If they have the paper documents, have you asked them about whether or not they have the PDF or .docs that they were originally created on? I bet they're somewhere. If you have them e-mailed to you, then you can make them into templates and fill them out at your leisure.

## Post 8 by blw1978 (I'll have the last word, thank you!) on Thursday, 20-Dec-2012 23:02:01

I like the last poster's suggestion. Most forms are created by the agency, and I'd bet there's an electronic format somewhere.