Fitting Diagnosis to Treatment: The parents and adolescent children in the Smith family have been having many conflicts and loud arguments. Ms. Smith feels like she has failed as a mother and has begun to see a social worker, Joan Kendel, who has a private practice. Joan realizes that this is an issue best deal with in family therapy, but she has no experience in family therapy. There is no one in the small community who has this expertise, so Joan decides to give the client a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety disorder so that she can bill the client’s insurance and continue to see her. Is this ethical? Why or why not?  What are some possible alternate options?

Use Ethical Standards in Social Work written by Frederic G. Reamer as one reference.