After several months of treating a client, a social worker learns that the client goes to the same church as the social worker. The social worker continues to go to the church, seeing the client occasionally across the room. The social worker has no contact with the client at church. This situation is:

The social worker was not aware of this potential conflict of interest upon the start of treatment. Once it was discovered, steps, such as minimizing contact and sitting across the room, were taken to mitigate its existence. The client does not have to be referred to another social worker unless it is more comfortable for the client to do so. In addition, the social worker does not have to leave the church. However, the existence of this unanticipated conflict should be discussed so that the client is aware of its existence and strategies for minimizing its impact can be established