NASW-NC Social Media Policy 2011 Social media are powerful communication tools that have a significant impact on organizational and professional reputations. Social media are defined as media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. For the purposes of this policy, social media means any facility for online publication and commentary, including without limitation blogs, wiki's, social networking sites such as Facebook pages and groups, Twitter accounts, You Tube Streams, Advocacy blogs, Google Groups, Memberhub Hubs, and Linked In groups.. This policy governs the publication of and commentary on social media by any representative of the National Association of Social Workers- North Carolina Chapter and its related branding ("NASW-NC"). Representatives are defined as anyone employed by the association and any volunteer leadership including, but not limited to the Board of Directors, Chair Persons of Committees, Local Program Units, Statewide Practice Units or any other volunteer affiliated with the association. This policy is in addition to and complements any existing or future policies regarding the use of technology, computers, e-mail and the internet. NASW-NC representatives are free to publish or comment via social media in accordance with this policy. NASW-NC representatives and leadership are subject to this policy to the extent they identify themselves as a NASW-NC representative (other than as an incidental mention of place of employment in a personal blog on topics unrelated to NASW-NC). Publication and commentary on social media carries similar obligations to any other kind of publication or commentary within the association policies. All uses of social media must follow the same ethical standards that NASW-NC representatives must otherwise follow. Setting up Social Media- NASW-NC Professional Accounts NASW-NC Professional Accounts are defined as accounts that represent the organization or a sub group of the organization and are owned and managed by NASW-NC. Assistance in setting-up NASW-NC social media accounts that will be managed by staff or association volunteers and their settings can be obtained from NASW-NC's Associate Executive Director. All accounts must be approved by the Board of Directors or the Associate Executive Director, depending on relevance. All professional accounts are to be maintained by an employee of the association and the Executive Director must approve the account before its creation. All account approval requests must be accompanied by appropriate strategic documentation as to the account use, and benefit to the membership or association to be approved. Any social media accounts managed by the association will be owned by naswnc@gmail.com for purposes of uniformity and succession planning. (IE: All Google Groups, Facebook, Twitter and You Tube Accounts are created with naswnc@gmail.com as the owner.) Association staff, board, and volunteers may be elected as managers of the groups using their email addresses or different login credentialing, but the group must be the property of naswnc@gmail.com. Social media identities, logon ID's and user names may not use NASW-NC's name without prior approval from the Associate Executive Director. All social media accounts with NASW-NC name reference must use official branding and logo from the NC Chapter Style Guide. Any account that does not comply with this policy will be deleted immediately.
Setting up Social Media- Personal Accounts No assistance in setting up social media accounts related to personal use and their settings can be obtained from NASW-NC. Membership or leadership who need assistance with personal accounts must contact an appropriate consulting firm, or utilize online Help tools for the medium in which they choose to create. Employees and leadership of NASW-NC may identify their role with the organization on their personal accounts; however any site that lists NASW-NC in any fashion is subject to the policies outlined in this document. Social media identities, logon ID's and user names may not use NASW-NC's name on personal accounts. Privacy Settings- NASW-NC Professional Accounts Privacy settings on social media platforms should be set to allow anyone to see profile information similar to what would be on the NASW-NC website. In other words, NASW-NC strives to protect membership benefits and limit access of such benefits to the public unless deemed necessary by the Board of Directors or the Executive Director. Other privacy settings that might allow others to post information or see information that is personal should be set to limit access. When posting on the behalf of the association, be mindful of posting information on a professional site that you would not want other representatives or membership to see. All posts on behalf of the association should be performed from the professional NASW-NC accounts. Private accounts held by staff, leadership, and volunteers that post on behalf of the association are subject to the policies outlined in this document. Occasionally, membership benefits serve as marketing materials to the public and are distributed at large. All approved association marketing is listed in the NASW-NC Marketing Manual. All other marketing is at the discretion of the Executive and Associate Executive Director and must be approved before disbursal. All requests must be accompanied with appropriate documentation as to how the information will help in recruiting and retention of membership, and possible negative impacts, and projected positive impacts to be considered. Privacy Settings- Personal Accounts Privacy settings on social media platforms should be set to satisfy the individual responsible for the profile information. Employees, volunteers and leadership are not required to use their personal accounts to interact with professional accounts when representing the association. In choosing to do so, personal accounts are subject to review by the association only for content available to the NASWNC audience. All privacy settings are at the discretion of the user; however, we must be mindful of posting information that you would not want the representatives or membership to see. Be Honest When representing the organization; do not blog anonymously, using pseudonyms or false screen names. All representation should be transparent and honest. Use your real name, be clear in describing your role, and identify your work or volunteer history NASW-NC. Nothing gains you notice in social media more than honesty - or dishonesty. Do not say anything that is dishonest, untrue, or misleading. If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, point it out. But also be smart about protecting yourself and your privacy. What you publish will be around permanently, so consider the content carefully and also be cautious about disclosing personal details.
Information Disclosure It is perfectly acceptable to talk about your work and have a dialog with the community, but it's not acceptable to publish confidential information. Confidential information includes things such as unpublished details about our technology, details from closed executive sessions, details of current or prospective projects, financial information, research, and trade secrets. We must respect the wishes of our membership regarding the confidentiality of current projects. We must also be mindful of the NASW Code of Ethics. Unless you are a licensed professional in the area of interest or post, it is not acceptable to give formal information about a topic. For example, NASW-NC representatives are familiar with social work licensing in North Carolina but do not represent the governing body. Any reference to the topic should include direct information or links from said governing body to eliminate misinformation. It is critical that all representatives inform themselves of the resources and information available to membership and the public, and reference such resources in all information disclosure. In the case of a breach of disclosure, the posting party or individual will be notified immediately of the breach in private written communication. It is never appropriate to respond back over the public forum if a staff member, volunteer or leader posts information that is incorrect. Rather, the posting party will be requested to post a follow up, or remove the information. In extreme circumstances, notify NASW-NC Executive Director for further action. Competitive Business Claus Staff, leadership or volunteers may not sell or promote any product, service or event that would compete with any NASW products, services or events without written permission from the Executive Director. This includes, but is not limited to continuing education trainings, advocacy events, books, products, and press releases. As per National NASW policy, board members are not to be financially incentivized for their position with NASW and this applies to social media and private marketing on professional NASW-NC sites. Respect copyright laws It is critical that you show proper respect for the laws governing copyright and fair use or fair dealing of copyrighted material owned by others; including NASW-NC own copyrights and brands. You should never quote more than short excerpts of someone else's work, and always attribute such work to the original author/source. It is good general practice to link to others' work rather than reproduce it. Note that the use of copyrighted materials, unfounded or derogatory statements, or misrepresentation is not viewed favorably by your company and can result in disciplinary action up to and including employment or role termination.
Respect your audience, NASW-NC, and your coworkers The public in general, and NASW-NC's representatives and membership, reflect a diverse set of customs, values and points of view. Don't say anything contradictory or in conflict with the NASW-NC website or social media avenues. Don't be afraid to be yourself, but do so respectfully. This includes not only the obvious (no ethnic slurs, offensive comments, defamatory comments, personal insults, obscenity, etc.) but also proper consideration of privacy and of topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory - such as politics and religion. When identifying yourself on your personal accounts; use your best judgment and be sure to make it clear that the views and opinions expressed are yours alone and do not represent the official views of NASW- NC. Think About Consequences- Wording For example, consider what might happen if a NASW-NC employee is in a meeting with a member or prospect, and someone on the member's side pulls out a print-out of your personal blog or account and says "This person at NASW-NC says that this product sucks." Saying "Product X needs to have an easier learning curve for the first-time user" is fine; saying "Product X sucks" is risky, unsubtle and amateurish. Once again, it's all about judgment: using your personal blog or account to trash or embarrass NASW-NC, our membership, or representatives, is dangerous and can incur consequences such as termination of association position. Controversial Issues If you identify misrepresentations made about NASW-NC in the media, you may point that out. Always do so with respect and with facts. If you speak about others, make sure what you say is factual and that it does not disparage that party. Avoid arguments. Brawls may earn internet traffic, but nobody wins in the end. Don't try to settle scores or goad competitors or others into inflammatory debates. Make sure what you are saying is factually correct, write knowledgeably, accurately, and using appropriate professionalism. In the event that an individual is uncomfortable responding to the issue without further assistance from staff or Board, contact the Associate Executive Director. Be the first to respond to your own mistakes If you make an error, be up front about your mistake and correct it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so. If someone accuses you of posting something improper (such as their copyrighted material or a defamatory comment about them), deal with it quickly - better to remove it immediately to lessen the possibility of a legal action. Employees will comply with NASW-NC editing and proofreading policy to lessen mistakes and misinformation on public websites or social media avenues.
Disclaimers Many social media users include a prominent disclaimer saying who they work for, but that they're not speaking officially. This is good practice and is encouraged, but don't count on it to avoid trouble - it may not have much legal effect. The Associate Executive Director can provide you with applicable disclaimer language and assist with determining where and how to use that. An example of disclaimer language is: The individuals listed herein are not endorsed by NASW-NC and are listed at the individual s request. Not all individuals are members of NASW. Please note that all information provided below is provided by the supervisor; which have signed an application testifying to it's accuracy. If you notice a discrepancy in information, or have further requests for information, please contact the supervisor directly as NASW-NC only posts the information we receive. NASW-NC is not responsible for placement, or for any licensing issues involved with supervision. Please contact the licensing board if you have questions, or to confirm licensure related issues. Enforcement Staff: All staff will be notified in writing from the Associate or Executive Director of breaches in social media disclosure or policy. Failure to correct breaches in an appropriate time frame or consistent policy violations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination for cause. Leadership and Volunteers : Board of Directors will review all volunteer and leadership policy violations and will determine disciplinary action up to and including removal of volunteer or board position.