WEBSTER CITY - The Iowa Board of Social Work is investigating a licensed independent social worker based in Webster City.
Thomas M. Follett, of Webster City, was to go before the board Monday to answer charges that include an alleged conflict of interest and breach of confidentiality. The Iowa Attorney's General Office said Wednesday that the hearing has been continued until a later date.
Follett was issued a license to practice as an independent level social worker Nov. 9, 1998. His license was set to expire at the close of 2008 and it's uncertain as to whether or not the license is active at this time.
The Iowa Board of Social Work has filed four separate counts against Follett, detailed on the agency's public Web site through the Iowa Department of Public Health.
The cases of at least four separate clients, all of whom are unnamed, are detailed in the counts set out against Follett.
The charges allege that Follett "engaged in a dual relationship with Client No. 4." The state alleges that Follett began seeing Client No. 4 around Oct. 1, 2007, while that person was in therapy. The two reportedly attended church together and she was included in family functions. Follett also is alleged to have visited Client No. 4 at a treatment facility and on one occasion checked her out of the facility and took her out for dinner.
The documents allege that when Follett "returned Client No. 4 to the facility, she was legally intoxicated, resulting in her leaving the facility."
In a separate count, Follett is alleged to have "engaged in a dual relationship with Client No. 3 agreeing to provide social work services to Client No. 3 who he knew personally and with whom he had an ongoing social relationship."
Another count alleges that "goals for treatment as articulated by Client No. 1 were different than the goals stated by (Follett) in court, and Client No. 1 was not given a clear understanding of the services to be provided to himself and his son."
Following up on that, the state alleges that Follett "failed to protect the confidentiality of Client No. 1 when he included confidential information regarding Client No. 1 in the record of Client No. 1's son without consent, and ultimately released the son's record to the Department of Health and Human and Services.
Finally, the state alleged that Follett "on numerous occasions ... directed inappropriate, unethical, unprofessional sexual comments and gestures to female co-workers."
Follett did not respond to requests to be interviewed.
Contact Lori Berglund at (515) 832-4350 or editor@freemanjournal.net