Sit with a small group of other students and decide how you will handle this situation. There are many areas both ethically and legally that are not clear, so the discussion you have with your colleagues is much like a discussion you might have in a real agency. There are no “correct answers.” 

You have been working with a client who is HIV+ and is a regular user of heroin. He needs both medical and substance abuse treatment. However, he is inconsistent about coming for regular treatment and medical care. You suspect he is not taking medications prescribed for him. In addition, he is sexually active with several women. He has asked that you not contact him at his home where he lives with one of his girlfriends. He has stipulated that no family members may have any information about him. You think that if you could commit him to a substance abuse treatment facility he will be out of circulation sexually and he will receive the treatments he needs to save his life. You do not know for sure where he is but know his girlfriend with whom he has been living probably does. Can you contact her? What ethical and legal principles are at play here? What do you decide to do or not do?