Scenario #4: Supporting an Individual with an Intellectual Disability

Lena, a community support worker, is supporting Tyler, a 19-year-old with a mild intellectual disability who has recently transitioned out of foster care. Tyler has few social supports and begins relying heavily on Lena, often calling after hours and requesting personal favours. Wanting to be helpful, Lena initially agrees to drive him to appointments and responds to his texts outside of work. However, over time, Tyler becomes more emotionally dependent on her, and other staff begin to question Lena’s boundaries. Lena starts to feel emotionally drained and uncertain about whether her efforts are truly helping or creating further dependency.

She reflects on the ethics of consent and power imbalance, realizing that while her intentions were good, she may have blurred professional lines and unintentionally harmed Tyler’s ability to develop independence. After discussing the situation with her supervisor, Lena recognizes the need to return to the core values of professionalism and the structured helping process. She re-establishes clear boundaries, communicates openly with Tyler about appropriate ways to connect, and works with him to develop a broader support system. She also uses this as an opportunity to strengthen her skills in conflict resolution and ethical decision-making, learning that helping isn’t always about doing more—it’s about doing what is ethical, sustainable, and empowering. Lena now uses informed consent more deliberately and ensures that all support actions are clearly discussed, documented, and within professional scope, reaffirming the values of accountability and integrity in her role.