Introduction
The human services field is one that is replete with ethical challenges. One of these is integrating advocacy with mediation. Advocacy means that one considers a certain branch of action to be the most moral, pragmatic approach and urges individuals and or local or national government (as well as other applicable institutions) to adopt it. Mediation, on the other hand, is the more objective stance of retaining an objective position and being the mediator between the individual (and the party) and helping them evaluate whether or not they wish to adopt that position. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to be objective when one advocates a certain realm of action and yet one has to be so if one is to be an ethical social worker.
This essay considers the ethical, moral, and legal challenges of advocating within the agency setting of Planned Parenthood.
Advocacy
Clients, especially in the poorer and more vulnerable settings that social workers work in, are often unaware of their rights and the actions that they need to adopt in order to lead a healthier, safer life. This is where advocacy comes in where social workers make clients aware of their rights, responsibilities, and more 'enlightened' and healthier forms of conduct. In my case, this is Planned Parenthood where I teach a mother who already has many children how to prevent herself from having more; or I may teach an adolescent the rudiments of sex education and hand her contraceptives.
I am, in
At community level, the social worker plays the role of advocacy. She is persuasive, assertive, and patient in her day-to-day encounter with patients. She is a community organizer; she coordinates financial aid to long-term residents without sponsorship and serves as a liaison to some of the patients she cares for. It is vital for the human service professional to provide information about social issues that are likely to affect the public (O'Hagan, 2007).
The “Planned Parenthood Federation of America” is a non profit organization, funded by the Federal Government, in which it provides reproductive/maternal health services among the United States as well as internationally, since 1952. In recent news developments, there have been rumors that Planned Parenthood practices “inhumane” procedures when aborting an unborn baby to harvest their organs and that a law should be passed to stop this. The supporters for Planned Parenthood claim that these claims are unfounded and believe that Planned Parenthood is a wonderful association that helps women and men all around the world. This issue has caused a series of debates that have been going on for years, but Planned Parenthood still lives on.
The National Association of Social Work (NASW) has identified a set of values that all social workers must consider during the course of their work (NASW, 2008). Social work values are broadly covered when you define social work as being a profession of aiding those in need and addressing oppression. Helping those in need directly relates to the value of supporting the needs of others. The definition also addresses the importance of bringing awareness to oppression. This relates to the values of addressing injustice, individuality and promoting harmony. On a broader perspective, all social workers are encouraged to continually pursue knowledge in their area and maintain ethical practices. Values have the purpose of ensuring that helpers always strive for what is best for the client. Manning (1997) points out that “the power to intervene in people’s lives carries
Planned parenthood has been a topic of controversy the last couple of years, as people throughout the nation ask whether or not the healthcare organization should be defunded. When video footage was released in 2015 of “Planned Parenthood medical officials discussing the sale of fetal tissue to researchers,” it seemed likely that federal funds would be revoked as backlash from the public was noted (Welch). Although the nonprofit organization does offer the termination of unplanned pregnancies, the organization offers many more services to women and men, such as free birth control and yearly health checkups “backed by medical experts and more than 100 years of research in reproductive health” (Planned Parenthood). As many people struggle financially to provide for their families, Planned Parenthood’s services are a relief to those who otherwise would not be able to afford healthcare, which is why the organization should not be defunded.
The commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of social work due to the effect it can have on the quality of the service offered to those who engage with us. Through group discussions in our foundations of social work practice I have become extremely ethically aware and now will always seek to ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making. From discussions with my fellow classmates I have learnt to strive to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession by making sure I promote and work towards the code of ethics wherever possible. This in turn enables me act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner having worked closely with service users in a professional setting and learned of their good and bad experiences with practitioners through the service user experience we undertook in class. I believe I am now in a good position to apply the social work ethical principles to my professional practice, in a way that seeks to empower my service users and enable me to emulate the best practice. In addition from reading social work journals and staying on top of news regarding the profession more generally I am knowledgeable about the value base of social work as a profession .
Over a hundred years later, Planned Parenthood still operates under the goal of providing comprehensive reproductive health care services to women. This provision of a full range of reproductive services has been deemed in a study by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and National Partnership for Women and Families to be “essential not only to their health and well-being but also to their ability to pursue an education, hold jobs, support their families, achieve economic security, and function as a free and equal member of society” (Lawrence). The study goes on to say that “without access to the full range of reproductive health services, all that is in jeopardy.” (Lawrence). Planned Parenthood will no longer be able to fulfill its mission of providing a full range of reproductive services if the current federal government achieves their goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. Lawrence, the author of the study, also describes a need for “health care decisions based on patient’s health and needs rather than insurance coverage or payment capabilities.” An interesting point is presented here in that if Planned Parenthood concedes its abortion services, there is no guarantee that whatever organization fills in that gap will do so honestly. There is no other organization so committed to the concept of family planning and reproductive services that they do not run the risk of providing inadequate
When the name, “Planned Parenthood”, comes into conversation, the first thing to come to one’s mind it simply: abortion. The current controversy is that Planned Parenthood should not be funded by the government because its use of money to the perspective of the public eye. Because the company is so highly associated with abortions, taxpayers bring up the fact that the government should not be funding companies like Planned Parenthood due to their affiliation with the medical fields including abortion. However, Planned Parenthood should continue to receive funding because despite getting government aid, the establishment is so much more.
Jill E. Adams is the founding executive director of the Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice at Berkeley Law. Before joining Berkeley Law she was the executive director of Law Students for Reproductive Justice for six years. She was one of 37 Soldiers of Social Change in San Francisco Magazine’s annual power issue, she is the youngest person to have received the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Fellowship for nonprofit leadership award. This piece is about the legalities of abortions and how the law is regulated and funded for. This
For nearly a century, Planned Parenthood has opened its doors to a myriad of women from all stations in life to provide health education and services. Women flock to Planned Parenthood due to its affordability, confidentiality, and the generous amount of support this organization supplies. Allegations have been made in an attempt to shut down Planned Parenthood, and in some states they have succeeded. These unfounded accusations are manipulated and twisted from the truth. These claims, in an aftermath, have put millions of women at risk and may well continue on this treacherous path. Planned Parenthood should not face massive funding cuts; they offer a wide assortment of services at affordable prices with the sole intent of keeping women safe
Today, Planned Parenthood is persistently parading the news, with advocates and opposers continually debating whether or not the organizations morals and services provided benefit society and individuals. The Planned Parenthood activist group justify their stance on protecting reproductive rights for mothers and providing free sexual and reproductive health services by claiming that their organization’s efforts lead to the fundamental ideals of the historical authors John Locke, Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, and John Stuart Mill; life, liberty, and property. They firmly believe that the individual has the right to life,liberty, and property and that their institution as a whole provides these ideas favored by the notable authors. To begin, Planned
As social works one of our roles are to advocate not only for our clients but overall communities. This
Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon’s winter of 2013 article “40 Years: Planned Parenthood Becomes Abortion Empire” published on the National Right to Life News website was another voiced opinion added to the debate of the controversial funding of Planned Parenthood. As director of education and research at National Right to Life Center (NRLC) and an active member of Manassas Assembly of God Church, O’Bannon has made his audience aware of his knowledge and passion of the subject, and has written many other articles concerning Planned Parenthood (PPFA), its services, and its subjective data. He does not support the organization or its funding by the government. Throughout the article, O’Bannon shames PPFA’s hopes to remain in business by normalizing
Political awareness also will promote a better feeling of being empowered. The feeling of fighting for what the client believes in is great. Although as social workers we are advocates for our clients, helping our clients to advocate for themselves is when a social worker completely achieves helping the client. Another part of being
Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and application, education, research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. They also seek to promote the
Answer: One of the mean goals of the hospice nurse is to provide comfort measure to your patients not cure. Therefore, the biggest concern for Mr.J at this time is ensuring he is not experiencing any discomfort or pain while providing him my presence on the farewell. By doing so, the nurse respects the ethical principles of Advocacy which mean to understand the patient and provide help and comfort. Sometimes, touch therapy could be an option to maintain the palliative care for your patient.