Guiding Principles In Social Work

After reading Alan Keith-Lucas’s book, “So You Want to Be a Social Worker,” I felt like I had found a lot of timeless truths. I say that because whenever I read it, I pictured being in a black and white movie listening to an old man talk about societal behaviors that still hold true today. The first two chapters discussed a lot about our beliefs and what those are, along with the common ground we share with non-Christians. Then the book goes on to discuss how we can use our beliefs to understand the nature of human beings. One of my favorite things he says is, “He or she doesn’t see people as “naturally good” or “naturally bad,” but as fallible creatures, who by the grace of God, are able sometimes to transcend themselves” (Keith-Lucas, 1985, p. 11). Keith-Lucas also mentions that social work and the Bible can connect to an extent that is useful to us. One way he mentions the two connecting is when he talks about love being the answer. In the second portion of the book there are a lot more Christian views applied to the social work realm of things, which include the views of sin, suffering, and the difference between spiritual and material needs. When discussing sin, Keith-Lucas added a lot of context to how the church use to view sin in two categories of “hot-blooded” and “cold-blooded,” which I thought was really interesting. I never knew the church use to have real categories for sin. And the sections about suffering and witnessing to others

A code of ethics is a formal document in which is used to assist members of an organization, to know what’s ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ in the work place and applying it to their decisions. A code of ethics is a written set of rules or guidelines to help the workers and management ‘conduct’ or direct their actions with its primary values and ethical standards. A code of ethics is important because without it, employees and management wouldn’t have guidelines and the establishment would resemble a crazy house. Consider the establishment, Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts is a food establishment well-known for their famous donuts, coffee and their slogan “America runs on Dunkin”. Without a code of ethics, the industry would most likely be

Social work is a profession which has the objective to improve the quality of life of other individuals. The NASW code of ethics is used as a guideline for social workers and the interaction they have with their clients. In addition, within the code of ethics, there are six values, which include service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Therefore, going into the social work field it is important to understand that your

In the professional field of Social Work, there are many terminologies that individuals outside of this group may not understand. During the process of assessing a problem in a family, there are different theoretical perspectives that helps social workers understand different aspects of family situations. There are eight theoretical perspectives that helps social workers understand family’s dynamic and situations. These theoretical perspectives are; system perspective, conflict perspective, exchange and choice perspective, social constructionist perspective, psychodynamic perspective, developmental perspective, social behavior perspective and humanistic perspective.

I will then list areas I have identified as my own personal weak points for further development.

A career in Social Work requires conviction to personal values that reflect and uphold the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Professional ethics are the foundation of social work, as the trade has an innate obligation to endorse ethical principles and basic values to advocate for the wellness of others. The core values adopted by all social workers, as distinguished by NASW, are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. As a Clinical Social Worker, I will honor the NASW Code of Ethics in addition to my personal values of respect, self determination, responsibility, motivation, and wisdom. My personal values complement the NASW Code of Ethics and will resonate in my work as a social worker.

A code of ethics is defined as a set of principles, values, beliefs, and rules that define the conduct of a person. This helps a person to determine the correct behaviors that should be expressed in every moment of his/her life as well as analyze what is good or bad in present. Practice the code of ethics is important in all situations because the moral is implicit in everything we do. Hence, the importance of making sure that what you do is right. In the article “How to Write a Personal Code of Ethics?” shows the importance of dedicate time to do a Code of ethics about us. This is because develop a code of ethics is not harder as too many people belief, but because it requires a lot of thinking. There is explain the importance of follow four

As a social worker many problems may arise because of the constant grey area of either letting your personal values interfere with your professional opinion. It is essential to provide your client with information and tools to help them succeed and overcome their problems. Following the core values is essential to being a resourceful, competent social worker. In some cases, core values are in conflict. In a situation where more than one core value is in conflict it is considered an ethical dilemma (Hick, 2009). It’s not guaranteed that a perfect solution will arise, therefore one of the core values is subsided because the other has more of an impact on the client.

Social work is a very unique profession. The other professions that are in the same realm as social work are very specialized, however, social workers must have a broad range of knowledge in order to help their clients. This is where multiple agencies come together to make sure professionals are properly trained and knowledgeable. In the field of social work, ethics and values are the key principles that provide the basis for the mission. It is these principles that guide the decisions and actions of everyone in the profession. Without a clear set of guiding principles, social work professionals could do more harm than good. This profession sees people during highly emotional times in their lives, and that can be extremely challenging. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics not only sets the standards, but also guides a social worker through dealing with ethical dilemmas. As we evolve as a society, so have the guiding principles and values for the social work profession.

As a social worker and or a human services worker we must focus on helping the client and the best interest of the client. In certain situations, we all carry to our picked range of work our own particular convictions and qualities. (SWT) Most of the clients that you come across and that you will help will be helpless, that would be why we are working with them, and are in need of a buffer from anymore abuse. We may need to change some of these convictions keeping in mind the end goal to work agreeably and for the best conclusion of our clients in the work setting. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your client you must keep tabs on moral issues identified by the “code of conduct” that you agree to when you decide to work in this field, you have to be attentive to individual qualities and how they may effect of the quality of care that you give.

According to the National Association of Social Work, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.”

My understanding of the social work profession and its core values is that social workers are caregivers, they provide assistance to people in need, and they address social problems. The social worker goal is the improvement of society to ameliorate the lives of individuals in need. The social work profession mission is to enhance the well-being of people and to assist them in meeting their basic needs, with particular emphasis on the needs of the poor, and the vulnerable individual. The Social Work profession has six core values. These core values are the foundation of the social work profession. The social worker incorporates these core values into his daily practices. Service to others is one of the fundamental values of social work. Social workers goal is serving others and putting the needs of their clients ahead of their own. Social justice is another core value of social work. Social workers aim at improving the lives of the disadvantaged, vulnerable people who are less fortunate or unable to advocate for themselves. Social workers understand the essential value of every human life, regardless of ethnic background, cultural differences or religious beliefs. Their goal is to respect the dignity and worth of every person. Another key value of social work is integrity. The social workers conduct themselves in a trustworthy, honest, and responsible manner at all times. Competence is another important core value of the social work profession. The

A code of ethics highlights the responsibility and accountability standards of each and every employee within the organization. These codes are also motivating factors that guide the employees’ behavior, set the standard regarding ethical conduct, and build an organizations trustworthiness within

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” (1)

Since the profession was recognized many concerns arose regarding the values and ethics of social workers. The key points of the NASW Code of Ethics, the CSWE Educational Policy and Standards, and HIPAA will be summarized. Some of the most challenging ethical issues facing social workers and the social work profession today, have been explored. The core values of the