Importance Of Ethics In Social Work

Melissa is a young, Jewish, urban professional who grew up in a middle-class suburb in New York. Her dream of having a big wedding at her parents’ country club was about to finally come true. Melissa was more than enthusiastic and eager to have the wedding of her dreams come true with everything already planned, invitations sent out, her wedding dress selected, and bridesmaid dresses picked out she had everything she could dream of in her wedding. One thing that Melissa and her Fiancé planned to due right after their marriage was to start having children. Melissa felt that she wanted to go get a physical exam to make sure she was in good health to carry a child. The doctor suggested she get tested for HIV as he suggest for all is clients to

Social workers have a wide range of obligations. These obligations cover moral issues, ethical and legal issues. Section 6 of the NASW code of Ethics is concerned with social workers ‘obligations to the broader society. As social workers, we should promote the general welfare of society locally and globally, with the development of people, their communities, and their environment. Social workers have always advocated disadvantaged, vulnerable and oppressed populations. A social problem such as poverty affects communities as well as individuals. When addressing poverty, it is essential to examine the contributing factors such as political, social and economic issues.

Social workers enduring commitment to helping better the community results in awarding it to be “among the most value based of all professions” (Reamer, 2006, p. 3). The social work and human services industry is built on, according to the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics, “the pursuit and maintenance of human well-being. Social work aims to maximise the development of human potential and the fulfilment of human needs” (2010). The AASW’s Code of Ethics has three basic values of social work; respect for persons, social justice, and professional integrity (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2015, p. 106). Social work and human service work is all about advocating and promoting social justice, with a mission to challenge and contest unjust systems. With the industry’s goals in mind, it becomes apparent that social workers and human service workers should be strongly associated with values and ethics. Social work and human services are values-based professions where its work is influenced by personal values, organisational values and professional

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.

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.

There are many ways in which social workers can avoid ethical dilemmas. In regards to the Jones case I will explain five ethical dilemmas. I will explain what 3 core values could have benefitted the Jones family and I will give three strategies I will use to practice ethical behavior in my field of social work in the future.

As a professional practitioner in the field of social work a great practice is to develop a foundation structured around the ethical standard set by the National Association of Social Workers. Dilemmas can arise, creating issues that could have a massive effect on clients, families, clinicians, communities, and the organization involved. In order to find a solution to the issue(s) models of ethical reasoning and ethical decision can assist with resolving ethical issues. Briefly I will discuss the case study presented with ethical issues, and will examine ethical reasoning models as it relates to the problem-based scenario.

Social workers are responsible for human physical and emotional well-being. In order to help people, social workers have to make their decisions based on strong moral and ethical values. As claims DuBois B. (2009) “Social Work is a values - based profession. Values reflect preferences and inform choices” ( p.105).

The New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) provides training, support, technical assistance and advocacy to local direct service domestic violence programs across New York State. We achieve our mission through activism, training, prevention, technical assistance, legislative development and advocacy, and leadership development.

1. In a paragraph or two, describe a serious moral issue your future profession regularly copes with. I am a social worker dealing with a client that is seventeen years old and pregnant. My client wants to get an abortion because she isn't ready to be a mother and her boyfriend doesn't want anything to do with either, so she would end up being a single parent. I believe that abortion is wrong morally cause the child is innocent even though it is a fetus.

Social work refers to the profession in which there is a “distinctive emphasis... on the interface between individuals and their social environment” (Toseland & Rivas, 2005, p. 5). The profession was created as a response to a need or concern (Johnson & Yanca, 2010, p. 4). Common human needs include: food, shelter, clothing, health care, opportunities for emotional and intellectual growth, as well as meaningful relationships (Johnson & Yanca, 2010, p. 6). As Johnson and Yanca (2009) state, social work is only one of several social functioning professions and continues to develop from influences from the past and present (p. 10). The profession itself mainly focuses on social welfare, as its purpose is to “promote human and community well-being” (Schriver, 2011, p. 3).

The initial code of ethics, accepted by the membership in 1960, emphasized the primary of profession responsibility over personal interests, the client’s right to privacy, obligations for service during public emergencies and a duty to contribute to the knowledge of the profession.(Ramer, 2008a). The current version has developed by increasing length and proliferations of legal terms. Now it consists of four sections: preamble, purpose, values and ethical principles, and ethical standard. as stated in 2008 code of ethics, the mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people. In addition, social workers promote social justice and social change with and behalf of clients. These activites maybe in form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy and so on.

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

The social work profession consists of the six core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These core values are portrayed within the roles of this profession by assessing and evaluating client’s needs, advocating for improving community resources, managing crisis situations, providing therapeutic support, and referring client’s to beneficial services. As well as, developing a dual client relationship to strengthen the helping process and treating each client ethically. Social workers are constantly progressing their professional expertise. They do this