NASW “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) “The unique contribution of the social work practice is the duality of the professions person and environment mandate: social workers must help society work better for the people and help people function better within society.” (Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner, 2016, p. 3). The Code of Ethics “offers a set of values, principles and standards to guide decision making and conduct when ethical issue arise…specific applications of the Code must take into account the context in which it is …show more content…
(4) Termination of services should occur when “services are no longer needed or when the services are no longer serving the clients needs.” (7) Professionals should also strive to be culturally competent and continuously educate themselves to aim to “understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability,” and should use respectful language while communicating to or about clients. (5) Social workers should be aware of potential or existing conflicts of interest, should not engage in dual relationships with clients or former clients, nor take advantage of professional relationships for personal gains. Under no circumstances should a social worker engage in sexual relations or physical contact with clients or client’s relatives even if it is consensual. Services should not be provided to an individual who has had previous sexual relations with the professionals. Social workers should not make “sexual
Social workers face complex ethical issues in every aspect of their profession. This work is often ethically challenging because it involves direct contact and interaction with individuals who are vulnerable. There are many factors that influence our decision making especially when working with at risk youths, we often face challenges in wanting to take on certain roles to protect our clients. These roles often conflict with our professional obligations. When our personal and professional values conflicts, our decisions may affect the individual, family, group, community and the organization.
The mission of social work is to empower and enhance the quality of life by helping all people to meet the basic human needs, especially with those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. The mission of social work is deep rooted in a set of core values that have acted as the foundation for social work. The core social work values are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW Code of Ethics). As social workers, we must apply the core values in our everyday profession and practice. The NASW Code of Ethics provides clear understanding of principles and values social workers should hold and exemplify. Our primary goal as social workers is to help those
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
As a social worker, there are guidelines you have to abide by. You have different values and ethics to follow as well. Values and ethics that you follow are vital and important in different ways. Social workers have to make certain decisions based upon ethics and values. These values and ethics bring us to what we call the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The NASW is very important for social workers to follow and use as a guide in their profession. It is divided into different sections to follow to use as a guideline to help our clients. The main purpose for the NASW is basically to improve and develop our clients we are working with and their environment. Social workers have a responsibility when it comes
Social workers have many different practices and approaches to draw on for work with individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. These approaches and techniques can be varied depending on the distinctive
As a social worker, there are obligations you should abide by in the field of practice. Dual relationships should among the client and the social worker should never take place in the field of practice. The NASW Code of Ethics, section 2.07 states, social workers who decides to engage in sexual intercourse with their client’s, will suffered many consequences for their actions. (NASW Assembly, 2008).
To my acceptance, the social work profession’ vision and mission strives to promote a just society (NASW p.1). Sincerely, I believe a just society is communities composed of diverse and united populations who actively participate in the creation of peaceful norms, laws, practiced behaviors, and policies that aim to provide equal opportunities to all members within such society. Therefore, I am convinced, the social work profession’ mission is to promote the dignity, integrity, and the well-being of all persons (NASW p.2). For instance, the nation social work associations’ code of ethics (NASW) is composed of enriched sets of ethical principles and practiced behaviors; that focus on promoting adequate and equal distributions of resources to
According to the National Association for Social Workers (NASW), the social work profession was founded in social change (Advocacy, n.d.). They explain that throughout the profession’s history, social workers have sought to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources and opportunities that allow them to meet their basic needs (Advocacy, n.d.). In Paul Loeb’s book, Soul of a Citizen, throughout his own words and the words of others, he is able to express the significance that individuals, social workers, can have on others.
The role of the social worker is not to change people, treat people, or help people cope, but to nourish, encourage, assist, and unleash the strengths within people. They
According to the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) the social work profession ‘promotes the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance wellbeing. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their
“The field of social work involves working actively to change the social, cultural, psychological, and larger societal conditions that most individuals, families, groups, and communities face.” (O’Hare, 2009, as cited in Colby, I.C., Dziegielewski, S.F., 2016). Social work can almost be described as a people’s profession due to its devotion to the well-being and success of people from every background and nature.
Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with life`s challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1).
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
My understanding of the profession of social work is to enhance human well-being and to help meet the basic needs of all society, especially the needs of the most vulnerable, oppressed, and the needs of the people living in poverty. Social work leading duties are to promote social justice and social change on behalf of clients.