Policy Statement In The NASW Social Work Speaks

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

Department of Health and Human Service (2003), stating that cultural competency is “the ability to provide services to clients that honor different cultural beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes and behaviors and the use of multi-cultural staff in the policy development, administration and provision of those services.” According to the National Associations of Social Workers’ (2008) code of ethics, competency is important for understanding clients and their needs. Cultural competence differs from cultural humility in that it solely provides educational information regarding diverse populations in attempts to provide quality services. Culturally humility is a philosophy that includes components of cultural competence, but also involves analyzing ones self-awareness and biases. It includes life long learning surrounding issues of cultural diversity. Cultural humility is what is strived for but for the purpose of this analysis it will focus on cultural competence as a means of educating individuals on LGBT issues in later

The NASW Standards for Cultural Competence addresses the standard of empowerment and advocacy, which I find both reassuring and admirable, because, as a social worker becomes more culturally aware of their clients, they need to have the desire to ensure equality for all of them. From the text, social workers become specialists in understanding the effects of demeaning social policies against their clients, where they find the medium between aiding in producing positive change without imposing their own beliefs. Mastery of this standard requires the cohesion between a social worker and client to seek minimal changes in social policies to prove that advocacy imposes change before shifting towards revolutionizes social policies and laws.

Working with the Muslim American population a social worker should apply the skill of cultural competence. A social worker demonstrating the skill of cultural competence is important when working with Muslim Americans because it allows the social worker to grow in his or her awareness. Growing in the awareness of the Muslim American population is of key importance as it allows the social worker to exceedingly help the client and getting to know the client in depth. With that being said, Muslim Americans have cultural values that may affect the treatment options and the way the social worker communicates with the client; illustrating the importance of the social worker growing in his or her awareness in the clients culture.

Furthermore, culture competent is very important in this profession. “Culturally competent or culturally grounded social work incorporates culturally based values, norms and diverse ways of knowing.” Kumpfer, Alvarado, Smith, & Bellamy, (2002) (pg. 241-246). It is important that social workers not be bias. The reasons why cultural adaptation is important when it relate to social work practices. As a social worker, you must create a treatment plans for your clients. If a social worker not culture competent with her client’s needs, how well the treatment plans be affected for the best interest of her/her

A wide range of situations involving abortions can place workers in situations involving ethical dilemmas. The way I would address the abortion issue as a social work is by using the support of the ethical principles developed by Dolgoff, Loewenberg, and Harrington. Out of the seven principles they created I would use the principle of autonomy and freedom and the principle of least harm to address this ethical dilemma. The principle of autonomy and freedom suggest that people have the rights to self-determination. I do not believe in abortion but as a social worker I would have to set aside my personal beliefs and use appropriate responses to promote self- determination of my client. Cain (1979) stated that a social worker can discuss the possible

I agree with everything that you have written. It is not enough for a social worker to display a good work ethic. A social worker has to display the ethics that are in the NASW code of ethics. After reading your post and comparing it to my agency it sounds like you have a very strict agency. That is very beneficial to you, if someone is holding you to a standard it’s a good idea to make sure that you are keeping high standards so that you enhance you skills which will make you valuable to the job market. At my last agency I did home visits and I enjoyed tem a lot. Doing home visits allows you to see a part of your client that you would probably never see at your work place. The client behaves different and sometimes if the social worker is

Hello Tiffany after reviewing our video I gained more understanding of NASW code of ethics. As stated in your video Social have cultural competence which entails self-awareness and willingness to embrace other cultural and ethnicities. These Code of ethics are put in place as a guideline social workers to use when interacting with other cultures in their agency or in the field. It is important for us to use these ethics to avoid biases that may occur while working with our clients.

The last four class periods, we have focused during lecture and in the assigned chapter on the basics of social work. Primarily, we have focused on the NASW Code of Ethics, which all social workers follow and are bound to as they work in the profession. In addition, we have focused on other concepts like assessment, accountability, and autonomy. A strong foundation and understanding in these core concepts will help to eventually help to make me, personally, an effective and committed social worker.

In the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, there are many standards a social worker should uphold in order to promote a healthy and helpful relationship with the client. One such aptitude is Cultural Competence and Social Diversity, which is in section 1.05 of the NASW code of ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). There are three sections associated with this competency “Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths in all cultures”. It is assumed that “social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’ cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients”. As a

“Social workers must advocate against policy or practice interventions that create or reinforce the prejudice and discrimination towards gay men, lesbians, bisexual, and transgender persons and their families. Social workers are obligated to use nonjudgmental attitudes and to encourage nurturing practice environments for lesbians, gay men, bisexual, and transgender persons.”

All in all, this chapter help me to further understand the importance of cultural awareness. Being equipped with a range of tools is essential for the profession. Having these tools enables us to battle against cultural oppression and create change. Social workers must respect cultural boundaries, and work hard to set aside personal feelings to meet client’s needs. As seen as part of the Saint Leo University Core Values, we as social workers must value truth, personal worth and dignity to fully help members of

The generalist social worker is guided by the NASW code of ethics. They include social work values in all levels of intervention. They are prepared for rural practice, with an understanding of the different interaction between individuals, families, community, society, and globally.

It is imperative that social workers become knowledgeable about their clients’ cultures and are culturally sensitive. In learning about their clients’ cultures, social workers need to be aware of how powerful and significant culture is in relating to clients’ behavior, values, and beliefs. Becoming culturally competent requires the ability to integrate awareness, knowledge, and skills while maintaining a positive working relationship with the client (Sue and Zane, 1987). Today, the concerns regarding cultural competency continue to accentuate the importance of preparing social workers for a diversified society.

In the NASW Code of Ethics, principle #2 is “social workers challenge social injustice.” Social Workers are change agents. They fight to break ethical, cultural, economical, and social walls of indifference. Because people are different and tend not to fit in with the rest of society, or at least with how the rest of society believes they should be like those individuals are excluded from society. They are discriminated against and ridiculed. If they aren’t the ‘right’ color, hold to the ‘right’ beliefs, live the ‘right’ life or come from the ‘right’ place they are treated as ineligible to live. Those people are torn down, shunned, and disgraced.