Understanding Ethics Of Social Work

As a social worker practicing as a counselor, NASW code of ethics can be applied to effectively address Leon’s problem. To begin with, understanding of human diversity is central to this case. There is need to acknowledge and appreciate Leon’s culture including the way he perceives different religions. It is also

being shared. Summarizing the conversation provided clarity resolving any areas of misunderstanding about her situation (Shulman, 2016, p237). Through this process of engagement pertinent information about this student was obtained. (AS) spoke about her culture, family, past school history and why she feels she needs counseling.

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.

Ethical dilemmas happen frequently in the social work and how one handles them could be the difference on how a clinician keeps their license or not. The problem is there is no way to prepare a person from knowing what situations will arise. Scenarios arise all the time and new ways to handle them is constantly changing. The ethical dilemma can happen anywhere and at any time with anyone, it could be a client, co-worker, and even supervisors. No social worker is safe from them. One however can practice with scenarios and be aware of personal biases. A social worker needs to evaluate each dilemma with the different frameworks and principals to determine which one applies best, anticipate what possible outcomes could happen, and what interventions a social worker would implement.

In the mental health profession of counseling, therapy, psychology, psychiatric and social services ethical dilemmas are faced primarily on a daily basis. Being that mental health professionals are working with clients who are often fragile and vulnerable, they must develop an intense awareness of ethical issues. On the other hand, mental health professionals would never intentionally harm their clients, students or colleagues and others whom they work with. Unfortunately, good intentions are not enough to ensure that wrong doings will not occur and mental health professionals have no choice but to make ethically determined decisions. Depending upon the experience and expertise of the professional determines the outcome of the ethical

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.

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.

For the importance of this assignment, I had the opportunity of interviewing one of the social services workers. The social service worker in which I interviewed, was once a client but now holds a professional position within the agency. Understanding the demographics of Peoria, IL is one of the reasons, I was certain that I would receive valuable information about the numerous ethical dilemmas she had encountered. She began the interview explaining that due to being born and raised in Peoria, she knows everyone especially the clients. She continued by saying, she is familiar with numerous of clients due her affiliation with substances use. She stated that when she is faced with an ethical dilemma, she typically would meet with the Case Manger, which is a Licensed Clinical Professioal Counselor (LCPC) and would ask her how she should proceed with the client. The Case Manger typically refers her to the NASW Code of Ethics book that she keeps in her office. If the LCPC, could not help the worker find clarity, then they will consult with the Vice President of Mental Health Services to guide their decision making.

All social workers can attest that at some point in their career they’ve had a situation that was an ethical dilemma. They work with people who are experiencing some very difficult and sensitive situations, and there are instances where issues arise that put social workers in a difficult position in regards to ethics. Whether it be from conflicting responsibilities of a social worker or an issue that lies in an ethical gray area. Fortunately, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has a code of ethics for social workers that lays out what is expected and required of a social worker when dealing with a variety of issues. Also, since social workers are considered covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Affordability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), they are also held responsible for protecting their clients’ health information. When faced with an ethical dilemma, if a social worker chooses to not follow the standards laid out by the NASW and HIPAA then they could face professional, and potentially legal, disciplinary actions.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics was established as a core value guide for Social Workers when providing services to clients or working with colleagues. The mission of a social worker is to enhance the wellbeing of people through an array of services. On a daily basis social workers are faced with making ethnical decisions and using professional judgement in lives of people. This paper will compare and contrast a social worker personal core values with the NASW core values comparing and contrasting the two. Also, this paper will also look at different vignette and ethical dilemmas that are in conflict with the NASW core values. Moreover, the paper will provide pros and cons for each professional course of actions

Human services is known as the helping profession by many, when helping though we should keep in mind that ethics are a large part of the profession. Professional ethics can be defined as a codification of the special obligations that arise out of a person’s choice to become a professional (Dolgoff, Harrington, & Loewenberg, 2012). When looking the ethics of human services or social work they are intended to help the practitioners in the field recognize morally correct practice and learn how to decide and act ethically in professional situations (Dolgoff, Harrington, & Loewenberg, 2012). There are so many things to consider when it comes to ethics in the human service profession, I will highlight many of them throughout this paper, starting with dual relationships.

In the profession of Social Work there are several policies, procedures, rules and guidelines that govern the way we make ethical decisions. Our job as Social Workers is to be knowledgeable of the professions needs and engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate with individuals, families and organizations in order to help them understand the value and importance of self-worth and self-determination when making decisions. The Canadian Association of Social Work (CASW) provides us with a Code of Ethics, which outlines the mission and values of the profession when dealing with ethical dilemmas. It creates a common framework for workers to develop approaches, understanding and boundaries to follow when working with clients (CASW, 2005).

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 encounter ethical dilemmas every day during their work. Banks, in her explanations says these are occurrences whereby a social worker encounters two unwelcoming situations and there is a conflict of moral values, and there is no clear choice as to which decision to make.(Banks, 2006).To elaborate on this , Banks implies

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