Introduction Values and ethics have a long-standing history and tradition of being at the forefront of the social work profession. The values and ethics that have been held and lived out by social workers in the history of social work and in the present time have molded the profession into what it is today. No department of social work has remained untouched by the values and ethics set forth by the National Association of Social Workers, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Council on Social Work Education. It is these values along with a social worker’s personal biases’ and beliefs, and a social workers cultural and societal background (Congress 2013) that often clash with the world around them creating ethical
The vast history of social work is riddled with ethical dilemmas and value conflicts. From the beginning of the first social work policy, the Elizabethan poor laws, through the great depression and the new deal, and into today social workers have faced situations and context that can be defined as an ethical dilemma or value conflict (Segal, Gerdes, Steiner 2014). Even competent social workers educated under the CSWE standards will come across an ethical dilemma during their profession. These dilemmas present themselves in numerous ways and in varying situations. Ethical dilemmas, as well as value conflicts, cause the social worker to make critical decisions in situations where no win-win solution may be
A social worker must be able to separate their personal values and biases from their professional career. However, a complete separation is never truly attainable and client to a more competent professional can be a difficult and grey area for social workers.
Ethical Issues Faced by Child Welfare Professionals Child welfare professionals are social workers that specialize in the promotion of the welfare and betterment of children. In this profession, there are often situations where a professional social worker will encounter an ethical dilemma or issue when a social worker must use an ethical decision-making process to aid in a resolution to the conflict. While conducting a study regarding how child welfare workers make assessments regarding child neglect Tobi Hamilton and Kim Bundy-Fazioli discovered that there is no set procedure for assessing and evaluating child neglect within the child welfare field. The lack
This paper will explore what the primary mission of social work as a professional means to me. Through self-reflection of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, I will delve into why I chose social work as a career, the type of social worker I want to become, and ponder what challenges and obstacles may impede my chosen path.
National Association of Social Workers [NASW]. (1998). The New NASW Code of Ethics Can Be Your Ally: Part I. Retrieved from: http://www.naswma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=96
The NASW (National Association of Social Workers) Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. This Code includes four sections. The first Section, "Preamble," summarizes the mission and core values of the social work profession. The second section, "Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics," provides an overview of the Code 's main functions and a brief guide for dealing with ethical issues or dilemmas in social work practice. The third section, "Ethical Principles," presents broad ethical principles, based on social work 's core values, that affect social work practice. The final section, "Ethical Standards," includes specific ethical standards
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics (2010) proposes three core values of Social Work, respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity (pp.12). These core values establish “ethical responsibilities” for the social worker (AASW, 2010, pp.12), specifically, the value of respect for persons, which sustains the intrinsic worth of all human beings as well as the right to wellbeing and self determination consistent with others in society (AASW, 2010,p.12). This Code of Ethics stipulates the duty of care a social worker must provide, a...
Social Work is a profession that is committed to the promotion, restoration, maintenance, and enhancement of social functioning. Its focus is to work with individuals, groups, and communities, in helping them use the resources within themselves and the environment to cope more effectively with their problems. At its most basic level, social work is about promoting the general welfare of society by representing those who are most vulnerable. Providing social services can sometimes be a difficult task, wrought with ethical uncertainties and challenges. The Social Work Code of Ethics helps social workers navigate these challenges throughout their careers and provide a framework for the principles and standards a social worker must uphold.
As a social work professional, you must take into account your own personal values before you can be an effective worker in this field. Social workers sometimes need to put their own values aside when working with clients who don’t share their same ideals. Clients are diverse and are not going to always have the same values that the worker has. Social workers need to be professional and adhere to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) guidelines when working with any client.
Social workers have many tools at their hand to enabling personal values to remain in check. The general practitioners communication with supervisors and collages can provide guidance on this issue. They can attend professional workshops pertaining to subjects such as ethics, and maintaining professional relationships. Social workers can continually evaluate their own values and beliefs and seek professional help such as therapy when
Social workers focus on the interactions of people and environment in order to improve conditions to help restore and maximize the capabilities to function in society. They must possess the ability to make ethical decisions within various contexts of the profession. This can vary from clinical work in either a mental health facility to child welfare in human service agencies.
The following paper aims to discuss and analyze the way in which my personal values intersect with the values I hold as most important within the profession of social work. It would stand to reason that these values would stand on common ground; however, there are places where my personal and professional values diverge. These conflicts may prove to be problematic within my chosen career unless I find a way to prioritize my values, or find ways for them to work harmoniously with each other.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington DC: Author.
Prior to having the class of Professional Values and Ethics, I assumed I understood the basic concepts of what defines a professional who has competence of values and ethics. Nevertheless, by being enrolled in this course, I have gained great knowledge of which professional values and ethical principles must be held by a social worker, which I did not know before. Progressively in this class, by learning professional values and ethics, my motivation to succeed as an upcoming social worker has gotten stronger.
All social workers are beholden to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Professional ethics are the main core of social work. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The code is composed of thematic sections that outline a social worker’s responsibility to clients, colleagues, employers, and the profession. Some responsibilities that a social worker has to a client are that the clients are their primary responsibility, fostering maximum self-determination in clients, respecting the privacy of clients, keeping information that has been shared during the course of their duties confidential and charging fees for services that are fair and considerate
Banks, S., 2006. Ethics and Values in Social Work. 3rd ed. Hampshire, England.: Palgrave MacMillan .
The social work profession and its Code of Ethics dictate that social workers must act in the best interest of the client, even when those actions challenge the practitioner’s personal, cultural and religious values. In practice; however, ethical decision-making is more complex than in theory. As helping professionals, social workers are constantly faced with ethical decision-making or ethical dilemmas. As noted by Banks (2005), an ethical dilemma occurs “when a worker is faced with a choice between two equally unwelcome alternatives that may involve a conflict of moral principles, and it is not clear what choice will be the right one” (as cited in McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008, p. 43). In addition, ethical decision-making is a process that
There are certain ethics that social workers must follow and is a guidance for professional standard of work. However sometimes people are not aware of their own values, though the more fully conscious someone is about their values, the more people are able to ensure that their actions are consistent with the values. As a social worker it is vital to know the dangers of not taking account of values and the ethical dimension of practice. A social worker should see their client for who they are and not just another object that is unclear by their own emotions hence why self-awareness is a key to