Ethics are based on rules within an individual’s life that helps dictate behavior as being good or bad. It can relate to conducting ethical research, maintaining ethical values, and upholding ethical standards. For instance, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of professional ethics are the core standards, values, and principles that all social workers are responsible to uphold while practicing in the field (NASW, 1996). In relation to these ethical standards, social workers must balance certain aspects of their careers, such as stress. Furthermore, social workers need to ensure their behavior in response to a stressful work environment are guided by their code of ethics. To determine how applicable these ethics are, this …show more content…
Section 4.01 state that social workers should strive to obtain knowledge about social work ethics and the responsibilities that are required within this profession (NASW, 1996). Within social work, it is important to gain self-knowledge due to the many clients that they are in contact with. Bordens and Horowitz (2002) discuss that self-knowledge is obtained by observing one’s own behavior. When a social worker gains self-knowledge, it can create self-confidence and produce ethical behavior. However, if a social work does not manage the natural stress of their workplace, it can cause negative unethical behavior due to impaired cognitive functioning (Deligkaris, Panagopoulou, Montgomery, & Masoura, 2014). Meaning, a social worker’s mental health status can become weakened due to the frustration of stress and will produce behaviors that may affect the services being provided to the …show more content…
Section 5.01 state that a social worker should uphold integrity while being affiliated with a professional organization and within the community, in order to ensure the well-being of the clients served (NASW, 1996). To reach this goal and maintain integrity, a social worker must have high self-esteem within their abilities to meet these standards. Borden and Horowitz (20020 state that self-esteem is judgement and feelings that an individual has about themselves. High self-esteem portrays positive behavior and feelings, due to the high regard for oneself. However, low self-esteem is when one is feeling unworthy about themselves and their ability to succeed. Michailidis and Banks (2016) contribute low self-esteem to the overwhelming feelings of stress in the workplace that can lead to making the wrong decisions. As a social worker, managing stress is important because the right decisions must be made daily for a client and making the wrong decision is not upholding the integrity of the
In this article, the author, Esther Urdang, shows the readers how self-awareness is a necessity in the field of social work. She notes that being more self-aware protects social workers from things such as inappropriate relationships, burnout and not following necessary ethics. Urdang explains how specific casework, similarities between the client and worker, mental disability, involvement in a client’s personal life and self-disclosure can aid in developing inappropriate relationships. Towards the end of her article, she further emphasizes how social work education should focus on helping students become more secure in themselves and their experiences so they know how this affects their work (Urdang, 2010).
Working with people can be challenging, but so rewarding all at the same time. As humans, we are certainly not perfect and we are making mistakes daily. Making decisions is one thing that does not come easily to us, and depending on the day you can get multiple different answers to one situation. The NASW Code of Ethics is an extremely helpful tool when we are working with clients and something that does not ever waiver in ethical decision-making. If we are working in the Social work profession, then we must insure we are making the correct decision for everyone who is involved with the client.
Professionalism in the social work field goes beyond licensure and expertise (Cournoyer, 2014). According to Cournoyer (2014), social work professionalism encompasses the concepts of integrity, self-efficacy and knowledge, self-understanding and self-control, and social support (Cournoyer, 2014). Embedded in social work professionalism is the person-environment perspective, which posits that our personal attributes, interactions and relationships with others, and environment influence a social worker’s practice. Cournoyer stresses that it is a social worker’s responsibility to acknowledge and regulate his or her personal biases, ideologies, and beliefs when working with clients in order to prevent them from negatively impacting the therapeutic
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...
Ethical Issues in Social Work I will provide practical help for new social workers to help them understand and deal with ethical issues and dilemmas which they will face. There are many ethical issues which are important to social work, but I feel that these are all covered by the care value base. The care value base Was devised by the care sector consortium in 1992, this was so that the workers in health and social care had a common set of values and principles which they would all adhere to. It is important because for the first time the social care sector had a clear set of guidelines from which ethical judgements could be made. The care value base is divided into 5 elements - The care value base covers - Equality and Diversity - Rights and responsibilities - Confidentiality - Promoting anti Discrimination - Effective communication Equality and Diversity Carers must value diversity themselves before they can effectively care for the different races, religions and differently abled people they will come across in their caring profession.
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
First, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics Preamble (2008) states, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human wellbeing and help meet the basic human needs of all people.” In RCT, the goal is also to enhance wellbeing through the basic need for connection and growth-empowering relationships which is based on mutual empowerment for all people (Banks, Jordan, & Walker, 2011). Further, the NASW (2008) lists their core values to be: “service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.” All of these values define RCT, because it emphasizes human relationships and the “five good things” (Jordan, 2008, p.2) that promote authenticity, respect, self-esteem, dignity, equality, and acts that promote relationships that empower others for an inclusive society (Banks, Jordan, & Walker,
Social Workers also approach the clients to not only resolve personal conflicts but to allow the client to function best within their environments. Social Work distinguishing characteristics include the emphasis on the person-in-environment model as well as its emphasis on social justice. Compared to other similar professions, Social Work has differing professional values and ethics that include appreciation to human diversity, understanding of social welfare policy and services, emphasis on both social and economic justice, as well as a strong foundation in education. The importance of Social Work includes numerous of explanations. Social Workers help countless of people navigate through major life challenges or setbacks to find hope as well as options to achieve greater things. Not only do Social Workers help individuals overcome problems but they also stand up for human rights and social justice to assist
Ethics consists of factors such as culture, religion, and these continuously affect a person’s beliefs and ethics. As individuals continue to develop and adapt to different values and ethics. This is through past experiences and the expectations as our life pattern changes. Core values in social work practice are the code of ethics, informing our understanding of the difference and diversity. The social work profession is evaluated by a whole set of guidelines, measures put in place by regulatory bodies, allowing the movement to put in place new governmental laws and guides within this field.
“Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers are to be aware of this profession missions, values ethical principal and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them”. (NASW, 2008, p.6). Social workers are to be sure their practice is embedded in the NASW Code of Ethics.
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
Social workers must have a certain level of integrity in their field of practice. This characteristic is important because it helps a person be true to their own beliefs and allows them to set their own boundaries. Integrity can show a social worker what types of clients they are comfortable working with and what types of professions they should not be in. Social workers who have integrity are able to put their energy into cases that they are capable of handling and will have less opportunities of harming the client in any way. When a person is able to show integrity, they stay true in what they believe in and work
...nce of human relationships, integrity and competence (NASWCE). As a social worker, one will have to understand and stand by these principle’s whether it is in a difficult situation or not. The main key is to stand by what is right. For an example in the story “The Seed,” the young boy stood by his plant even though it did not seem right. Sometimes what one think is not going to work will be the main thing that will work as long as they have the courage to keep pushing and working hard at it. As stated, “if you plant hard work, you will reap success (The Seed).”
Social Work is a profession that prides itself on the ability to cultivate positive relationships with people who may be very different from us. There may be differences in age, race, personality, gender, socioeconomic status, health, sexual orientation, rank, power, and privilege, as well as beliefs regarding religion and politics. The experience of these differences can cause a Social Worker to feel emotionally and cognitively disturbed. The ability to become aware of and consciously attend to these internal disturbances can positively affect the quality of relationship we are able to
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.