Social Work Values And Ethics

Social work is a profession which has the objective to improve the quality of life of other individuals. The NASW code of ethics is used as a guideline for social workers and the interaction they have with their clients. In addition, within the code of ethics, there are six values, which include service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Therefore, going into the social work field it is important to understand that your

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.

There are many publications that would bring value to the overall presentation of knowledge one could gain in search of further understanding of areas related to social work as a profession. Many understandings are attributed to social workers and case managers, who have chosen to work not with raw materials to create a finished product, but precious human life. This challenge brings on many personal and ethical struggles since erred raw materials can typically be discarded and another produced. In the field of social work, a misdiagnosis creates an extenuating circumstance and another attempt to get the medication or therapeutic process correct. In the article Social workers and the NASW Code of Ethics: belief, behavior, disjuncture, the

A career in Social Work requires conviction to personal values that reflect and uphold the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Professional ethics are the foundation of social work, as the trade has an innate obligation to endorse ethical principles and basic values to advocate for the wellness of others. The core values adopted by all social workers, as distinguished by NASW, are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. As a Clinical Social Worker, I will honor the NASW Code of Ethics in addition to my personal values of respect, self determination, responsibility, motivation, and wisdom. My personal values complement the NASW Code of Ethics and will resonate in my work as a social worker.

The section of the National Association of Social Work Ethics that will be discussed will be number four which includes Social Workers’ ethical responsibilities as professionals. This ethics code concentrates on a several different factors which include: 4.01 Competence, 4.02 discrimination, 4.03 private conduct, 4.04 dishonesty, 4.05 personal impairment, 4.06 misinterpretations, 4.07 solicitations, and 4.08 acknowledging credit.

There is a great necessity for the code of ethics in social welfare. The first code of ethics was “adopted in 1960” and was a single page (NASW,1998, para. 8). The last major adoption was in 1996, which was similar to what we see today, in the 2008 edition. In this changing profession it is absolutely necessary for a social worker to have something to reference to when there is an ethical dilemma, because they will transpire from time to time (NASW, 1998).

As a social worker many problems may arise because of the constant grey area of either letting your personal values interfere with your professional opinion. It is essential to provide your client with information and tools to help them succeed and overcome their problems. Following the core values is essential to being a resourceful, competent social worker. In some cases, core values are in conflict. In a situation where more than one core value is in conflict it is considered an ethical dilemma (Hick, 2009). It’s not guaranteed that a perfect solution will arise, therefore one of the core values is subsided because the other has more of an impact on the client.

Social workers should avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements, particularly involving services, create the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in social workers’ relationships with clients” (1.13.b).

This essay will address the ethical dilemmas faced by social workers and how they address these ethical dilemmas when working with service users and carers. It will be illustrated that codes of practice and codes of ethics are of paramount importance when dealing with these dilemmas as they are ones that guide social workers as to how they should try and solve these dilemmas.

To begin, social work is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social workers engage themselves in solving problems for individuals or relationships they may have in order to have a better lifestyle. Social workers work in various areas/institutions such as children’s aid agencies, school boards, hospitals and many more.These workers perform different duties depending on their workplace. Social work has four key concepts which include, social change, problem solving, person-in-the-environment and empowerment. These elements help the social workers find a conclusion with who they are working with. Just like any other work environment, there are policies in which they must follow. The CASW code of ethics. (Canadian Association of Social Workers). In some cases, social workers tend to ‘bend’ the code in order to make the right decision based on their experiences, beliefs and values. When they are stuck in a situation where they don’t quite know what to do, this is called an ethical dilemma.

Generally, social work is affiliated with the younger population or topics of abuse and neglect in the home. While this can be a vital part of the job description, social work is a diversified field with many other career opportunities. A social worker’s ethical job responsibilities are outlined in NASW Code of Ethics (1999). The following sections will review these responsibilities in relation to aging populations and a social workers practice.

We advocate for everyone to have the opportunity to reach their full potential in life. Social workers uphold dignity and worth of the Person by treating people with respect no matter their differences or circumstances. We also support and empower self-determination so the clients are able to meet their own needs. Social workers understand and stress the importance of human relationships by strengthening relationships and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (NASW Code of Ethics). Integrity is behaving in a trustworthy manner by being honest, responsible, and upholding the social work profession mission, values, and ethical principles/standards. This is something we must be able to uphold in both our profession and personal lives. Lastly, social workers must be competent in the profession in order to be effective. Social workers should continually seek professional development to increase their knowledge and skills. Since change is inevitable, professional development should be an ongoing practice for social

According to the Preamble of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, “the primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human wellbeing 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.” National Association of Social Workers. (approved 1996, revised 1999, 2008). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: Author. The ethical considerations of the Bruff Case as presented by Hermann and Herlihy (2006), are clearly defined and set forth Code of Ethics; additionally, the Code provides guidance to counselors on dealing with issues which might give rise

The commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of social work due to the effect it can have on the quality of the service offered to those who engage with us. Through group discussions in our foundations of social work practice I have become extremely ethically aware and now will always seek to ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making. From discussions with my fellow classmates I have learnt to strive to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession by making sure I promote and work towards the code of ethics wherever possible. This in turn enables me act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner having worked closely with service users in a professional setting and learned of their good and bad experiences with practitioners through the service user experience we undertook in class. I believe I am now in a good position to apply the social work ethical principles to my professional practice, in a way that seeks to empower my service users and enable me to emulate the best practice. In addition from reading social work journals and staying on top of news regarding the profession more generally I am knowledgeable about the value base of social work as a profession .

Improving the lives of individuals is the objective of the social work profession. There is six values within National Association of Social work Code of Ethics (NASW): Service, Social Justice, Dignity, and Self-worth of the person, Importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These values are for social workers and their work with the client(s). Regardless of one’s race, religious belief, sex or sexual orientation each value benefits all individuals. Social workers should always practice professional values. Clients suffer from when the social worker does not uphold values. Code of Ethics is established for all social workers to obey and follow them. In this this paper, I will discuss the how “Importance of Human Relationship” will be the easiest to uphold and how “Social Justice” will challenge me as a social worker working with future clients, community and organizations.