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As a part of the National Association of Social Workers, social workers may face different kinds of ethical dilemmas in their scope of practice. The code of ethics is put in place so that these professionals may be able to act wisely and make the most suitable and appropriate decisions thereby positively benefitting the client likewise themselves. An ethical dilemma is a conflict between two or more ethical principles. These ethical principles aim to provide beneficense, least harm, respect for autonomy, and provide justice. I will discuss three ethical dilemmas affecting human rights in social work.
First I will reflect on the differences between moral and values and how it impacts human rights. Morals and values differ for each individual and in the social work field one may find in most cases that their beliefs conflict with their clients. As a professional that individual must understand that their client has the right to share their own views and morals
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regardless of what others may think. It is their human right since freedom of thought is one of the thirty human rights. Next, Confidentiality is very important in this profession. Social workers must follow the code of ethics in terms of keeping their client’s information confidential. They must be able to respect their client’s right to privacy and must not disclose any information without his/her written consent. In life threatening circumstances whereby the client is threatening to harm someone, social workers are forced to break confidential information to protect the public or the person that the client intends to harm. As a part of the code of ethics it is unacceptable for social workers to have a romantic relationship or friendship with their clients as dual relationships are forbidden in their scope of practice. Social workers are thought which level of interaction is appropriate with their clients outside of their work hours or in public. Hence, these factors relate to the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics because it places a border and reinforces what is expected from a social worker and what is not.
Additionally, like I mentioned in the beginning, in terms of beneficence, its principle stipulates that ethical theories should strive to achieve the greatest amount of good because people benefit from the most good. In respect for autonomy an ethical theory should allow people to reign over themselves and to be able to make decisions that apply to their lives. This means that people should have control over their lives as much as possible because they are the only people who completely understand their chosen type of lifestyle. The justice ethical principle states that ethical theories should prescribe actions that are fair to those involved. Due to this, code of ethics were put in place for the well being of these professionals and their clients so that in all act on each party’s behalf there will be some sort of
fairness.
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
Moreover, ethical issues are ubiquitous within the field of social work. As such, social workers employed in all facets of the profession, whether it is substance abuse, mental health, among many others encounter ethical issues common and specific to each area. According to the article “Ethical Issues in Addiction Counseling” by Cynthia G. Scott (2000), prominent ethical situations specific to the field of substance abuse include, “confidentiality and privileged communication” (p. 213). In her article Scott (2000) discuss the blurred boundaries of confidentiality with regards to group counseling. The author points out the discrepancy in federal confidentiality laws that prevent the practitioner from sharing confidential information disclosed
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.
The National Association of Social Work's Code of Ethics is not only something that is crucial to someone in the field of Social Work but can also be applied to everyday life. These values in which the Code of Ethics mandates professionals to use are very important in knowing how to help clients in bettering their lives, and in help society as a whole become a better place. Service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence are all the core values of Ethics and should be learned and practiced by all, not only Social Workers (NASW, 2008).
In the social work practice, social workers should abide by and respect the protocol of their particular organization. The first ethical standard I would like to discuss is that a social worker having cultural competence and social (NASW, 1999). A social worker must possess the knowledge of values, customs, tradition and history just to name a few in order to have success with clients that may identify as something other than their own identity. Culture directs impacts human behavior. Within this case study, due to Mrs. Sanchez’s culture, she struggled to assimilate with the American culture and this included her being able to learn the English language. Her culture was very important to her and I respect that. As a social worker, I would have
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 provides a framework for the principles and standards a social worker must uphold.
Banks, S., 2006. Ethics and Values in Social Work. 3rd ed. Hampshire, England.: Palgrave MacMillan .
Reamer, R.G. (2006). Social Work Values and Ethics . 3rd ed. New York: Colombia University
God challenges me each day to include the excluded through my work with parents, children, and families that have become involved with the Department of Child Services. Every family that I encounter has their own story and that story is often times not understood or accepted by individuals looking at the family from the outside leading to the family being excluded or looked down upon. Each family has different needs and circumstances that impact their story, which are needs and circumstances that need to be taken into consideration as to why the family has become involved with the Department of Child Services.
Ethics is the understanding of the moral values that govern the people in a community or society. Ethics will also cover the broader aspect of culture and its involvement in making decisions. It is only ethical that the organization take care of the needs of their employees especially those needs that affect their health issues. For that matter, the ethical view support that the organization does provide the contraceptives for their employees (Bernard, 2010).
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
As populations become more diverse in the United States, social workers will encounter clients from backgrounds different from their own. Whether their client is different by race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or some other factor, the social worker’s mission is to enhance one’s well-being and attend to their needs while being sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity (National Association of Social Workers, 1999). While providing social services, the worker must be able to apply ethics and values in order to provide necessary resources and help the client to the best of their abilities. In spite of the fact that our mission is to focus and meet the needs of our clients, ethical dilemmas can occur due to differences or personal
Walking into the office there is a relax, unique, and homey feel. Everyone there seems like they have one cohesive goal. That goal being putting parents on the right track to get their kids back. A social worker’s job is difficult. They work with a variety of people with many upbringings and philosophies. No case or situation is the same and that was explicit during my job shadow. It also is an emotional and ethical challenge too because as a case manager there is only so much one can do without overstepping the boundaries and precepts with impunity. They are not supposed to talk about certain information in cases because of confidentiality, which can prove to be difficult for someone like me who strives to better the people around and with me while helping those in need. I also learned that social workers do a lot more than those expect. Plus they have extremely unpredictable hours, this could prove to be a problem in the long-term if I was to work in the field but wouldn’t mind it short-term. The job is also very time-consuming especially if your caseload is full.
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