Personal Values In Social Work

Every individual in our society harbors a personalized set of values that guide behavior. “Values involve what is considered important and what is not” (Kirst-Ashman, 2016, p. 60). As a professional social worker, one must be able to clearly identify and understand where he or she stands concerning ethical issues. “Social workers have ethical responsibilities to clients, to colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession, and to the broader society” (Kirst-Ashman, 2016, p. 61). Another ongoing task for social workers is to effectively relate personal values to the core values listed in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Three important personal values that I feel strongly about being: the treatment of the mentally ill, end of life care, and the rehabilitation of convicted criminals back into society. Each of those issues can be associated with the NASW Code of Ethics in different ways to identify how to address the situation.
To begin, in our country we have numerous citizens diagnosed with psychological disorders. This applies to the profession of social work because it is likely

Social work professionals must know where they stand concerning ethical issues and values. Once, a social worker identifies these key values, they need to relate them to the principles listed in the NASW Code of Ethics. Then, when working with clients, professionals must use the code of ethics to help them provide the best services available. Ethical values that I have strong opinions about include the treatment of the mentally ill, end of life care, and the rehabilitation of convicted criminals back into society. To be a successful social worker, I must understand my values and be able to set them aside to “promote human and community well-being” (Kirst-Ashman, 2016, p.