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Social work and cross cultural competence
Ethical dilemmas faced by social workers
Ethical dilemmas faced by social workers
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Recommended: Social work and cross cultural competence
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
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.
When dealing with an ethical dilemma, social workers usually reference back to Reamers 7-step process to help with ethical decision-making. In the given case study, we meet Lori a bright fourteen-year-old who is smart, involved in school activities, and sports. She has had a non-normative impacted life since she was young, such as her mother dying of breast cancer and father dying as well. She has no immediate family and was lucky enough to be placed in a foster home with a family who loves her and wants the best for her.
In the National Association for Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, there are many standards a social worker should uphold in order to promote a healthy and helpful relationship with the client. One such aptitude is Cultural Competence and Social Diversity, which is in section 1.05 of the NASW code of ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). There are three sections associated with this competency “Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths of all cultures”. It is assumed that “social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’ cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients”. As a final point “Social workers should obtain education” in order to understand cultural diversity and oppression in people (NASW, 2008, p. 9).
This paper will evaluate and analyze an ethical dilemma that was presented in the textbook and the Case Study #1 that will be evaluated for this assignment. The questions that will be answered include what are the ethical dilemmas in the case and are these legitimate concerns for the social worker. In addition, when evaluating and analyzing the ethical dilemma in this case study it is necessary to look at why the social worker is worried about reporting newborns and why she feels that there are injustices and discrimination that come from these policies. Furthermore, as a social worker in this agency I would respond by figuring out what could be done in this situation and what courses of action could be done to change the injustices in the
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.
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 has 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 directly 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.
Social workers use their knowledge and skills to make a judgment or decision as to whether or not to intervene while outweighing the risks. As Johns social worker, I must provide and use anti-discriminatory practice when services and facilities are provided, and hold ethics and values when supporting John. Banks, (2012), used the term ethics as a moral philosophy with the study of moral judgments and problems. Social workers must follow the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), domain two is to hold value and ethics. As a social worker, I must be knowledgeable about ethical standards, relevant laws and as stated in the PCF, “recognise and promote individual’s rights to autonomy and self-determination”
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.
What ethical concerns or dilemmas are most frequently encountered in your practicum setting, according to your field instructor?
According to the Code of Ethics manual, “Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. Social workers also seek to promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other social institutions to individuals’ needs and social problems. The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective: service; social justice; dignity and worth of the person;
As a social worker, it is essential to be diverse and culturally competent for the reason that one will encounter clients with diverse backgrounds from his or her own. A client may be different due to their race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other factor. However, the social worker’s purpose is to enhance the client’s well-being while attending to his or her needs, as well as being sensitive to their cultural and ethnic diversity (National Association of Social Workers, 1999). While working with a client, it is necessary to examine the social system and apply the appropriate theories or perspectives that can be applied to that particular case. Additionally, it is important to determine how the social systems
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
When it comes to dignity and worth of the person, a social worker must treat each person with care and respect. In the social work profession, there is a lot of cultural and ethnic diversity. Based on my personal values and the core values,
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
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.