Professional values and Ethics

Professional Values and ethics :

this forms 27% of testing content for ASWB exam. (topics covered according to ASWB study guide)

Values : Service, social justice, dignity and worth of human person, integrity, competence and importance of human relationships

Based on the above professional values, the ethical standards concern

1. responsibility to clients
2. responsibility to colleagues
3. responsibility in practice setting
4. responsibility as professionals
5. responsibility towards profession
6. responsibility towards broader society


a. commitment to clients : SW's primary responsibility is to promote the wellbeing of the client, in general clients interests are primary, however SW's responsibility towards the larger society or specific legal obligation may supersede the loyalty owed to clients and the clients should so be advised.

b. Client Self Determination :Social workers respect the individual’s right to make independent decisions and to participate actively in the helping process. People have a right to freedom as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. Therefore, transactions with people who are seeking and utilizing resources should enhance their independence and self-determination. Our commitment to client self-determination and empowerment is hollow if clients lack access to the resources necessary to achieve their goals hence Social workers are committed to assisting client systems to obtain needed resources. People should have access to the resources they need to meet life’s challenges and difficulties as well as access to opportunities to realize their potential throughout their lives. Social workers may limit clients’ right to self-determination when, in the social workers’ professional judgment, clients’ actions or potential actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others.

c. Intrinsic worth and value of the individual : Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients’ socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients’ interests and the broader society’s interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession.

d. client's right to refuse service : In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, social workers should protect clients’ interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients’ level of understanding. In such instances social workers should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients’ wishes and interests. Social workers should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients’ ability to give informed consent.
(d) In instances when clients are receiving services involuntarily, social workers should provide information about the nature and extent of services and about the extent of clients’ right to refuse service.

e. ethical issues regarding termination :  1. terminate when the treatment no longer required or no longer serves the clients needs or interests, 2. when client is still in need of services and under unusual circumstance the client has to be terminated, possible efforts to arrange for the continuation of service must be taken and for no others reasons than SW's disability, relocation or other unusual conditions. When doing so, the risks must be mitigated on possile adverse effects, 3. Social workers should not terminate services to pursue a social, financial, or sexual relationship with a client., 4. Social workers who anticipate the termination or interruption of services to clients should notify clients promptly and seek the transfer, referral, or continuation of services in relation to the clients’ needs and preferences. 5. Social workers who are leaving an employment setting should inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of services and of the benefits and risks of the options.

f. Identification and resolution of ethical dilemmas & h.applying ethics to practice issues : when attempting to resolve an ethical dilemma in practice, social workers should determine if it is an absolute or approximate dilemma; distinguish between personal and professional dimensions; and identify the ethical, moral, legal, and values considerations in the situation. After conducting this preliminary analysis, an ethical decision-making model can then be appropriately applied.    http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/What_Is_an_Ethical_Dilemma%3F/ and https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/oepr/steps.asp  and http://www.socialworktoday.com/news/eoe_101402.shtml and http://www.socialworktoday.com/news/eoe_101402.shtml and http://naswil.org/news/chapter-news/featured/ethics-corner-resolving-ethical-dilemmas/ and http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/viewFile/124/107


g Responsibility to seek supervision :

1. Social workers should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision from people who are competent in those interventions or techniques.
2. When faced with ethical dilemmas, SW should seek supervision, usually the agency has the ethics committee who are trained to handle such situations
3. http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/naswstandards/socialworksupervision/SUPERVISION%20STANDARDS2%20Public%20Comment%20Draft%20August%2016.pdf

h. Use of professional development to improve practice :

i. Professional boundaries : Social Workers should under no circumstance engage in any sexual activity with current or former clients or to the person close to the client, incase of any such involvement, it is the social workers burden and not the client's to prove that the client has not been exploited, coerced or harmed. Also SWrs should not provide clinical services to clients with whom prior sexual involvement is present. Social Wkrs should not involve in physical contact with client when it has the possibility to harm the client. SWks are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern such physical contact. Sexual harassment of any kind strictly prohibited, Swks cannot use derogatory language, they must be respectful in all their communications with and about the client

b. Confidentiality :  ref http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/viewFile/124/107

legal and ethical issues regarding confidentiality,including electronic communication, use of client records,ethical issues regarding mandatory reporting and obtaining informed consent

1.responsibility to the larger society or specific legal obligations may on limited occasions supersede the loyalty owed clients, and clients should be advised about it
2. client's right to self determination can be limited when the SW r finds threats/imminent risk for client and others or larger society
3. In instances when clients are not literate or have difficulty understanding the primary language used in the practice setting, social workers should take steps to ensure clients’ comprehension. This may include providing clients with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator whenever possible.
(c) In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, social workers should protect clients’ interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients’ level of understanding. In such instances social workers should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients’ wishes and interests. Social workers should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients’ ability to give informed consent.
(d) In instances when clients are receiving services involuntarily, social workers should provide information about the nature and extent of services and about the extent of clients’ right to refuse service.
(e) Social workers who provide services via electronic media (such as computer, telephone, radio, television) should inform recipients of the limitations and risks associated with such services.
(f) Social workers should obtain clients’ informed consent before audiotaping or videotaping clients or permitting observation of services to clients by a third party.

disclosing confidences :

1. when there is a harm at stake either at self or others (specific information required to help)
2. sucidality, homicidality , suspected harm to children, decompensation (when client is unable to take care of oneself and thus causes threat to self or others eg: dementia, psychotic (accute),  subpoenas .under all these cases confidentiality can be broken, but only required information must be provided according to situation and the client must be informed about it.
3. when AIDS is involved

Ref :

 the Jennifer Keeton case at Augusta State University and the Julea Ward case at Eastern Michigan University

NASW code of Ethics

http://quizlet.com/44253454/ethics-confidentiality-flash-cards/