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Ethics and Professionalism

Ethics and Professionalism. Washington State Department of Social & Health Services. Child Welfare Social Work. Personal vs. Professional Values Know your personal values/biases Know your role Ethical Imperatives Clear professional boundaries Competence Integrity

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Ethics and Professionalism

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  1. Ethics and Professionalism Washington State Department of Social & Health Services

  2. Child Welfare Social Work Personal vs. Professional Values • Know your personal values/biases • Know your role Ethical Imperatives • Clear professional boundaries • Competence • Integrity • Client self-determination • Confidentiality

  3. Ethical Imperative: Professional Boundaries

  4. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries • Public employees should not make decisions in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. • RCW 42.52.070, Special privileges • RCW 42.52.140, Gifts • RCW 42.52.150, Limitations on gifts • RCW 42.52.080, Employment after public service

  5. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries • Use of State Position • Conflict of Interest • Receiving/exchanging • Money • Gifts • Food or drink • Services • Providing lesser/greater services

  6. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries Use of State Position A state officer or employee may not use his or her state position to secure special privileges or to grant exemptions to benefit himself, herself, family members, or other persons.

  7. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries Conflict of Interest & Dual Relationships • A conflict of interest occurs when you have a private interest that may benefit from your actions, or when a private interest could interfere with official duties • An interest need not be financial to create a conflict of interest • Most conflicts result from the exercise of discretionary authority

  8. Ethical Imperative: Competence

  9. Ethical Conduct: Competence • Reasonable knowledge of primary issues of concern • Reasonable knowledge of treatment approaches & their efficacy • Cultural competence • Willingness to seek help and guidance when needed

  10. Culturally Competent Practice: • One’s ability to work in a way that is effective given the normative expectations of a given community • A willingness to avoid assumptions and to be interested in cultural factors in the broadest sense • Is a continuing process • Begins with self-awareness • Requires basic knowledge of human diversity

  11. Ethical Imperative: Integrity

  12. Ethical Conduct: Integrity • Employees in public service should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that might influence them in the performance of their duties. • RCW 42.52.020, Activities incompatible with public duties • RCW 42.52.110, Compensation for official duties or nonperformance • RCW 42.52.120, Compensation for outside activities • RCW 42.52.130, Honoraria

  13. Ethical Conduct: Integrity Objectivity • Public employees must place the public’s interest before any private interest or outside obligation - choices need to made on the merits. • RCW 42.52.020, Activities incompatible with public duties • RCW 42.52.030, Financial interests in transactions • RCW 42.52.040, Assisting in transactions

  14. Ethical Conduct: Integrity Stewardship • Public employees have a duty to conserve public resources and funds against misuse and abuse. • RCW 42.52.070, Special privileges • RCW 42.52.160, Use of persons, money, or property for private gain • RCW 42.52.180, Use of public resources for political campaigns • WAC 292-110-010 • Admin Policy 15.15

  15. Ethical Conduct: Integrity Questions to Ask Yourself • Will my use of state resources result in added costs or any other disadvantage to the state? • Am I using this resource in order to avoid personal expense? • Am I confident that my use of state resources will not compromise the security or integrity of state information or software? • Are state resources being used for purposes that could be embarrassing for my agency if reported publicly?

  16. The Green Zone • Any Use that is Reasonably Related to Your Official Duties • Combined Fund Campaign

  17. The Yellow Zone • Personal Use OK Under Limited Circumstances • Reallyde minimis exceptions • There is little or no cost to the state; • There is no interference with the performance of official duties; • The use is brief in duration and frequency; • The use does not distract from the conduct of state business;and • The use does not disrupt other state employees and does not obligate them to make a personal use of state resources.

  18. The Red Zone • Prohibited Uses • Outside business interests • Commercial uses • Illegal or unprofessional activities • Political activities, including lobbying

  19. Dilemma • You send emails to your friend’s home computer from your state computer regarding personal plans for the weekend. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  20. Dilemma • You ran across an article in TIME magazine that you want to share with friends and make several copies using the office’s copier. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  21. Dilemma • You send an email to your senator opposing the confirmation of a nominee for federal office. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  22. Dilemma • Your supervisor approves the use of a state computer to do course work for a class that will enhance your skills. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  23. Dilemma • You send a brief email or make a brief, local call to check on your kids. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  24. Dilemma • You access the Internet during a lunch break to check on your stock portfolio and transfer assets to a different fund. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  25. Dilemma • A family moves in next door to you, and you would really like to have her babysit your children, but you’re wondering if she has CPS history. You decide to check for referral history in FamLink. • Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

  26. Ethical Imperative: Client Self-Determination

  27. Ethical Conduct: Client Self-Determination • Know your role • Identification of role at initial contact • Full and complete identification of concerns • Documentation that is accurate and fairly reflects what occurred • Inform clients of possible impacts of their choices • Use motivational interviewing to enhance motivation for change

  28. Ethical Imperative: Confidentiality

  29. Ethical Conduct: Confidentiality • Keep information confidential • Except in Duty to Warn situation • Mandatory reporting requirements • Inform clients of the limits of confidentiality • Inform all of documentation requirements • Follow special protocols for protected information • HIV • Certain pieces of info when DV is occurring

  30. Conclusion: Ethical Choices • What you find is that the tough ethical choices are not between good and evil, but rather between two goods: • Truth versus Loyalty • Individual versus Community • Short-term versus Long-term • Justice versus Mercy

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