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(Re) Thinking Social Work Ethics. Minnesota School Social Workers Association 2011 Fall Banquet & Conference Mary L. Pfohl, M.S.W., Ph.D., L.I.S.W. Objectives for Training. Explore social workers’ response to ethical dilemmas.
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(Re) Thinking Social Work Ethics Minnesota School Social Workers Association 2011 Fall Banquet & Conference Mary L. Pfohl, M.S.W., Ph.D., L.I.S.W.
Objectives for Training • Explore social workers’ response to ethical dilemmas. • Identify and describe the importance of examining, understanding, and implementing the Social Work Code of Ethics. • Identify and discuss the social work ethical values, principles and standards that guide and direct practice. • Identify, describe, and discuss ethical issues or dilemmas related to self determination & culturally competent practice. • Demonstrate the application of principles and standards to specific day-to-day issues and dilemmas in school social work. • Review ethical decision-making prioritization and processes.
How do Social Workers Respond to Ethical Dilemmas? • Short to medium term responses • Emotional • Physical • Behavioral • Long term responses • Attitude • Awareness • Practice • Personal
What Benefit does Knowledge of the Code of Ethics bring to the Social Work Professional? • Clarity in ethics (ongoing) results in greater ethical practice • Decrease in long term emotional and physical impacts as well as decreased stress when faced with ethical dilemmas • Provides forum for on-going dialogue with other disciplines • Awareness of impact of various interpretations of the Code of Ethics
Values • Beliefs about • What “ought to be” • What is important • What is right and wrong • Can be coherent or contradictory • Societal Values • Governmental Values • Legal Values • Personal Values • Social Work Values
What do I/we bring to the table? Values Motivation Vulnerabilities Personal experience
Ethics & the Code of Ethics • Values (right vs. wrong) translated into guidelines for behavior i.e. principles • Ethical principles do not clearly state what will be done in all situations • Standards that are agreed to by profession • Specificity of Code • What “should” be done • What “should not” be done • Generality of Code • Open to interpretation • Unique circumstances
Social Work Values & Ethical Principles • Identify the six social work values • Examine the ethical principles linked with the core values • See www.socialworkers.org
Challenges to Ethical Decision Making in Schools • Student under age of 18 years • Multiple client systems • Child/student • Family • Child/Family • School system • Primacy of client interest • Self-determination • Confidentiality • Responsibility to employer • Responsibility to society • Ranking of ethical principles • Laws and rules
Self Determination • “the rights and needs of clients to be free to make their own choices and decisions” (pg. 210, Barker, 1991 as cited by Reamer, 1999) • Code of Ethics Standard 1.02
Self Determination Scenario • Jill, a 14 year old student who receives special education services, learns she is pregnant. She asks you to be present when she tells her mother. Jill asks that you do not share the information with anyone in the school. At the meeting between Jill and her mother, the mother responds with “you’re having an abortion!” The mother asks you to assist her daughter in making arrangements for the abortion, to follow-up with her after the abortion is completed, and to keep the information from Jill’s dad and school officials.
Cultural Competence Thinking about ethics and cultural competence
NASW Code of Ethics Standard 1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity • (a) Social workers should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures. • (b) 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’ cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups. • (c) 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
NASW Code of Ethics Standard 4.02 Discrimination • Social workers should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical disability.
NASW Standards for School Social Work Services Standard 4 School social workers shall ensure that students and their families are provided services within the context of multicultural understanding and competence that enhance families’ support of students’ learning experiences.
Contradictions regarding Cultural Competence (Johnson & Munch, 2009) • Knowing about cultures • Collective identities
Contradictions regarding Cultural Competence (Johnson & Munch, 2009 • Group rights • Cultural competence is achievable
Culturally Competent Practice • Based upon the contradictions for culturally competent practice, what might be the implications for ethical social work practice? • How might you change your overall practice approaches? • How might you change your practice approach with specific clients/students/families?
Case Scenarios Discussion
Framework for Scenario Discussion • Assess options • Ethical theories and principles • Laws and policies • Values • Information • Code of Ethics Standards • Process • Consultation • Documentation • Evaluation
Thank you For all you do for children, families, community
Contact informationmlpfohl@stcloudstate.edu 320.308.3011
References Doel, M., Allmark, P., Conway, P., Cowburn, M., Flynn, M., Nelson, P., & Tod, A. (2010). Professional boundaries: Crossing a line or entering the shadows? British Journal of Social Work, 40, 1866-1889. Du, B.R.A. (1981). Confidentiality in social work practice: A comparison of rural and urban social workers in public social services. Dissertation. Briggs, M. (2006). Home on the range: Social work ethics in a rural setting. The New Social Worker. 13 (1), 6-8. Brownlee, K. (1996). Ethics in community mental health care: The ethics of non-sexual dual relationships: A Dilemma for the rural mental health profession. Community Mental Health Journal. 32 (5). 497-484. Evans, A.L. (2006). Navigating through dual relationships: Applying ethical continuum in a rural field placement. The New Social Worker. 13 (1). 4-5. Garrett, K. (1994). Caught in a bind: Ethical decision making in schools. Social work in Education 16 (2), 97-105. Gripton, J. & Valentich, M. (2003). Making decisions about non-sexual boundary behavior. Canadian Social Work 5(1). 108-125.
References(cont) Healy, L.M. (2007). Universalism and cultural relativism in social work ethics. International Social Work 50 (11), 11-26. Johnson, Y.M. & Munch, S. (2009). Fundamental contradictions in cultural competence. Social Work (54) 3, 220-231. Kopels, S. & Lindsey, B.C. The complexity of confidentiality in schools today: The school social work context. McAuliffe, D. (2005). I’m still standing: Impacts and consequences of ethical dilemmas for social workers in direct practice. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/jswve. NASW (2002). NASW Standards for School Social Work Services. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.org/. NASW (2010). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.org/pub/code/.
References(cont) Pugh, R. (2007). Dual relationships: Personal and professional boundaries in rural social work. The British Journal of Social Work 37 (8). 1405-1423. Raines, J.C. (2004). To tell or not to tell: ethical issues regarding confidentiality. School Social Work Journal, 28 (2), 61-78. Reamer, F. (1999). Social work values and ethics, 2nd edition, New York: Columbia University Press. Reamer, F. (2001). How to practice ethically: Part I. The New Social Worker, 8 (3). Reamer, F. (2001). How to practice ethically: Part II. The New Social Worker, 9 (1), 18-20. Strom-Gottfried, K. (2008) Justice v. mercy dilemmas. The ethics of practice with minors: High stakes, hard choices. Chicago: Lyceum Books, Inc.