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Steps for Ethical Decision Making in School Social Work. Kathy Lombardi, MSW, LICSW Lead School Social Worker, St. Paul Public Schools Kathy.lombardi@spps.org November 1, 2012. Introduction. The ever increasing demands of our jobs may overshadow our ability to make thoughtful decisions
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Steps for Ethical Decision Making in School Social Work Kathy Lombardi, MSW, LICSW Lead School Social Worker, St. Paul Public Schools Kathy.lombardi@spps.org November 1, 2012
Introduction • The ever increasing demands of our jobs may overshadow our ability to make thoughtful decisions • Daily we make decisions that involve matters of values, ethics • At times, we are expected to make these decisions quickly
Introduction • Think about how you could utilize a set of steps to think through a dilemma • Taking the time to think through and document a decision will prepare you to justify your actions • This is very important, if and when, your decisions or actions ever come into questions
Ethical Dilemmas • Competing laws and values • Deciding between two or more undesired outcomes for clients and others impacted • Not always a right or wrong decision\ • Require professional judgement
STEP 1: Gather Additional Background Info and Assess the Case Details • Identify the stakeholders • Who has a vested interest in the outcome • Is all the information true and verifiable
Step 2: Separate Practice Considerations from the Ethical Aspects of the Case • Gray areas • Legal duties may differ from moral responsibilities • For example: duty to warn • Who is the client • Student • Family • Teacher • School district
Step 3: Explicitly Identify the Value Tensions • Right to privacy competes with protecting third parties • Does a client have the right to engage in self destructive behaviors • School district policy versus the rights of the client • HIPPA vs. FERPA
Step 4: Consult Relevant Codes of Ethics, Supervisors & Colleagues • NASW • Standards for School Social Work Servcies: • http://www.naswdc.org/practice/standards/NASW_SSWS.pdf • Code of Eithics • http://www.naswdc.org/pubs/code/default.asp • Consult with other SSWs
Step 5: Identify Alternative Intervention Strategies & Targets for Interventions • Consider all possible courses of action and the implications of each • You may choose to act on one of these courses • You may need to take a “wait and see” approach for a time period first
Step 6: Weigh the Costs & Benefits to Various Stakeholders • For each alternative you identified in step 5,discuss the impact on those involved • Use a system’s perspective to identify the interests of those who will be impacted by your decision
Step 7: Clarify and Make Explicit Personal Values • Make efforts to be aware of your own values and preferences. • Are there personal experiences that create a bias? • Are there personal relationships that influence your decision? • May need to seek clinical supervision or consultation
Step 8: Determine Which Priority or Obligation to Meet Foremost & Justify One’s Choice of Action • Decide which course of action to take • Justification for this decision is based on legal mandates, professional judgment, professional standards and ethical principles
Step 9: Document the Process of Decision Making • Identify the process • Document when and with whom you consulted • Use professional discretion and judgment on how much detail is needed
Discuss Scenarios • Three fictional “ethical dilemmas” • Get into small groups and go through the decision making process • Write a sample documentation note • Where will you put this note? • Who has access to it? • If you feel no written documentation is needed, why? • We will gather in 20 minutes for large group review
References • Mattison, Marian. (2006). Professional Ethical Codes: Applications to Common Ethical Dilemmas. In Frankin, Cynthia, Harris, MaryBeth, & Allen-Meares, Paula, School Services Sourcebook: A Guide for School-Based Professionals (pp. 921-927). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. • http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/nasw_ssws.pdf • http://www.sswaa.org/index.asp?page=91 • www.dpi.wi.gov/sspw/doc/sswprivacyofminors.doc