Ethical Decision Making

1. Ethical Decision Making Applications in Social Work Practice with Youth

2. Ethical Dilemmas Situations wherein moral precepts or ethical obligations conflict in such a way that any possible resolution to the dilemma is morally intolerable. In other words, an ethical dilemma is any situation in which guiding moral principles cannot determine which course of action is right or wrong.

3. Should I “friend” clients on social media sites such as Facebook? • How should I respond when parents ask me to convince their son or daughter to access services? • How should I respond when I see information on Facebook that indicates my client is participating in risky behavior (underage or heavy drinking, drug use, pretending to be 18 or older and being pursued by older men, etc.) • What do I do when my son or daughter becomes friends with a current or former client in school? • Should I discuss God and religion with youth during when I’m on the clock with a non-profit or government agency?

4. Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics • The Code identifies core values on which social work’s mission is based. • The Code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work practice.  • The Code is designed to help social workers identify relevant considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.  • The Code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work profession accountable.  • The Code socializes practitioners new to the field to social work’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards.  • The Code articulates standards that the social work profession itself can use to assess whether social workers have engaged in unethical conduct. NASW has formal procedures to adjudicate ethics complaints filed against its members.* In subscribing to this Code, social workers are required to cooperate in its implementation, participate in NASW adjudication proceedings, and abide by any NASW disciplinary rulings or sanctions based on it.

5. NASW Code of Ethics • Views ethics through harm-reduction lens • Ethical decision-making is a process • Does not specify a set of prescriptive rules • The Code GUIDES decision making

6. NASW Code of Ethics Defines the MISSION of the social work profession and offers a set of: • VALUES • PRINCIPLES • STANDARDS that guides the ethical decision-making process

7. Mission of the Social Work Profession The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well­being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty… Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.

8. Mission of the Social Work Profession Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients… 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.

9. Core Values of Social Work Profession • Service • Social justice • Dignity and worth of the person • Importance of human relationships • Integrity • Competence

10. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Service • Ethical Principle: Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers are encouraged tovolunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant financial return (pro bono service).

11. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Social Justice • Ethical Principle:Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with andon behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment,discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and culturaland ethnic diversity. Socialworkers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

12. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person • Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectfulfashion, 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 and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between 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.

13. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Importance of Human Relationships • Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships. Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities.

14. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Integrity • Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers are continually aware of the profession's mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.

15. NASW Ethical Values & Principles • Value: Competence • Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.

16. Using the code as a cornerstone for social work practice requires a method for ethical decision making.

17. The National Association of Social Workers developed a training curriculum in conjunction with the 2008 Code of Ethics revision that describes decision making through a set of sequential steps

18. Sequential Steps in Ethical Decision Making • Why is this bothering me? • What is the primary dilemma? • Are there ethical issues involved? • Who will either face ethical issues or be affected by the resolution? • What are the facts? • What value conflicts are present? Are some more important than others? • What ethical principles are in conflict? Are some more important than others?

19. Sequential Steps in Ethical Decision Making • What are the alternative courses of action/options? • Which demonstrates the greatest mutual respect among persons? • Can any of the alternatives be universalized? Would I advise anyone to follow the same course of action in the future? • What are the consequences, risks, and implications of each option? • What are my motives and those of others involved? • Am I being true to myself? • In light of these answers, what is my decision?

20. NASW Ethical Standards NASW ethical standards concern social workers’ ethical responsibilities: (1) to clients, (2) to colleagues, (3) in practice settings, (4) as professionals, (5) to the social work profession, and (6) to the broader society.

21. NASW Ethical Standards Some of the standards are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct, and some are aspirational. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards.