Supervision

Week 2
Afternoon Outline
Social work ethics
NASW Code of Ethics Search Worksheet
Ethical decision making
Ethical Dilemma Paper
Social Work Ethics
Values

What is good & desirable

Professional/personal/societal
Ethics

What is right & correct

 Value driven
How things ought to be
Professional Ethics

Code of special obligations

 Value driven
 specificity  usefulness as behavioral guide
 specificity   wide acceptance
NASW Code of Ethics
1960
Guide for social work conduct
Basis for adjudication
Values
 Service
 Social justice
 Dignity & worth of person
 Importance of human relationships
 Integrity
 Competence
NASW Code of Ethics (cont.)
Six key areas of responsibility
 To clients
 To colleagues
 To practice settings
 As professionals
 To the social work profession
 To broader society
Unethical

Violates professional principles established by the profession’s

code of ethics
 May qualify as malpractice
Malpractice: 4 Conditions

Legal duty to provide professional service to plaintiff

Performance must be negligent or below generally accepted
professional standards
Plaintiff must have suffered injury or loss
Social worker actions must have caused injury or loss
NASW Code of Ethics
Search Worksheet
What steps toward accommodation should I take in working with
clients who do not speak English?
Ethical Decision Making
Objectives
Increased
 Sensitivity to ethical issues
 Understanding of the complexity of ethical decision making
 Tolerance for, and ability to work through, ambiguity
 Ability to identify & grapple with competing arguments
 Ability to reach thoughtful reasoned conclusions
Ethical Problems

What is the right thing to do?

Ethical Dilemma

Must choose
 Two contradictory directives
 Best of two bad choices
 Competing values
 Competing loyalties
Least Harm Principle

Least harm
Least permanent harm
Most easily reversible harm
Judgment about likely outcome(s)
Ethical Dilemma Paper
The End