Values Conflict in Homelessness The National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2009) Code of Ethics is a guide to social workers’ practice by offering standards, values, and principles. The Code of Ethics is useful in facilitating the social workers’ decision-making process when he is presented with complicate ethical issues. Ethical issues arise with conflicting values, principles, and standards. These conflicts may occur between the social worker and his clients, agency, or institutional policy, other social workers, professional in other disciplines, or the social worker’s personal values. The United States policy regarding the homeless has ebbed and flowed as a social issue. There is a myriad of reasons for homelessness economic, natural …show more content…
Section 1 of the NASW (1999) Code of Ethics outlines social workers’ responsibility to clients. The principle of “commitment to clients” explains that the client’s best interest is primary. Social workers have an obligation to promote the client’s well-being. The exception to this is a legal mandate to do otherwise, or in some instances when the well-being of another individual or greater society takes a higher importance. In those exceptional cases, the client needs to be aware of the limitations of the social workers’ commitment to him or her (Rothman, 2005). The principle of “self-determination” (section 1.02) depicts the idea that the client has the right to make personal choices. The social worker should encourage and assist …show more content…
The statement goes on to say that, the social worker is the clients advocate for the homeless. Working with the client’s continuity of care which will incorporate housing, income maintenance and support services (National Association of Social Workers, 2006-2009). People that are homeless do not have a voice heard by people in power, and can help. The social worker is the homeless people’s voice. Social workers have the knowledge to give the homeless a voice and to whom to advocate for their
Social workers have several responsibilities. They have to provide service, justice, and dignity to a client. They have to possess integrity, competence, and patience. Social workers need to possess knowledge of human rights, and how to perform scientific inquiry. Social workers occasionally have cases in which problems ensue and a solution is not found within a certain time frame.
(Crystal DeBoise) They have to find a way to incorporate these values if they want to work effectively with their clients. The article states how the social work Code of Ethics has a set of values that they tie into the principles they practice within their program. It also goes in detail about these social work values and potential barriers to understanding and accepting them, as they relate to the survivors of human trafficking and sex
Modern social workers are frequently tasked with certain objectives by their agencies, which leave little room for any work beyond specific treatments and timeframes (Gitterman & Knight, 2016). Although social workers are bound to the set of ethics put forth by the NASW, practitioners are often limited to focusing on the issues of the individual rather than the larger societal issues that may be behind those concerns. Additionally, many social work students end up working in direct practice, rather than macro work. There is a need for social workers to engage at the macro level in order to facilitate community organization and empowerment. Critics suggest this theory may not take into account the unique experiences of each individual and perhaps key characteristics of the individual or group are not taken into consideration (Sadan, 1997).
Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. The term "client" is used to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities. In the broadening scope of the modern social worker's role, some practitioners have in recent years traveled to war-torn countries to provide psychosocial assistance to families and survivors. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), professional social workers are the nation's largest group of mental health services providers. There are more clinically trained social workers—over 200,000—than psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses combined.
Ethical awareness forms a fundamental part of the profession of social work. The competence and commitment of social workers to behave ethically is an essential aspect and quality of the services they offer. The Association of Social Work identified core values for social work profession in the preamble to its code of ethics. Social work’s mission is rooted in these core values which are six in total, however, service, social change and integrity will be discussed. These core values embraced by social workers are the basis of the profession’s distinctive purpose and perspective.
“Professional social workers are required to develop and practice ongoing social work knowledge, values and skills in order to be competent social workers”(Clemens, 2014, p.1). Social workers work and assist clients with many different entities, such as improving or empowering their lives, and social policies that impact an effect their lives. “Social workers engaged in planned change see the connections and mutual interactions between people and the social environment of which they are a part” (Garthwait, 2014, p177). To be truly effective, social workers must be committed and skilled in the interventions that reflect their client’s lives and influenced their societal conditions and social policies.
There are boundaries that need to be between both the clients and social worker. When having a relationship in a profession setting me as a social worker has to make sure that the client knows it’s only a professional relationship. Furthermore, Leslie, D. H. (2005) article talks about the dignity worth of the person. She first explains how social workers should treat their clients in every situation.
Another important personal value that is related to social work and the NASW Code of Ethics is integrity. On a personal level integrity is one of the qualities that I seek in all relationshps.. From my experience friendships based on good integrity are being trustworthy;
In my social work field supervision, I am expected to abide by the NASW Code of Ethics as well as the state of Alabama code of Ethics. In social work field supervision, it gives me the opportunity to apply theory to direct and community practice with my clients. I also get a chance to learn from a veteran or seasoned social workers by observing, practicing, and experiencing the important integration of theoretical knowledge with practice skills while working with diverse populations and communities. This experience also help me build a sense of professional identity that I can only acquire in a practice setting. Field supervision also help to recognize and adhere to the core values and ethical principles of the social work profession.
As social work professionals, we have a commitment to advocate for our clients. Because of our advocacy commitment, we also should be committed to social justice. Change cannot happen overnight; however, it also cannot happen if people are not willing to speak up about the things they are passionate about. Additionally, social workers must ensure that they are empowering their clients. As social workers, we should be committed to using a person first approach.
Social workers need a code of ethics to be able to serve their clients and co-workers more professionally. The Code of Ethics guides the social workers with decision making skills for when unethical issues occur. There will be many instances where unethical issues will arise and as social workers we should be prepared to follow the Code of Ethics. However, if the social worker does not follow the Code of Ethics, it can lead to job termination. An example of violating the Code of Ethics is having dual relationships with the clients or former clients in which there is a risk of exploitation to the client.
This may be related to limited time in which a choice as to be made. Ethical decision making is a core part of the work of social work and human service practitioners, who confront with regularity dilemmas of duty of care; confidentiality, privacy and disclosure; choice and autonomy; and distribution of increasingly scarce resources. The ETHIC model framework was developed by E.P. Congress to take into consideration social work values, the NASW Code of Ethics, and social work professional contexts the first step in the ETHIC model is to examine relevant personal, societal, agency and professional values. Social work professionals should identify all the different values that impinge on their worldviews—their own personal values, the agency in which they operate, the client’s values and belief systems, and the discipline’s values. The social worker has to learn how to relate to their clients not only on a professional level but by being empathetic towards his client.
Social workers are charged with assisting their clients in the best and most ethical way possible. Often the client’s challenges are multi-layered. Helping someone may seem to be an easy concept, however it is not. The social worker must dissect and prioritize their client’s problems. An effective generalist will be able to help someone learn the tools that they need to assist themselves eventually.
When addressing an ethical dilemma, having the ability to identify possible outcomes to address it is essential for change. The ethical dilemma I face at my field placement is confidentiality versus the right to self-determination. One possible option I mentioned previously to address the ethical dilemma was for clients to sign a privacy and confidentiality agreement that outlines what is considered mandated reporting. I believe the possible outcome for this option would help improve the client’s confidence with the agency and the clinician but also build rapport and trust. It would result in less missed appointments, assist with client involvement, and help the client feel supported while in crisis.
ETHICAL AND LEGAL STANDARDS IN SOCIAL WORK: CONSISTENCY AND CONFLICT Introduction According to Collin Dictionary, ethics is the philosophical study of the moral value of human conduct and of the rules and principles that ought to govern it; moral philosophy. For legal is established by or founded upon law. Definition for social work is organized work intended to advance the social conditions of a community, and especially of the disadvantaged, by providing psychological counseling, guidance, and assistance, especially in the form of social services (Free Dictionary, 2011). Family service agencies, community mental health centers, prisons, schools, medical and psychiatric hospitals, hospice programs, substance abuse treatment centers, the