Ethical Dilemma: Competence
Morgan Jenkins
1.04 Competence
(a) Social workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
Ethical Dilemmas at DFCS
NASW & Social Work Practice
Practice Within Your Scope
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.
- Many clients believe that DFCS deals with custody
- Many clients have a DFCS case because one party is trying to make the other party look bad
- Many clients look to DFCS for legal advice
- Case managers are not qualified to give legal advice
References
Identified Ethical Dilemma
Policies & Procedures
- https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp
- http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/cpr/model-def/model_def_statutes.authcheckdam.pdf
- I identified this ethical dilemma in the field while observing a DFCS Investigation Case Manager
- The allegations were Domestic Violence between Mom & Boyfriend
- While meeting with mom, she disclosed that she was pregnant with boyfriend's baby
- She then asked CM what she should do to prevent the unborn child's father from having rights to the baby
- The CM proceeded to advise the client that in GA the father does not have any legal rights to the baby unless their is either a paternity test completed or the paternity acknowledgment is signed at the hospital
- If not the father would have to go through the legalization process
- The American Bar Association & State of GA recognize the practice of law by:
- "(5) The Giving of any legal advice"
- DFCS does not support CM giving legal advice to clients
Addressing The Dilemma
- When a client asks for legal advice DFCS case managers are trained to refer to an attorney
- I would tell the client I am unable to answer that question due to the legality of the question
- Connect the client to legal aid resources