Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work

Ethics in Social Work: Tracking Harms

An ethically wrong situation may be ethically wrong for a variety of different reasons, and changing the situation, even ever so slightly, may make it ethically better. We can weigh harms, or setbacks, one against another.

•Who are the participants in the case, and who else is affected?

•What is it the participants have or have not done or are or are not doing particularly insofar as they cause harms?

•Why are they doing what they are doing?

Reference:

Reasons for Acting

Robison, W. L., & Reeser, L. C. (2000). Ethical

decision making in social work. Allyn & Bacon. Retrieved July 8, 2015, from http://www.rit.edu/~w-ethics/Ethical%20Decision%20Making.pdf

There are five steps which can help determine if a decision is ethically wrong:

• Try to understand why the participants are doing what they are doing by constructing arguments that would justify their acts or omissions.

• Determine what goals the participants had and what means they thought would achieve those goals; then determine what goals ought to be achieved and determine what means are best for achieving those goals.

• Determine what the harms are of various courses of action: to whom would they occur, what kinds are they, and what are their magnitudes?

• Back off from the case and judge what is best to do: what will minimize harms?

• Determine how to do what ought to be done in a way that will itself produce more good than harm.

There are many things which come into play when acting on ethical decision-making. We must look at the self-interest and self-sacrifices, act out of prudence, do what is legally permitted, do what is standard, and appeal to the Code of Ethics. When we make an ethical judgment, we must extricate ourselves from the emotions of a particular situation to look at the matter objectively. A social worker is a trained professional with a set of practice which constitutes the standards of the profession. A social worker's failure to honor confidentiality,

Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work

Within the social work field, our main goal is to help individuals, groups, and communities by enhancing their social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to their goals. With doing so, we will come across ethical-decisions which have to be made. When coming to a conclusion, we must remember the NASW Code of Ethics,

Peer Relations

By: Gabrielle Franklin

Clients

Social work practitioners may have professional relations with such professionals as physicians, lawyers, and teachers as well as with other social work practitioners. Ideally a social work practitioner should not be hesitant in talking about a case of mutual interest with another social worker. Differences in values and ethics may arise but you must communicate, put your differences aside, and keep the clients best interest in mind.

Agencies

Justice

Social workers respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals. The Code of Ethics tells us that we may 'limit clients' rights to self-determination when, in the social workers' professional judgment, clients' actions or potential actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others,' but it also tells us that we are to 'promote clients'...self-determination. Social workers must also keep a professional relationship with their clients.

There are many different agencies within the social work field, made up of many different people. It is important to treat each other professionally, with the courtesy and respect due. Also the within social work, you must dress professionally and accordingly to the work environment. Internal as well as external ethical problems may arise within an agency but your own personal beliefs should be set aside if it conflicts with the client or NASW Code of Ethics. Finally, set goals within the agency in order to assist the clients and your peers more effectively.

As their professional calling, social workers help others. But we can help individual clients by changing the society within which they live as well as by concerning ourselves with the personal difficulties they have, and social workers have a professional obligation to work for social justice. The Code of Ethics says that social workers 'should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice