Social workers should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision from people who are competent in those interventions or techniques. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients written and electronic records and other sensitive information. ), which subsequently took effect on January 1, 2018. Challenging workplace climates may include concerns such as large caseloads, insufficient resources, competing ethical demands, and policies and practices that may not align with or support social work values and ethics. Mon-Fri 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. 1.01 Commitment to ClientsSocial workers primary responsibility is to promote the wellbeing of clients. If it's there I could have missed it. Social workers who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive. Sherry Gaba, LCSW, speaks with us about co-dependency, love addiction, and toxic relationships. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. When consulting with colleagues about clients, social workers should disclose the least amount of information necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation. Social workers who refer clients to other professionals should disclose, with clients consent, all pertinent information to the new service providers. Alleged violations of the Code would be subject to a peer review process. Ethical decision making in a given situation must apply the informed judgment of the individual social worker and should also consider how the issues would be judged in a peer review process where the ethical standards of the profession would be applied. Whether you are a frontline social worker, an administrator, a policy advocate, a supervisor, an educator, or a student, it is vital to be proactive in supporting the self-care of all social workers. Social workers should contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the social work profession. Social workers should provide clients with an opportunity to ask questions. Social workers should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct. A historic and defining feature of social work is the professions focus on individual wellbeing in a social context and the wellbeing of society. When setting fees, social workers should ensure that the fees are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed. The following broad ethical principles are based on social works core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Social workers should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning the clients. When necessary, social workers who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should take action through appropriate formal channels (such as contacting a state licensing board or regulatory body, an NASW committee on inquiry, or other professional ethics committees). Ethics Alive: Special Report on the 2021 Revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics, where she talks about the importance of organizational accountability AND practitioner self-care. These standards concern (1) social workers ethical responsibilities to clients, (2) social workers ethical responsibilities to colleagues, (3) social workers ethical responsibilities in practice settings, (4) social workers ethical responsibilities as professionals, (5) social workers ethical responsibilities to the social work profession, and (6) social workers ethical responsibilities to the broader society. Social workers should inform participants of their right to withdraw from evaluation and research at any time without penalty. Informed consent should include information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation requested and disclosure of the risks and benefits of participation in the research. Social workers should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients for teaching or training purposes unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information. Social workers should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues unethical behavior. Social workers should not exploit clients in disputes with colleagues or engage clients in any inappropriate discussion of conflicts between social workers and their colleagues. with the colleague if feasible; if not feasible, social workers should explore available channels for filing a complaint. Social workers sometimes suggest that we should start with our clients. The pursuit of cultural competence requires training, supervision, consultation, and other professional and personal development opportunities to identify and address implicit bias, discrimination, and racism in the many forms it may show up in practice. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. NASWs Delegate Assembly approved the first edition of the NASW Code of Ethics on October 13, 1960. When such conflicts occur, social workers must make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles, and standards expressed in this Code. All sets are available in CD and digital format. Further, the NASW Code of Ethics does not specify which values, principles, and standards are most important and ought to outweigh others in instances when they conflict. All Rights Reserved. (2021). She's author of "The Law of Sobriety" and "The Marriage and Relationship Junkie," and host of The Love Fix podcast. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients when responding to requests from members of the media. Social workers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work. NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review, 1-800-638-8799 750 1st Street, NE, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002 . https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2021/05/2021CoE.html. Webinar: "Understanding the NASW Code of Ethics" Earn 3 Ethics CEs while exploring the evolution of social work ethics through the lens of the NASW Code of Ethics. Back in 2009 I did an episode of the social work podcast that explored the idea that social . We need a freely available version that can be searched and used to enable members to do ethics reviews of our practice, teaching and volunteer work, with the Code open in one window and our comments/analysis in another. Social workers should monitor and evaluate policies, the implementation of programs, and practice interventions. Social workers should advocate for resource allocation procedures that are open and fair. Note that the language is supportive and aspirational, rather than mandatory. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated. Simultaneously, we also need to start with ourselves, using self-care and critical self-reflection to ensure that we are ready and able to start with our clients. The actions of social workers who are involved in labormanagement disputes, job actions, or labor strikes should be guided by the professions values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. When providing clients with access to their records, social workers should take steps to protect the confidentiality of other individuals identified or discussed in such records. Social workers should assist in making appropriate arrangements for continuation of services when necessary. 1.12 Derogatory LanguageSocial workers should not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about clients. Visit www.terrickahardy.com for more on professional self-care. Standard 1.05(c) is a completely new subsection of 1.05. Social workers who believe that a social work colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations. Social workers should make clear distinctions between statements made and actions engaged in as a private individual and as a representative of the social work profession, a professional social work organization, or the social workers employing agency. NASW Code of Ethics; Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals "2.09 Impairment of Colleagues (a) Social workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleague's impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness . Michael A. Dover Social workers should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. But like with faith, hope and charity, one is most central, and that is universal human needs, imho. It not only says that social workers should demonstrate cultural awareness and humility; it provides examples of how to do so. more than 1 year ago. Social work administrators should take reasonable steps to eliminate any conditions in their organizations that violate, interfere with, or discourage compliance with the Code. Contact Linda Grobman about advertising and marketing opportunities. As such, employers may not be aware of specific professional requirements impacting social work practice. Social workers should use clear and understandable language to inform clients of the purpose of the services, risks related to the services, limits to services because of the requirements of a thirdparty payer, relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, clients right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the consent. Social workers for whom a team decision raises ethical concerns should attempt to resolve the disagreement through appropriate channels. Social workers should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions. development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards for CRAAP Test Evaluating Sources Children & Families There are many instances in social work where simple answers are not available to resolve complex ethical issues. Value: Service. In terms of exposure to trauma, social workers may experience secondary trauma or vicarious traumatic stress when working with clients who have experienced racism, abuse, neglect, community violence, natural disasters, or other forms of trauma. The 2017 NASW Code of Ethics - What's New? Disclosure of identifying information should be avoided whenever possible. Social workers should store records following the termination of services to ensure reasonable future access. Social workers in feeforservice settings may terminate services to clients who are not paying an overdue balance if the financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to the client, if the client does not pose an imminent danger to self or others, and if the clinical and other consequences of the current nonpayment have been addressed and discussed with the client. In subsections (a), (b), and (c), note the addition of the word demonstrate before understanding and knowledge. These additions recognize that having knowledge and understanding of cultural issues is not sufficient. Social workers should take precautions to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted to other parties through the use of computers, electronic mail, facsimile machines, telephones and telephone answering machines, and other electronic or computer technology. Choose from the full combo set (total of 14 CDs) or purchase specific sets. In instances when dual or multiple relationships are unavoidable, social workers should take steps to protect clients and are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries. NASW offers a number of self-care podcasts, activities, and articles at this self-care resource page. When a court of law or other legally authorized body orders social workers to disclose confidential or privileged information without a clients consent and such disclosure could cause harm to the client, social workers should request that the court withdraw the order or limit the order as narrowly as possible or maintain the records under seal, unavailable for public inspection. Social work administrators should advocate within and outside their agencies for adequate resources to meet clients needs. Social workers seek to enhance clients capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Standards and Indicators for Culturally Competent Practice. It's 2021 now, cis-gendered straight white males need to show humility. Social workers should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues. Katherine is right. Our guests in this episode are Heidi McIntosh, Deputy Director of Programs at NASW; and Julie E. 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