Direct Practice in Social Work, 2e Scott W. Boyle Grafton H. Hull, Jr. Jannah Hurn Mather Larry Lorenzo Smith O. William Farley University of Utah, College of Social Work PowerPoints by Julie Emmer, University of Central Florida This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program. © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Direct Practice in Social Work In Chapter 2 we will: Explore the role of values in Social Work Become familiar with the Code of Ethics Explore our commitments to our clients, colleagues, practice setting, ourselves, our profession, and the broader society Learn how to respond to ethical dilemmas Discover the consequences of ethical violations © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Social Workers must be aware of the influence of personal values, such as: Religious beliefs Cultural differences Political ideals © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Social Workers commit themselves to Six Core Values The NASW Code of Ethics Social Workers commit themselves to Six Core Values © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

The Core Values are… © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to clients is: Self determination Informed consent Competence Cultural competence Avoidance of conflicts of interest Confidentiality Respectful boundaries Carefully designed policies and procedures © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to colleagues is: Respect Confidentiality Interdisciplinary collaboration Respectful conflict resolution Consultation Appropriate referral procedures Respectful boundaries (including sexual and emotional boundaries) Responses to inappropriate performance of colleagues (impairment, incompetence, and unethical behavior) © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to our practice setting is: Supervision and consultation Education and training of staff and student interns Performance evaluation Client records (including HIPAA compliance, billing practices etc.) Administrative obligations to the agency and community Continuing education and staff development Commitment to employers Labor-management disputes © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to ourselves as professionals is: Competence Avoidance of discrimination Appropriate private conduct Avoidance of dishonesty, fraud, and deception Avoidance of impairment Avoidance of misrepresentation Appropriate solicitation of clients Proper acknowledgement of credit © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to the Social Work profession is: Maintaining the integrity of the profession Engaging in evaluation and responsible research © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Within our commitment to the broader society is: Social Welfare Public participation Response to public emergencies Social and political action © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Process for resolving an ethical dilemma Be aware of personal, societal, and professional values Explore ethical options Identify any competing value systems and ways to resolve the conflict Identify the “least harm” option Evaluate efficiency, effectiveness, and ethicalness Evaluate long term ethical consequences © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Ethical Principles Hierarchy Protection of Life Equality and Inequality Autonomy and Freedom Least Harm Quality of Life Privacy and Confidentiality Truthfulness and Full Disclosure © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Ethical Complaints Can be reported to licensing board for your state Can be reported to NASW Can result in serious sanctions, including public sanction, loss of membership, and loss of license © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Avoiding Malpractice Charges Use empirically based methods Maintain all ethical standards Use the “knowledge, skill, and judgment” normally practiced by others in the field © 2009 Allyn & Bacon

Nine situations that increase risk of malpractice charges Corey et al (2007) Failure to obtain or document client informed consent Abandoning a client. Departing from recognized therapeutic practices Practicing outside of one’s competence Inappropriate client diagnosis. Eliciting repressed or false memory from a client Poor management of transference and countertransference Sexual misconduct Failure to intervene with dangerous clients © 2009 Allyn & Bacon