1. Social Work Competencies Social Work Ethics
Robin M. Kohn, MSW, LCSW
Field Education Seminar

2. CSWE Core Competencies
Professional Identity
2.1.1 Identify as a professional social worker & conduct oneself accordingly
Practice Behaviors
Advocacy for client access to services
Practice personal reflection & self-correction
Attend to professional roles & boundaries
Demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior, appearance & communication
Engage in career-long learning
Use supervision & consultation

3. CSWE Core Competencies
Ethical Practice
2.1.2 Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice
Practice Behaviors
Has an obligation to conduct themselves ethically & engage in ethical decision-making
Knowledgeable about the value base of the profession, its ethical standards, & relevant law
Apply strategies of ethical reasoning to arrive at principled decisions
Recognize & manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice

4. Core Competencies Ethical Practice Practice Behaviors
Recognize and manage personal values in a way that allows professional values to guide practice
Make ethical decisions by applying standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, and as applicable, of the International Federation of Social Workers, Statement of Principles

5. CSWE Core Competencies
Critical Thinking
2.1.3 Apply critical thinking to inform & communicate professional judgments
Practice Behaviors
Distinguish, appraise, & integrate multiple sources of knowledge
Analyze models of assessment, prevention, intervention, & evaluation
Demonstrate effective oral & written communication in working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, communities, & colleagues

6. CSWE Core Competencies
Diversity in Practice
2.1.4 Engage diversity & difference in practice
Practice Behaviors
Recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures & values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create or enhance privilege & power
Gain self-awareness to eliminate the influence of personal biases & values in working with diverse groups
Recognize & communicate their understanding of the importance of difference in shaping life’s experiences
View themselves as learners & engage those with whom they work as informants

7. CSWE Core Competencies
Human Rights & Justice
2.1.5 Advance human rights & social & economic justice
Practice Behaviors
Understand the forms & mechanisms of oppression & discrimination
Advocate for human rights & social & economic justice
Engage in practices that advance social & economic justice

8. CSWE Core Competencies
Research Based Practice
2.1.6 Engage in research-informed practice & practice-informed research
Practice Behaviors
Use practice experience to inform scientific inquiry
Use research evidence to inform practice

9. CSWE Core Competencies
Human Behavior
2.1.7 Apply knowledge of human behavior & the social environment
Practice Behaviors
Knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course, the range of social systems in which people live, & the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health & well-being
Utilize conceptual frameworks to guide the processes of assessment, intervention, & evaluation
Critique & apply knowledge to understand person & environment

10. CSWE Core Competencies
Policy Practice
2.1.8 Engage in policy practice to advance social & economic well-being & to deliver effective social work services
Practice Behaviors
Understand policy impacts service delivery (practice)
Analyze, formulate, & advocate for policies that advance social well-being
Collaborate with colleagues & clients for effective policy action

11. CSWE Core Competencies
Practice Contexts
2.1.9 Respond to contexts that shape practice
Practice Behaviors
Continuously discover, appraise, & attend to changing locales, populations, scientific & technological developments, & emerging societal trends to provide relevant services
Provide leadership in promoting sustainable changes in service delivery & practice to improve the quality of social services

12. CSWE Core Competencies
Engage, Assess, Intervene, Evaluate
Engage, assess, intervene, & evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations, & communities

13. CSWE Core Competencies
Engagement
Practice Behaviors
Substantively & effectively prepare for action with individuals, families, groups, organizations, &communities
Use empathy & other interpersonal skills
Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work & desired outcomes

14. CSWE Core Competencies
Assessment
Practice Behaviors
Collect, organize, & interpret client data
Assess client strengths & limitations
Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals & objectives
Select appropriate intervention strategies

15. CSWE Core Competencies
Intervention
Practice Behaviors
Initiate actions to achieve organizational goals
Implement prevention interventions that enhance client capacities
Help clients resolve problems
Negotiate, mediate, & advocate for clients
Facilitate transitions & endings

16. CSWE Core Competencies
Evaluation
Practice Behavior
Critically analyze, monitor, & evaluate interventions
(Garthwait, 2011, introduction – adapted with permission from the Council on Social Work Education)

17. Social Work Ethics Ethics Values Ethical Dilemmas
Ethical competencies
Values
Ethical Dilemmas
Guidelines to assist with ethical dilemmas
NASW Code of Ethics

18. Social Work Ethics
Ethical mistakes made by students tend to be in the following areas of ethical conduct:
Violating client autonomy & self-determination
Violating client confidentiality & privacy
Violating client right to information & informed consent

19. Social Work Ethics Violating client right to competent service
Entering into a dual relationship
Privileged communication – refers to the principle that clients can expect that their social worker cannot or will not share information without their consent
(Garthwait, 2011, pp )

20. Social Work Ethics
What two or three ethical concerns or dilemmas are most frequently encountered in your practicum setting?
How does your agency handle and/or resolve ethical dilemmas?
Does your agency have policies that are in conflict with your personal moral code? If yes, how will you handle or resolve these conflicts?