1. Applying Values and Ethics to Practice Chapter 4
The NASW Code of Ethics
Applying Values and Ethics to Practice
Chapter 4

2. Class Objectives:
Learn to apply ethical principles to guide professional practice.
Understanding core social work values and their importance to daily practice
Develop self-awareness and an understanding of how personal values can intersect with professional practice
Be familiar with core ethical issues
Know a set of steps for resolving ethical dilemmas

3. Why Ethical Practice is Essential for Social Workers Today?
Technological advances
Scarcity of resources
Workforce development struggles
Stricter mandated reporting laws
These are difficult times – the interest in professional ethics is high but morality of society seems low. What kind of challenges are you all facing today?

4. Social Workers are Expected to Adhere to The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics
Approved by the 1996 NASW Delegate Assembly and revised by the 2008 Delegate Assembly

5. An Ought to Guide for Social Workers
Values = beliefs
Ethics = rules of conduct that embody those beliefs
Functions Served by the Code of Ethics:
Affirms social work as a profession
Outlines the standards by which the public may hold social workers accountable
Guides social work behavior and actions during ethical dilemmas

6. NASW Code of Ethics – Composed of 4 Sections
1)"Preamble" summarizes the profession's mission and core values
2)"Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics“ - provides an overview of the Code's main functions and a brief guide for dealing with ethical dilemmas

7. 4 Sections continued
3)"Ethical Principles” - presents broad ethical principles, based on social work's core values, that inform social work practice
4)"Ethical Standards” - includes specific ethical standards to guide social workers' conduct and to provide a basis for adjudication.

8. The Foundation of the Social Work Perspective
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems
Social workers challenge social injustice
Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person
Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships
Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner
Social Workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise
CORE VALUES
Service
Social Justice
Dignity and worth of the person
Importance of human relationships
Integrity
Competence

9. The Social Workers Ethical Standards
Ethical responsibilities to clients
Ethical responsibilities to colleagues
Ethical responsibilities in practice settings
Ethical responsibilities as professionals
Ethical responsibilities to the social work profession
Ethical responsibilities to the broader society

10. An ethical dilemma occurs when an individual holds two or more values that compete with each other.

11. Kinds of Ethical Dilemmas
Between personal and professional values
Between two professional values
Between professional and cultural values
Between any combination of these
Ex. between personal and professional values – whether counseling on abortion is ethically allowable if I am committed to the right-to life perspective
Ex. between 2 social work values – between protecting my client from harm or maximizing her autonomy

12. Social Work is Both a Science and an Art
Many times we must make decisions based on values.
Social workers may face ethical dilemmas in practice every day. It is a challenge not to become overly emotionally involved in a case and lose your objectivity.
You have a responsibility to equip yourself with the tools needed to deal with ethical dilemmas in practice

13. The Challenge for Social Workers
Ethical Problems
Occur when one must
decide what the right thing to do is when given a difficult practice situation.
Ethical Dilemmas
- Occur when one must choose between 2 or more relevant but contradictory alternatives to solve a problem in practice.
Ethical problems happen everyday, social workers face problems every day. Dilemmas are also a regular occurrence for social workers, but may cause more worry, because there is no easy answer to them.

14. Guidelines for Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas
1. Recognize that the dilemma exists.
2. Develop self-awareness about your personal values
3. Understand the NASW Code of Ethics and your professional responsibility to adhere to it.
4. Realize that some clients may need to be referred to another worker.
Ethical dilemmas make us uncomfortable so we’d like to avoid them.

15. Ethical Rules Screen
Examine the Code of Ethics to determine if any of the Code Rules/Standards are applicable. These rules take precedence over the worker’s personal value system.
1 or more of the Code The Code does not
rules apply: address the specific
problem, or several rules provide conflicting guidance
Follow the Code Rules
Use the Ethical Principles Screen
Use this diagram to talk through the case study and see if it confirms their decision.
The ERS should always be used first.

16. Were you able to come to a resolution of the ethical dilemma?
Review a Case
Were you able to come to a resolution of the ethical dilemma?
After using the ERS, if not satisfactory guidance was found, the social worker can use the Ethical Principles Screen that we will now go over.
Lets look at what other tools are available to help our ethical reasoning process.

17. Ethical Principle Screen
Principle 1: Protection of Life – guard against any event that puts a person’s life at risk
Principle 2: Equality and Inequality – commitment to equal and fair access to services and basic treatment
Principle 3: Autonomy and Freedom – affirms the notion of self-determination and supports people’s right to make choices regarding their lives.
Developed by Dolgoff, Loewenberg, and Harrigton’s Rank Order of Ethical Priorities

18. Ethical Principles Screen cont.
Principle 4: Least Harm – Supports the idea of protecting people from harm
Principle 5: Quality of Life – people, families, and communities have the right to define and pursue the quality of life they desire

19. Ethical Principles Screen cont.
Principle 6: Privacy and Confidentiality – supports the right of people to be protected from having their private stories made public. Worker must have written consent to share client information such as circumstances, or identifying information
Principle 7: Truthfulness and Full Disclosure – clients should be told truthful, accurate information and have help understanding it

20. Ethical Principles Screen
Protection of Life
Equality and Inequality
Autonomy and Freedom
Least Harm
Quality of Life
Privacy and Confidentiality
Truthfulness and Full Disclosure
Adopted from Frank Loewenberg, Ralph Dolgott and Donna Harrington. See citation on your handouts.
The EPS is a guide for rank-ordering ethical principles. It is a priority list - the rule is that the satisfaction of a higher order principle takes precedence over the satisfaction of a lower-order principle. No legal body has approved this screen, it is simply suggested as a tool for helping social workers.
When more than one ethical principle is relevant in the analysis of a set of practice options and each of these principles leads to a different outcome, the rank order suggested in the EPS should be utilized to make a decision.
Ex. An assessment based on Ethical Principle ! Is more compelling than one using Ethical Principle 2 or 3

21. Case Study Rank Order the Ethical Factors: 1. Protection of Life
2. Right to Equality
3. Right to Autonomy
4. Right to Experience Least Harm
5. Right to a Decent Quality of Life
6. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality
7. Right to Truth and all Relevant Information

22. Case Study
What to do?
1st Evaluate your personal values and how they play into the situation
2nd rank order the issues using the 7 ethical principles
3rd seek consultation and feedback from ethics review board if possible

23. In this state, social workers are governed by the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act
On the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners Webpage under “Laws & Rules” tab

24. Revisions to the Mandatory Reporting Laws Passed as 2012 Legislation
School coaches on all levels are mandatory reporters (HB 166 chap. 380)
Any person who witnesses the sexual abuse of a child and knowingly or willingly fails to report it shall face fines and imprisonment (HB 577 chap. 268)
Failure to report sexual abuse is a crime (felony) and may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than 5 yrs or both (LA SB 4 chap. 614)
No employee can be discharged or suspended for reporting sexual abuse of a minor by a fellow employee (LA SB 158, chap 148)

25. The Diversity Competent Social Worker
Is aware of his or her own values and the influence these have on attitude toward diverse groups
Seeks to develop an awareness of his or her own values in every situation encountered
Is aware of value conflicts that may arise between personal values, professional values and the values of society
Actively seeks ways to resolve value conflicts and engages in lifelong learning to improve her use of values in diversity competent practice

26. Resources
NASW website: (contains the code)
Within the NASW – Sweli – Social Work Ethics and Law Institute, and LDF – NASW Legal Defense Fund
NASW LA website:
Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners:
Loewenberg, F.M., Dolgoff, R. & Harrington. D. (2000). Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice, 6th ed., Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers, Inc. (7th ed. now available)
Sweli is designed to advance knowledge and LDF provides financial assistance for legal cases concerning NASW members.