1. 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
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© 2009 Allyn & Bacon

2. 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

3. Social Workers must be aware of the influence of personal values, such as:
Religious beliefs
Cultural differences
Political ideals
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4. Social Workers commit themselves to Six Core Values
The NASW Code of Ethics
Social Workers commit themselves to Six Core Values
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5. The Core Values are…
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6. 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

7. 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)
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8. 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

9. 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

10. Within our commitment to the Social Work profession is:
Maintaining the integrity of the profession
Engaging in evaluation and responsible research
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11. Within our commitment to the broader society is:
Social Welfare
Public participation
Response to public emergencies
Social and political action
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12. 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

13. Ethical Principles Hierarchy
Protection of Life
Equality and Inequality
Autonomy and Freedom
Least Harm
Quality of Life
Privacy and Confidentiality
Truthfulness and Full Disclosure
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14. 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
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15. 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

16. 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