Chapt.

02 ~ Social Work Values and Ethics

Learning Objectives
A. Review the general categories in the NASW Code of Ethics.
6 Core Values Purpose: 6 Major Aims
1. Service 1. Identifying primary social work values
2. Social justice 2. Summarizing broad ethical principles as guidelines
3. Dignity and worth of the person for practice
4. Importance of human relationships 3. Helping determine relevant considerations when
5. Integrity addressing an ethical dilemma
6. Competence 4. Providing broad ethical standards to which the
public in general may hold the profession
accountable
5. Socializing new practitioners to the mission, goals,
and ethics inherent in the profession
6. Articulating specific standards that the profession
may use to judge its members’ conduct
B. Provide case examples of compliance and noncompliance concerning some of the major ethical issues involved, including
self-determination, privacy and confidentiality, conflict of interest and dual relationships, sexual relationships, respect for
colleagues, and referral for services.
To Clients: To Clients: To Colleagues:
Self-Determination Conflict of Interest & Dual Respect
Compliance: Relationships Compliance:
Violation: Compliance: Violation:
To Clients: Violation: To Colleagues:
Privacy & Confidentiality To Clients: Referral for Services
Compliance: Sexual Relationships Compliance:
Violation: Compliance: Violation:
Violation:

C. Introduce critical thinking about ethical dilemmas.

Examining case examples using the suggested questions to learn critical thinking processes
D. Discuss ethical issues concerning the Internet.
Awareness of the many potential ways that internet/digital communications can easily compromise privacy/confidentiality
E. Examine ethical conflicts faced by military social workers during combat.
Self-determination of the individual soldier vs. the needs of the fellow soldiers and the military operation
Privacy & confidentiality: individual privacy virtually impossible in combat-zone life
Military leaders ignoring recommendations from social work representatives
Close proximity made boundaries between social worker and soldier very difficult
Diagnosis & Treatment: difficult to distinguish between malingerers and those in true agony
F. Recognize ethical obligations at the macro level.
Issues that go beyond a social worker’s practice with individuals, families or groups
Developing coalitions among peers of the group you want to affect
G. Introduce the importance of social work in a global context, including international social work and international social
work organization.
xxx
H. Define and discuss human rights and examine the human rights violation of human trafficking.
xxx
I. Discuss the difference between personal and professional values.
xxx
NASW Four Primary Facets
I. Preamble
Six Core Values
1. Service
2. Social Justice
3. Dignity & worth of the person
4. Importance of human relationships
5. Integrity
6. Competence
II. Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics [critical thinking, complexity of ethical dilemmas, no simple formula]
Six Major Aims
1. Identifying primary social work values
2. Summarizes broad ethical principles as guidelines for practice
3. Helping determine relevant considerations when addressing an ethical dilemma.
4. Providing broad ethical standards to which the public in general may hold the profession accountable
5. Socializing new practitioners to the mission, goals, and ethics inherent in the profession
6. Articulating specific standards that the profession may use to judge its members’ conduct
III. Ethical Principles: based on 6 core values and sets for standards to which all practitioners should strive
IV. Ethical Standards: the most extensive of all facets; 155 specific principles clustered under 6 major categories
SW’s Ethical Responsibilities to...
1. ... to clients
a) Self-Determination
b) Privacy & Confidentiality
c) Conflict of Interest & Dual Relationships
d) Sexual Relationships
2. to Colleagues
e) Respect
f) Referral for Services
3. to Practice Settings
4. as Professionals
5. to the Social Work profession
6. to the Broader Society
Fields of Practice in Social Work
 children/families
 aging
 disabilities
 health
 mental health
 substance abuse
 schools
 corrections
 occupational social work
 rural social work
 police social work
 forensic social work
Foundations of Knowledge:
Psychology; Sociology; Political science; Economics; Biology; Psychiatry; Counseling; Cultural anthropology; Social work
 Glossary
Accountability
A profession’s responsibility to clients and the community
that workers are effectively doing what they say they are
going to do
Community development
A planned approach to improving the standard of living and
general well-being of people
Competence
A term that describes having the necessary skills and
abilities to perform work with clients effectively
Confidentiality
The ethical principle that workers should not share
information provided by a client or about a client unless
that worker has the client’s explicit permission to do so
Conflict of interest
A clash between the responsibilities of the professional role
and the potential for personal gain
Dual relationships
These occur when professionals assume two or more roles
at the same time or sequentially with a client (sometimes
called multiple relationships)
Ethical dilemmas
Problematic situations where one must make a difficult
choice among two or more alternatives
Ethics
Principles that specify what is good and what is bad
Globalization
Process of global integration in which diverse peoples,
economies, cultures, and political processes are
increasingly subjected to international influences
Human rights
This involves the premise that all people regardless of race,
culture, or national origin are entitled to basic rights and
treatment
Human trafficking
The transfer of people across international boundaries to
enslave them in some way, usually involving forced labor
or sexual exploitation; may also include infants and
children who are purchased for adoption on the black
market
Integrity
A skill that involves trustworthiness and sound adherence
to moral ideals
Listserv
A computerized system by which subscribers are able to
communicate to all other subscribers by sending a
transmission to one address
Netiquette
A term used to describe internet ethics
Networking
The establishment of communication and interpersonal
interaction among people for the purposes of providing
support, exchanging information, or achieving some
designated goal
Occupational therapy
Therapy that utilizes useful and creative activities to
facilitate psychological or physical rehabilitation
Physical therapy
The treatment or management of physical disability,
malfunction, or pain by physical techniques, as exercise,
massage, hydrotherapy, etc.
Privacy
The condition of being free from unauthorized observation
or intrusion
Self-determination
A term that describes each individual’s right to make his or
her own decisions
Service
The provision of help, resources, and benefits so that
people may achieve their maximum potential
Sheltered employment
An agency that provides safe, supervised work environment
for people who have trouble functioning more
independently
Social justice
The condition that in a perfect world, all citizens would have
identical “rights, protection, opportunities, obligations,
and social benefits” regardless of their backgrounds and
membership in diverse groups
Values
These are concerned with what is good and desirable, and
what beliefs are appropriate
 CH 2 ~ Practice Quizzes
1. Becoming emotionally or sexually involved with a client is defined in the text as an example of
a. conflict of interest
b. professional values
c. ethical dilemmas
d. dual relationships

2. Crystal is a school social worker who is just beginning a support group for eighth grade children coping with their parents'
recent divorces. Early on in the first session she explains to the children that everything they share will be kept
confidential, and that, under no circumstance, would she report their conversations. Crystal is in complete compliance
with the ethical principle of confidentiality
a. True
b. False

3. Within the Universal Declaration of Human rights, collective rights are rights for groups of people and include the rights
to religion, peace, and development
a. True
b. False
4. The name of the international social work organization that actively engages social workers around the globe is called the
Organization of International Social Workers
a. True
b. False [International Federation of Social Workers / www.ifsw.org]

5. When using the Internet, _____ is the establishment of communication and interpersonal interaction among people for
purposes of providing support, exchanging information, or achieving some designated goal
a. networking
b. referral
c. confidentiality
d. listserv
6. The _____ facet of the NASW Code of Ethics is the most extensive
a. preamble
b. purpose
c. ethical standards
d. ethical principles
7. As a social worker, your personal and professional values must be the same
a. True
b. False

8. The NASW Code of Ethics contains all of the following core values except
a. dignity and worth of the person
b. integrity
c. morality
d. importance of human relationships
9. Social workers are often confronted with situations that go beyond their own practice with individuals, families, and
groups. This is considered the mezzo level
a. True
b. False [macro]
10. The international social work organization cited in the text as developing the International Policy on Human Rights is the
a. Association of Human Rights around the World
b. International Academy of Social Workers
c. International Federation of Social Workers
d. Organization of International Human Rights
11. _____ is (are) concerned with what is good and desirable
a. integrity
b. values
c. social justice
d. ethics
12. "Having the necessary skills and abilities to effectively perform work with clients" describes the _____ core value of the
NASW Code of Ethics
a. service
b. competence
c. integrity
d. social justice
13. All of the following are ethical standards in the NASW Code of Ethics except
a. social workers' ethical responsibilities to the constitution
b. social workers' ethical responsibilities to the broader society
c. social workers' ethical responsibilities to colleagues
d. social workers' ethical responsibilities to clients
14. Esmeralda, a hospice worker, intensely dislikes her coworker Cruelletta. She feels that Cruelletta is mean, lazy, and
doesn't care about her clients. Esmeralda relishes every opportunity to criticize Cruelletta behind her back to other
workers. Esmeralda also constantly attacks Cruelletta in staff meetings and purposely fails to include Cruelletta in any
communication. To which ethical standard in the NASW Code of Ethics does this situation relate—social workers' ethical
responsibilities
a. in the practice settings
b. to colleagues
c. to clients
d. to the broader society
15. Frankie and Johnnie are social work colleagues counseling women in a shelter for battered women. Frankie has seen
Johnnie out on dates with some of the women from the shelter. While Frankie and Johnnie are not close friends, they are
respectful coworkers and are dedicated workers, who always meet deadlines and never miss work. It would be very
uncomfortable for Frankie to confront Johnnie about this behavior. Frankie thinks that informing his supervisor is
squealing. To which ethical standard in the NASW Code of Ethics does this situation relate—social workers' ethical
responsibilities to
a. colleagues
b. the constitution
c. the broader society
d. clients