Ethics In Social Work Practice

The National Association of Social Workers has published twelve Standards for Social Work Practice with Clients with Substance Use Disorders. These standards were developed to help define services that social workers provide to clients with substance use disorders as well as their families. The standards are designed to enhance awareness of the skills, knowledge, values, methods, and sensitivities that social workers need to work effectively within systems dedicated to serving clients with substance use disorders; Ethics and Values, Qualifications, Intervention, Decision Making and Practice Evaluation, Record Keeping, Workload Management, Professional Development, Cultural Competence, Interdisciplinary Leadership and Collaboration, Advocacy, Collaboration (Anastas).

“Standard 1. Ethics and Values Social workers working with clients with substance use disorders shall adhere to the ethics and values of the social work profession and shall use the NASW Code of Ethics as a guide to ethical decision making, while understanding the unique aspects

She then tells her client if she thinks they do indeed have a problem. She suggests they read “The Disease Concept” and informs them about Alcoholics Anonymous. No one can change until they are ready. Once they are ready to work on their issue Mislak targets the beginning of the addiction and the kinds of emotions tied with that point using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and feelings state addiction protocol. She goes through three phases, targeting the positive emotions alcohol provided, targeting the earliest memory the client had of not feeling a sense of normalcy and belonging with alcohol, and how the addiction impacted the client’s life. Finally, she works with the client to create a future template on how they can live their life without