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The week of October 12, 2015, I was challenged with an ethical issue. One of my responsibilities here at NSU-STEP as a social work intern is to administer intake- a process whereby data is collected from potential clients to determine eligibility. Through the process we often ask questions and collect sensitive information such as social security cards, birth certificates, income etc. Confidentiality is essential through this procedure because we are gathering sensitive information from the client. However, because we were very busy one afternoon my coworker
The client-helper relationship is the epitome of social work. And, the helper must take his/her responsibility to their client seriously. NOHS (2015) standards 1-9 promote respect, confidentiality, negotiation and recognition of the client’s right to self-determination and informed consent. Standard 2, which refers to informed consent, is by far the most important code in the section as it sets the parameters of the client-helper relationship.
Ethical theories are ways of telling right from wrong and include guidelines of how to live and act in an ethical way. For example when faced with a difficult situation in your life, you can use ethical theories to assist you in making the right decision. One key theory is consequentialism, which says that an individual’s correct moral response is related to the outcome/ consequence of the act and not its intentions/ motives. Early writers on this theory were Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, a modern writer is Peter Singer. For example Brenda Grey has asked for the asthma specialist to visit her weekly, and to decide if this is necessary the professionals involved have to look at how it would affect her wellbeing.
On April 23rd, I attended SOAR’s Adult Spring Prom. During this event, I had an opportunity to socialize and get to know SOAR’s participants better. I encountered an ethical issue while I was socializing with a participants specifically, a male participant. One male participant asked me if I could be his date and this was an ethical issue because of dual relationships. A social worker has to maintain a professional relationship with their client’s at all times and sometimes clients may not understand the terms of this professional relationship.
Therefore, standard 1.13(a) advices social workers to “avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2017, p.
1. Identify ethical issues - NASW Code of Ethics 1.06(d) and 1.07(f)(g) The main ethical dilemma is whether to disclose the husband’s extra-marital affair to Ms. Barnes or not. According to ethics code 1.07(f) and 1.07(g), when a social worker is providing counseling to multiple groups it is their job to inform clients of their rights to confidentiality. In the case of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, the social worker has an ethical duty to not disclose to Mrs. Barnes.
And instead, they may wish to encourage the client to choose another alternative. Hence, in such cases, the practitioners faced the struggle between balancing their own value systems and their professional obligation as a social worker. The third ethical dilemma is when the social work practitioner overheard the conversation between the patient and her family members that the hospital staff has been verbally abusing the patient. However, the social work practitioner does not have any evidence to prove the abuse.
However, Mr. Webb stated, “if you always follow the rules, never deviate from them, and treat everyone the same, then people will say oh! They are mean or hard, but they are fair”. He also encouraged me to always remain calm no matter the situation. If the client becomes irate, remain calm and eventually, the client will calm down too, and will begin to trust you with their personal information. Doing my volunteer practicum at Union Mission it allowed me to see the need for social workers.
As members of the La Salle community, it is our duty to recognize when someone is in need of help and how we can help them overcome their anxiety or stress with no judgment in order to “respect people, property [and] our University.” Being part of the La Salle community, means that our goal is to inform the upperclassmen about the different kinds of strategies and activities available on campus to help relieve their stress and anxiety. As per our SMART objectives, the group came up with three objectives, in which goes along with our goals and mission statement: 50% of students will have decreased anxiety and stress experienced through community engagement by the end of spring semester; 50% of students will develop coping strategies to overcome
Care ethics encapsulates the moral theory that leads Anna to take her stance. Care ethics theory emphasizes the focus on relationships, particularly of those we take responsibility for, and values emotions. It also suggests that the perspectives and experiences of women differ from that men, which can be influential in the way decisions are made (Collier & Haliburton, 2015 p. 31). Anna’s experiences, I believe are important, despite not having immediate family and being abandoned by her boyfriend, her decision to have this child showcases her willingness to have a relationship and bond with the child. Her experiences may have allowed her to see the world much differently, perhaps the same vulnerability she perceives her child will have.
Professionalism During placement I have been solely responsible for organising my diary and managing my caseload. I feel I have completed this task well as I have remained punctual and not double-booked appointments. My caseload has, at times, been fairly heavy and demanding, yet I have still ensured that I have been reliable and competent at meeting deadlines. I achieved this by being organised, prioritising work and recording information accurately.
Portfolio Part B: Reflection on the overall learning within the module Prior to starting this course the MA Social Work course and the PPSWP module I felt very confident in the aspects of communicating effectively and working with a diverse range of people, and after the reading the professional capabilities framework I believe that I hold the same personal values which is expected of a social worker. The PCF6 talks about the importance of critical reflection and reflective practice explaining that it helps improve accountability, professional development and helps to you understand your own tacit knowledge and gain new knowledge, which improves outcomes and experiences for social workers. (Capabilities within the PCF, 2016) For this reflection
Controversially, the Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics stressed that showing care and concern are basic towards social work values and practice and stresses this requirement (Heinonen and Spearman, 2010, pp. 103). Moreover, empathy, honesty and acceptance are equally important in a professional social worker role as well as a friendship. However, empathy is the ability to understand clients in their situation, as a social worker, we can convey empathy by using our active listening, paraphrasing, verbal and non-verbal cues. Additionally, expressing empathy with our clients can be used to help clients feel comfortable and encourage them to open up by building trust (Shebib, 2017).
I understood that I would not be accepting the client 's friend request but needed to assist her with her current situation. I figured that I would ask the client to come to the office, but in order to do that, I would have to inform my supervisor. I was unsure if I should disclose her HIV status, as it was what I was potentially going to help her with. As a social worker, I must respect the clients right to privacy and cannot disclose confidential information to a third-party individual, unless the client has authorized such disclosure. I also wanted to ensure to promote self-determination in decision making related to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment decision for the client.
Social work is a dynamic helping profession, where the main goal is to improve the welfare of every individual in a society. Law is a system of legal rules that governs the way members of society interact with each other. Law is necessary for order, justice, punishment, protection and to settle dispute. Social workers need to have familiarity with the legal process and the understanding of basic legal principles in order to effectively be able to assess and intervene on behalf of clients. Problems where social work and the law overlap have consistently challenged social work professionals.
