Social Work Ethics Paper

Our society has become overwhelmed with technology, therefore we have seen an increasing presence of technology and social media in the social work practice. Mental health services first became available on the internet as early as 1982, through the use of self help support groups (Reamer, 2013). By the late 1990’s the first mental health treatment services became evident online, as providers began providing online counseling (Reamer, 2013). In today’s world of social work, online self help services are evident in many different facets. Everyday interactions with clients are represented through not only face to face encounters, but also through online counseling, video counseling, telephone counseling, cyber therapy, social networking sites,

In order to support a client’s self determination, the client should be involved in the decision making process, however if the client is unable to contract for safety the social worker needs to take immediate action to support the client and ensure safety. During the intake process, the social worker should gather history on the client and may have some understanding of the suicidal behavior, specifically if this has been a pattern for the client. If so, the social worker can consider prior interventions and support services that have been implemented and been successful. The social worker also needs to ensure they are using an appropriate screening tools, such as the ethical principles screen EPS, to access the situation. This also includes following the least harm principle. The least harm principle states that the social worker must choose the option that will result in least harm or least permanent harm to the client (Dolgoff, Harrington, Loewenberg, 2012). Ultimately the EPS screenings top priority is to ensure protection of life. Theoretical Perspectives to Resolve Ethical Question Ethics of Caring is the theoretical perspective considered in resolving this ethical decision. Ethics of caring considers the emotional attitude in a relationship with another person (Dolgoff, Harrington & Loewenberg, 2012). The individual who is the helper will take on the burden and do what they can to help one another. In this situation the social worker will do what they can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the client. As social workers, we tend to have an ethics of caring approach in our every day work.
Implications/Consequences for Self and