Session 1.4: Ethics and Confidentiality
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Developmental Competencies
SW121-01 Ability to follow agency policy regarding appropriate use of email, telephone, state
issued cell phones, cars, and other state property
SW121-02 Ability to protect the confidentiality of children and families receiving supportive
services from the public child welfare system
SW121-04 Understands the ethical principles that guide professional behavior in the child
welfare field and how these apply to direct practice with families and children
Curricular Competencies
Talking about Competencies
Students may have many questions about what Agency policies allow, and about the relationship
between personal ethics and Agency policies. Use this session to introduce students to basic concepts
and policies, and make sure that they understand where to look up Agency policies and whom to ask
when they have questions about policy issues.
RCT Session 1.4: Ethics and Confidentiality
Materials and Preparation
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
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Activity in Canvas (1.4)
Self-paced e-learning
Students will access these resources:
o NASW Code of Ethics
o DSHS Administrative Policy No. 18.64.
o DSHS Administrative Policy No. 15.15
Handouts
None
Session Flow
2
3
4
5
6
Step
Worksheet Part 1: Awareness
Online presentation
Worksheet Part 2: Dilemmas
NASW Code of Ethics
Discussion and debrief
Delivery Method
Canvas
E-learning, link provided in Canvas
Canvas
Canvas
In class or over the phone
Time
15 minutes
35 minutes
45 minutes
45 minutes
30 minutes to 1
hour
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RCT Session 1.4: Ethics and Confidentiality
Session Coach’s Notes
Outline of Self-Paced E-Learning
ANTICIPATORY SET
In this module, we are going to offer you a broad look at the values that underlie our profession. We’ve
pulled values from the NASW code of ethics that have particular bearing on child welfare work to discuss
during this last hour of the day. We hope the discussion serves as a helpful guide as you consider how
to approach this job with integrity and competence.
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Our professional attitudes and values may need to be separated from our personal responses. For
example, we may have a strong emotional reaction regarding the level of care a family is providing for a
child, and yet still assess that this level of care meets our professional standard of “minimally adequate.”
Sometimes this is more easily said than done, but it is our professional responsibility to do so.
The ethical imperatives we’ll look more closely at today are Professional boundaries, Competence,
Integrity, Client self-determination, and Confidentiality.
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Professional Boundaries: We act in the public’s interest and avoid making any decision in order to gain
benefit for ourselves or other persons.
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DSHS policy regarding accepting gifts in the course of work:
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Administrative Policy No. 18.64.
Administrative Policy No. 15.15
The basic expectation is that nothing will be accepted or exchanged with clients or with other
professionals in the course of our work.
Why might this be the expectation?
What might the impact or appearance be of accepting gifts, money, even food?
Look for:
o
May create an attitude where the social worker feels beholden to a
client/agency/partner, where they intentionally or subconsciously provide greater
services to that person, or even where the social worker’s actions are not affected but
there is the perception of favoritism or preference.
Take for example a worker who is offered and accepts a small Christmas gift from a foster parent – a
batch of homemade cookies in a cookie jar. Then a few months later this worker files for termination of
parental rights on the parents of the child in that home. What if it is brought up at court that the social
worker accepted a gift from the foster parent – who now stands to adopt the child? It may have had no
influence whatsoever on the social worker, but if there is a perception that it did, this is equally
problematic.)
Of course – there are cultural implications in the refusal of small gifts or food/beverage. In any situation
you should weight the potential pros and cons of accepting an offering such as this with no monetary
value. Your supervisor and peers are a good resource for teasing this out.
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Dual relationships are when you have two distinct and at times conflicting relationships with a client,
partner, or agency.
For instance, you are a person’s social worker and offer to babysit their kids. Or you have a child placed
with a foster parent and are also dating them. Or you occasionally make referrals to an agency that
provides parenting classes and also volunteer for them occasionally on weekends. Or you suggest that a
client of yours attend your church to build their support system.
This can create real conflicts of interest and should be avoided. Any time you have a pre-existing
relationship with a client or agency this should be disclosed to your supervisor immediately if/when it
appears you’ll be asked to work with them in this capacity. It’s almost always best if the case is then
assigned to someone else.
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Social workers are not necessarily going to be experts in all the areas of concern that occur in our
families. It’s expected that we would partner with CDP’s, mental health professionals, educators, etc, to
ensure that our clients receive good assessments and services. However, a working knowledge of the
fundamentals of all of these areas is expected. Furthermore, continued attendance at training
opportunities to further and renew your skills and knowledge will be required. One particular area
gaining importance is evidence based practice. It’s ideal if you have some sense of what evidence based
approaches and interventions exist for the concerns we frequently address in our families.
Let’s talk a little more extensively about culturally competent practice. How would you define that?
What kinds of things do culturally competent social workers do?
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Here are some possible definitions of cultural competence, and some actions that are often part of
culturally competent practice. Child welfare is a field where clients come from many, many different
cultural experiences. Of course, we include race/ethnicity, as well as gender, sexual identity, religious or
spiritual affiliation, socio-economic status, ability status, etc when we consider cultural competence.
Social workers will find themselves interacting with people from a wide variety of backgrounds in this
work. We have to be prepared to meet each person where they are, to be inquisitive and humble about
our lack of expertise in their situation and their culturally informed perspective, and to be willing to
reach out to others in the client’s communities to keep ourselves informed and appropriate as we
approach each unique family, individual, and situation.
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Integrity. We do not place ourselves under any financial or special obligation to outside individuals or
groups that may influence us in the performance of our public duties.
Objectivity. In carrying out public business, our choices should be made on the merits. We are
accountable for our actions and decisions and agree to accept whatever public scrutiny is appropriate to
our position.
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REVIEW AND CLOSURE
(Wrapping up and quick review; refocus participants’ attention to the subject matter and objectives)
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The nature of this work will challenge you personally and professionally. Your behavior should have an
ethical basis to it. You should be known for your fairness, openness, honesty with yourself and others,
and willingness to be of service. This genuineness, and the skills that we will introduce you to in
upcoming modules, will be of great assistance to you in engaging families, helping to understand their
perspective, and being a change agent.
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RCT Session 1.4: Ethics and Confidentiality
Notes for Worksheet Activity
The worksheet is mainly a set of dilemmas which students answer using the Children’s Administration
Operations Manual, section 8000 (Human Resource Management:
1. You send emails to your friend’s home computer from your state computer regarding personal plans
for the weekend. Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
2. You ran across an article in TIME magazine that you want to share with friends and make several
copies using the office’s copier. Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
3. You send an email to your senator opposing the confirmation of a nominee for federal office. Is this
appropriate stewardship of state resources?
4. Your supervisor approves the use of a state computer to do course work for a class that will enhance
your skills. Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
5. You send a brief email or make a brief, local call to check on your kids. Is this appropriate
stewardship of state resources?
6. You access the Internet during a lunch break to check on your stock portfolio and transfer assets to a
different fund. Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
7. A family moves in next door to you, and you would really like to have her babysit your children, but
you’re wondering if she has CPS history. You decide to check for referral history in FamLink. Is this
appropriate stewardship of state resources?
Students complete the worksheet and submit it in Canvas. Then, hold a debrief discussion with them,
either over the phone or in person, going over each dilemma, their answers, and the answers that are
consistent with CA policy.
In your discussion, be sure to include these concepts:
Transparency
Public employees must practice open and accountable government. They should be as open as
possible about their decisions and actions, and protect truly confidential information.
Honesty. We have a duty to declare any private interests that relate to our public duties and to
take steps to resolve any conflict in a way that protects the public’s interest.
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Confidential information , Openness and Transparency. The public has a right to know the
reasons for our actions and decisions. We should restrict information only when the wider
public interest demands we need to.
Public Records, Standards for disclosure:
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May not intentionally act to conceal a record if under a personal obligation to release the
record.
May apply to e-mail conversations.
RCW 42.52.050
Confidential information — improperly concealed records.
(1) No state officer or state employee may accept employment or engage in any business or
professional activity that the officer or employee might reasonably expect would require or
induce him or her to make an unauthorized disclosure of confidential information acquired by
the official or employee by reason of the official's or employee's official position.
(2) No state officer or state employee may make a disclosure of confidential information
gained by reason of the officer's or employee's official position or otherwise use the information
for his or her personal gain or benefit or the gain or benefit of another, unless the disclosure has
been authorized by statute or by the terms of a contract involving (a) the state officer's or state
employee's agency and (b) the person or persons who have authority to waive the
confidentiality of the information.
(3) No state officer or state employee may disclose confidential information to any person
not entitled or authorized to receive the information.
(4) No state officer or state employee may intentionally conceal a record if the officer or
employee knew the record was required to be released under chapter 42.56 RCW, was under a
personal obligation to release the record, and failed to do so. This subsection does not apply
where the decision to withhold the record was made in good faith.
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