SOCIAL WORK ETHICS
Issue in Child Welfare
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
1.
To discuss how we define ethics.
2.
To examine personal values related to ethics.
3.
To briefly review key ethical principles.
4.
To explore the distinction between ethical dilemma
and practice dilemmas.
5.
To review an ethical decision making model.
6.
To participate in a group discussion regarding an
ethical issue.
CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS
Rules and Regulations
Standards of Practice
Resolution of Ethical Dilemmas
KEY ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Integrity
Conflict of
Interest
Confidentiality
Client Self
Determination
Informed
Consent
INTEGRITY
 A characteristic of individuals who “integrate”
their values into their character & make
ethical choices as a result. It requires three
components:
 Knowledge
of the right values
 The right motive (character)
 Doing the right thing (conduct)
SELF DETERMINATION
 The capacity of an individual to determine the
course of his/her life though the choices that
he/she makes. Enables individuals to
exercise freedom.
INFORMED CONSENT
 Comes from need for self-determination and
is based on the provision of complete &
accurate information regarding the nature of
the intervention & a discussion about the
possible consequences of the intervention.
CONFIDENTIALITY
 Requires the protection of information that is
shared within the professional-client
relationship. It allows for development of trust.
There are exceptions based upon:





Supervision and consultation
Client consent
Danger to self or others
Suspicion of abuse or neglect
Court proceeding
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
 Two specific elements must be present:
1. A social worker is entrusted to exercise objective
judgment in the service of another party; and
2.
The social worker has an interest that would lead
a reasonable person to believe that the interest
could interfere with the objectivity of the
professional’s judgment.
ETHICS &VALUES DEFINED
 Ethics – A philosophical discipline concerned
with the morality of human behavior and right
and wrong.
 Values –The customs, principles and
standards of conduct considered desirable by
a culture, group of people, or individual.
ERHICS THEORY
Absolutism
Deontological
(Objective)
(Objective)
MetaEthics
Normative
Ethics
Relativism
Teleological
(Subjective)
(Subjective)
PERSONAL VALUES
How would you rank the following values from (1)
most important to (5) least important?
___ National Security
___ Justice & Equality
___ Spiritual Salvation
___ Personal Joy
___ Family Loyalty
How might these values influence your practice?
VALUE INFLUENCES
Culture
Education
Religion
Gender
Social
Class
Generation
Ethnicity
Personal
Experience
Profession
Agency
Clinical
Culture
Client
Population
DILEMMA DISTINCTIONS
Ethical Dilemmas
 When a social worker must choose between two or
more relevant, but contradictory, ethical directives, or
when every alternative results in an undesirable
outcome.
Practice Dilemmas
 When a social worker encounters two or more
potential courses of action in the delivery of services.
“CHILD PROTECTION”
 Miriam is a child care social worker. She has been asked
to work with Amina, a 13 year old girl alleged to have been
sexually assaulted by an adult cousin. Miriam has
removed Amina from her home in order to maintain her
continued safety. Test results confirm Amina is 2 months
pregnant and may be infected with HIV. Amina would like
to give the baby up for adoption. Amina’s mother also
consents to the adoption and believes it to be in Amina’s
best interest. Since Miriam is now the working with the
family, she must also sign the adoption consent forms.
Miriam refuses to sign the consent citing strong personal
beliefs that the child should remain a part of the family.
GROUP EXERCISE
 What should Miriam do?
 Do you agree with Miriam? Why?
 What are the personal values impacting
Miriam’s decision?
 What are the ethical issues involved?
 How should this issue be resolved?
ETHICAL AWARENESS
 Be knowledgeable about social work values and
the code of ethics.
 Develop self awareness of your own personal
values through critical reflection.
 Use a frameworks to help clarify conflicting
values and ethical dilemmas.
 Understand that it is neither possible nor
desirable to be totally neutral with respect to
values.