Social Work Ethics

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Feb 20, 2024

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Social Work Ethics Madison Linderman College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University SWK-280: Social Service Delivery System Instructor Demsky-Cameron October 15th, 2023 1

Social Work Ethics The Salvation Army is a global organization that provides assistance and support to vulnerable populations. This organization is all about helping everyone, in every way possible. There is no area that the Salvation Army does not assist the public with, in some way. Their services are any where from handing out food to the homeless, providing gifts to less fortunate families on Christmas to helping a single mother get her water turned back on. In social work there are six main ethical principles that are to be followed: service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. The first ethical principle that I identify with while working at the Salvation Army would be service. Individuals come in with varying needs and are able to be assisted through this one organization. Helping the needy is the main focus of the Salvation Army. The second ethical principle that I identify with while working here is dignity and worth of a person. I have witnessed people of all walks of life enter the doors. Though the Salvation Army is Christian based, they do not turn away from people when they do not share the same faith. It is also through their services that they try to also build the individual and their skills up so that they may become self-sufficient. Although there are not many, there are a few ways in which the NASW Code of Ethics may conflict with my personal value system. One of the first ways would be providing services to people who have committed heinous crimes. Dignity and worth being an ethical principle I believe is extremely important as we should not be able to have discrimination, but in a scenario with an individual who has committed crimes that go against my own morals may prove difficult. Another example would be integrity. A client may at some point confess to a crime that I will be required to report. This may prove to be extremely conflicting for me especially if I 2

personally do not deem this crime to be severe. This will conflict with the importance of human relations ethic as I will also be betraying my clients trust. Ethical dilemmas will happen at any agency or organization. One ethical dilemma that I may face with the Salvation Army would be refusal of service based on the individual’s beliefs. For example, an individual seeking shelter while they recover from an abortion. They chose the abortion as they were sexually assaulted by the father, but as a Christian based organization the Salvation Army would see this as conflicting and may refuse the individual assistance. I would handle this situation by providing this individual with as many services as I could, and for what I was unable to assist with, offer them the information of those who would be able to help. From a Christian worldview this would be conflicting as every life is considered valuable, but one must also remember that Jesus allowed a sinful woman to wash his feet. Jesus deemed the sinful woman more full of love for him than those not full of sin as her sins were great but still forgiven. Another ethical dilemma that may arise would be a homeless client coming in and admitting they have a child with them. The Salvation Army is there to provide help to this individual, but not necessarily take legal action in securing the safety and wellbeing of the child. It would be a very difficult thing to do as the client is seeking help to right their situation, but I would take legal action to provide a wellness check on the child. Social justice may seem unfair sometimes especially when you know a client has constantly been discriminated on because of their status. In a Christian worldview the client would be seen equal to everyone else, and that the child’s rightful place would be with the mother. This would also prove difficult because although I agree with this, I can also see that sometimes individuals need a chance to get on their feet as well as the child deserves to be safe and cared for properly. 3

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In conclusion, ethics and ethical principles are paramount in the field of social work. Upholding these standards sometimes proves difficult when faced with an ethical dilemma. It is the duty of a social worker to hold themselves to a high standard putting the Code of Ethics first. Having a solid understanding of the Code of Ethics is essential for social workers to be competent and provide effective services. The continued training and policy changes help social workers make the most ethical decisions possible. By adhering to the Code of Ethics a social worker is providing proper advocacy and promoting client empowerment. 4

References Kirst-Ashman, K. (2017). Empowerment series: Introduction to social work & social welfare: Critical thinking perspectives (5th ed.). Cengage. ISBN-13: 9781305388390 Kirst-Ashman, K. (2017). Empowerment series: 5

Introduction to social work & social welfare: Critical thinking perspectives (5th ed.). Cengage. ISBN-13: 9781305388390 Kirst-Ashman, K. (2017). Empowerment series: Introduction to social work & social welfare: Critical thinking perspectives (5th ed.). Cengage. ISBN-13: 978130538839 DuBois, B., & Miley, K. K. (2019). Social Work: An Empowering Profession (9th ed.). Pearson. ISBN-13:9780134695792 6

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National Association of Social Workers. (2023). Code of Ethics. (NASW). https://www.socialworkers.org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics Bae, H. (2022). The Depths of Christ’s Love: Revisiting the Encounter between Jesus and the Woman in Luke 7:36-50. The Ecumenical Review, 74(2), 295–312. https://doi- org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/erev.12691 7

Social Work Ethics

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