docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Kaplan University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
6101
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by SheilaPerkins
When I think about the meaning of the primary mission of the social work profession what comes to mind is helping people who need help, despite their situations or how they ended up in those situations. Helping others can be on an individual basis, a struggling family, or even groups of people who need relief. It does not always have to be financial help either. Sometimes people just need someone to listen to them with empathy and genuine interest and advocate for them when they feel like they are not being heard by anyone else. It is about improving the quality of life one person at a time, beginning with being able to comprehend elements of them that we may not understand ourselves, such as what their culture is about, where they are financially, and how their mental and physical health is. Once a social worker has a grasp on those things within the people that they are collaborating with they begin to assist them in dealing with and overcoming their problems.
An ethical dilemma is finding yourself in a setting where dealing with a person can be a violation of principles, and ethics, and even unlawful, requiring a tough resolution that needs to be
carefully considered to avoid negative consequences and harming
other people.
I have an example of an ethical dilemma that I feel like I failed miserably at. My son’s girlfriend was a resident in one of our programs and cell phones were considered contraband. Because of our relationship, I was not allowed to work at that facility as long as she was a resident there. However, she told me that she and her roommate had cell phones that they kept hidden. I refrained from reporting it, justifying it by thinking that since I am not allowed to work there, it is not my concern. Later I found out that my son’s girlfriend, a compulsive, chronic gambler,
was playing the slots on her phone and not getting enough sleep to stay awake in classes or to get her treatment assignments done. The facility never confiscated those phones and the girl walked out of treatment after two and a half months. I do not blame myself for her leaving; she did not think that she had a problem and was just going to be treated because CPS told her she had to. But I do feel guilty at the same time because what if it
would have had influence? Two years later she had her parental rights terminated because she could not leave the meth alone. I
felt like she was not going to work the program whether she had a
phone or not and I opted to keep the peace at home by keeping my mouth shut.
NASW Ethical Code 1.06 Conflicts of Interest (c) is the code of conduct that I violated. The first part of the code talks about not having dual relationships with clients, (National Association of Social Workers, 2021) but in my case that could not be avoided so
I just did not work in the facility where my son’s girlfriend was in while she was a resident there. It goes on to say that if a social worker finds themselves in a dual relationship such as I did, the social worker should be able to set boundaries and protect the clients from harm. I did not set proper boundaries because she could confide in me about the cell phones without any consequences. I failed to protect her as the code continues to describe as another responsibility because the cell phone was harmful to her and her recovery.
I can tell you what I should have done or what I would do differently than the last time. I would report the cell phone possession to the case manager and explain to a furious son how it was to help her and not to hurt her and make him understand
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
that. He was benefiting from her having the cell phone because they could talk anytime she was not in class, so he would have taken it personally, but I should have done it anyway. MSWI’s Competency 8—
Intervene with Individuals
, clearly states that I should have taken steps to protect her; protecting her would have
entailed having that cell phone confiscated.
References
Document: Social Work Competencies—MSWI
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social WorkersLinks to an external site.. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-
of-Ethics-English