MSW-6005 - Week 1 Assignment

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Psychology

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Dec 6, 2023

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1 Evaluate Policies Regulating Social Work Practice & Compare Ethical Standards Maenell Hendricks JFK School of Psychology and Social Sciences, National University Course code: MSW-6005 Dr. Earl Bradford Smith October 15, 2023

2 Evaluate Policies Regulating Social Work Practice & Compare Ethical Standards Social Work encompasses the comprehension of one's human attitude, conduct, the functioning of society, as well as the capacity to establish meaningful connections with others to identify and resolve issues. The discipline is sometimes characterized as a combination of behavioral science, Social Science, and psychotherapy. Social workers assist people in rising from challenges and enhancing their standard of living. Pursuing a profession in Social Work might offer occasional difficulties. However, Social Workers exert a direct impact on the transformation of individuals' circumstances for the sake of improvement. Social work may also be distressing since it involves addressing the most negative parts of society. To work effectively in this field, a code of ethics is utilized to guide social workers and influence them to follow the values of the profession. The purpose of this paper is to identify three ethical principles of the code of ethics that is personally most important, explain legal implications of the principle and potential issues that may come up during the establishment of a contract, indicate how the principles would be applicable in examples, and how ethical decision-making would be applied to the contracting process. Ethical Principles and Legal Implications The target aim of a social worker is to provide appropriate services to those who are in need and to tackle social issues. They prioritize serving others ahead of one's own interests and use their extensive skills, abilities, and knowledge to assist the underprivileged (Reamer, 2005). Social workers can be advised to dedicate a portion of their time and expertise to providing free service (Reamer, 2005). The decisions of the client’s plan should not be decided solely by the social worker, and confidentiality must be upheld with the exception of threats of violence towards the social worker or someone else. For instance, during the planning process, the social worker and

3 the client should come to an agreement on tasks, services, confidentiality, and treatment. During the engagement process, failure to disclose details about potential abuse or mistreatment to social service authorities just to maintain a therapeutic rapport with a patient can bring about legal issues (Reamer, 2005). Reporting this information may hurt the relationship. However, the client already understands the confidentiality agreement and what constitutes breach of confidentiality. To ensure that the client comprehends the stipulations of the agreement, it is essential to utilize language where the client clearly understands the terms of the agreement (Phillips, 2013). Dignity and worth of the person consist of interacting with each client in a kind and considerate manner, taking into account their unique characteristics and ideological and ethnic backgrounds. Social workers facilitate the development of clients' ability to make responsible decisions for themselves in a social context. Social workers aim to strengthen clients' ability and potential to modify and handle their personal needs and circumstances. Professionals are aware of their joint obligation to both patients and the wider community. Their objective is to also address issues among the clients' and society's interests as a whole in a morally responsible way that aligns with the beliefs, ethical standards, and ethical principles of their profession. Social workers can incur legal issues by discriminating against someone of a different race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, religion, or disability. This fundamental principle serves as a soothing remedy for many individuals who have suffered from racism, discrimination, tyranny, genocide, and various violations of civil rights in different historical periods and geographical locations worldwide (Joseph, 2022). Violating this principle can bring about negative sanctions such as civil suits, public shame, and/or revocation of license. For instance, a Ukranian refugee goes into an agency for help, and the social worker’s biases influences him/her to provide services to the

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4 person in need. All people who are under-resourced or from different backgrounds should be treated fairly and afforded services. Competence involves social work professionals operating within their established areas of proficiency while refining and enhancing their professional knowledge and skills. They consistently strive to enhance their knowledge and expertise and employ them in their respective professional endeavors. Furthermore, they should aim to make valuable contributions to the common reservoir of knowledge within their field. A medical social work professional may possess extensive expertise in a specific field of medicine and may even be capable of providing professional medical guidance to a client. However, they are legally restricted from giving medical guidance seeing that it falls beyond the authorized scope of their clinical licensing (Phillips, 2013). If the social worker does not have the capacity to treat a client who has specialized conditions, he/she must refer the client to a clinical social worker who has the credentials to treat the client. Misdiagnosing a client is a form of malpractice. This type of unethical behavior can cost a social worker his/her job, and other legal implications. To prevent this from happening, it is best to ensure that the appropriate assessment is employed to identify the client’s disorder/illness. Ethical Decision-making Ethical issues within social work arise when professionals are faced with conflicting ideals, responsibilities, and commitments. Ethical quandaries arise in all areas of the field such as primary practice (providing therapeutic as well as case management assistance to individuals, households, marriages, and modest groups), community planning, administration, legislation, and research findings and analysis (Reamer, 2005). Ethical decision-making necessitates the use

5 of well-informed discernment and analytical reasoning when faced with circumstances that lack obvious ethical answers. In some situations, the ethical responsibilities of a social worker could clash with the standards of their agency or against applicable laws and regulations. Social workers strive to address conflicts by adhering to the ethics and concepts outlined in their rules of practice and code of ethics (Reamer, 2005). In summary, the social worker’s objective is to increase the welfare of individuals and better the lives of the under-resourced. Social work entails advocating for the well-being of society at large through advocating for the most disadvantaged individuals. When faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, social workers will seek expert advice prior to reaching a decision. This can prevent legal issues and other issues that pose harm to the client. Possible participants in the conversation may include a regulatory body associated with the matter, a colleague with expertise in the subject, an ethical committee, a manager, or legal advisor (Reamer, 2005). The inclusive paradigm of appropriate decision-making effectively resolves societal challenges. It is a very effective method for identifying the underlying cause of the issue and finding solutions, with a strong emphasis on ethical principles.

6 References Joseph, R. (2022). A Cross-Sectional Study of the Relationship between Self-Worth and Self- Determination: Implications for Social Work Ethics. International Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics , 19 (3), 108–131 . https://doi.org/10.55521/10-019-308 Phillips, D.G. (2013). Clinical Social Workers as Diagnosticians: Legal and Ethical Issues. Clinical Social Work Journal , 41 , 205–211. Reamer, F. (2005). Ethical and legal standards in social work: Consistency and conflict. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 86(2), 163-169. https://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.2237

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