Oftentimes, social workers will be faced with situations where there is no clear decision to make when working with individuals or families. In these situations, social workers often rely on the profession’s Code of Ethics. Ethical codes embody the values of the profession and guide the behavior of social workers. Although the code of ethics does not always provide a clear direction when making decisions, it is a useful tool for identifying possible areas of difficulty, and it offers guidelines for social workers when making decisions.
The purpose of this assignment is to further understand the code of ethics and learn how to apply the code of ethics to a client situation(s). To accomplish this, you will choose two scenarios below, and respond to the questions outlined here:
1) Title page (page 1)
a. Include a running head, page number, title of your document, date of submission, course number, and professor name
2) Abstract (1/2 page)
a. Abstracts are typically written last and are a general summary of your assignment. It is included after your title page, before your introduction. Your abstract should be a single paragraph, written in 150-250 words and double spaced.
3) Ethics case review
a. Provide an introduction and then discuss the, or the potential, ethical violation in the scenario(s). Then, discuss any social work values, laws or regulations that pertain to the scenario. Explain why each one you list pertains to this scenario.
b. Using the Social Work Code of Ethics, identify a minimum of 3 ethical standards that can be applied to this case. Make sure to identify the specific number for each standard. Explain what aspects of that Code apply to the case.
c. For each standard identified in step b, discuss how a social worker would make decisions to resolve the ethical dilemma(s) in the scenario(s). Explain your answer.
d. Discuss personal values you hold as they relate to this case. What are differences between your values and the professional values as they pertain to this case? How might your personal values and your feelings influence your personal judgment about how to resolve this ethical dilemma?
e. Describe the role of the social worker in supporting ethical decision-making in this case. Describe also the roles of others who might serve on an inter-disciplinary team providing services to this client / these clients.
f. Describe how you would use technology ethically to protect the rights of the client(s) involved in this scenario. How can use of technology create the potential for ethical violations?
g. As a professional social worker, what additional information might you need to support your decision-making in this case? How will you ensure that you have access to continuing education to support your professional development in terms of ethical decision-making as you advance your career?
Sample Solution
