Editor's Eye

Hello --

 

 

Until next time,

Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW

Publisher/Editor

THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®

 

 

 

• National Family Caregivers Month
• American Diabetes Month
• National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
• National Hospice Palliative Care Month
• Great American Smokeout (November 17)
• International Survivors of Suicide Day (November 19)
• National Family Health History Day (November 24)

 

 

 

 

 

     When social work students enter the profession, they may assume that there is just one code of ethics that they need to learn and follow. Although some social workers practice according to the tenets of a single code of ethics (often, the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics), many social workers are subject to more than one code of ethics or standards of practice. As a family mediator, for instance, I not only follow the NASW Code, but also the model standards of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, or AFCC (http://www.afccnet.org/Resource-Center/Practice-Guidelines-and-Standards). Likewise, there are distinct codes and standards of practice for social workers with specializations such as:

 

    So, which codes “must” social workers abide by? Which codes “should” social workers abide by? And if there are conflicts between two or more codes by which you are abiding, which code takes “precedence”?

 

    Professional associations are voluntary associations, meaning that one is not legally obligated to belong to these associations. Although I certainly encourage all U.S. social workers to become members of the NASW, there is no legal requirement for social workers to be members in order to practice social work. When social workers do join the NASW or another professional association, they are agreeing to abide by its code of ethics.

 

    Even if social workers do not join the NASW or another relevant professional association, however, they would be prudent to follow standards that apply to their areas of practice. If a social worker is sued for malpractice, for instance, courts may look at whether the worker complied with the NASW Code or with other relevant standards of practice. In a lawsuit, the question is whether the social worker lived up to a duty of care (or standards of practice) reasonably expected within the profession and area of practice. Therefore, a professional code of ethics may be relevant even if the social worker is not a current member of the association.

 

    Now, let’s assume that a social worker is striving to follow two codes of ethics, but there are potential conflicts between their standards. How should the worker resolve these conflicts? In some instances, one code of ethics has a more stringent requirement than another. For instance, the NASW Code of Ethics has an absolute, lifetime prohibition about having sex with clients (Standard 1.09). Another code, the American Psychological Association’s Code of Conduct, does not have an absolute, lifetime prohibition. Under Standard 10.06, it allows psychologists (under certain circumstances) to have sex with a former client if at least two years have passed since termination of services. Assume that a therapist is a member of both the NASW and the APA. This therapist should abide by the stricter or higher standard. If practitioners follow the lesser standard, they may be placing themselves in ethical and legal peril.

 

    In other cases, there may be a clear contradiction in ethical standards. Consider the ethical obligation of mediators to be “impartial” (AFCC, Standard IV). In contrast, the NASW Code says social workers should be advocates for social justice, acting to eliminate discrimination (NASW, Standard 6.04). Assume that a social worker is mediating with a family in which men are discriminating against women. The NASW Code suggests that the social worker needs to advocate for the women. The AFCC Code advises the mediator to remain impartial, not advocating for one side or the other. In this case, the conflict may be resolved by looking at the specific role of the practitioner, including what the client has agreed to during the informed consent process.

 

    Social workers play a very broad range of roles, including the roles of mediator, advocate, counselor, broker, listener, facilitator, and organizer. Because the NASW Code is designed to cover the broad spectrum of roles, it cannot make fine distinctions in ethical obligations that depend on the specific role that a social worker is playing with a particular client. So, although it is generally a social worker’s role to advocate for social justice, this role would not fit with a worker who is playing the role of mediator with a particular family. In this case, the worker should follow the AFCC standards, which are designed for this more specific role.

 

    So, is a social worker who acts as an impartial mediator in violation of the NASW Code’s standards related to social justice? Note that the wording of most sections of the NASW Code say that social workers “should....” The use of this term is deliberate, meaning that under most circumstances, the prescribed standard for behavior is appropriate. It also recognizes that there may be exceptions based on particular circumstances, including the role the social worker is playing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Designing a Hazmat Suit of Self-Care in Toxic Environments
• Struggles, Strategies, and Successes in Self-Care
• Organizational Accountability and Practitioner Self-Care: NOT an Either/Or Option

 

 

 

Job Corner

---

 

Find jobs for new grads and experienced social work practitioners at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s online job board and career center.

 

News & Resources

 

---

 

 

Could your nonprofit use some social media help?  The Charity Social Media Toolkit from Skills Platform provides tips on strategy, action, networks, fundraising campaigns, style, analytics, and more.

 

---

 

 

The 2017 Social Work Distance Education Conference will be held April 12-14, 2017, at the Hilton Palacio del Rio in San Antonio, TX.

 

See www.ollusa.edu/swde2017 for details about the conference.

 

The Call for Proposals is open with a deadline of 12/31/16.

In Print

White Hat Communications, publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and the Social Work E-News, has published several books about social work. These books make great gifts (for graduation, holidays, or other occasions) for yourself, or for your friends, students, and colleagues in social work!

 

We also publish books on nonprofit management. Want to start your own agency? We have a book for that.

 

 

All of our books are available through our secure online store at:

 

Most are also available at Amazon.com.

 

You can also view and download our catalog in PDF format.

 

Reminders

VISIT OUR SITES

www.socialworker.com