SOWK 2021: Ethics Values

Introduction to Law and Human Services Ethics in Social Work

• The presentation focuses on law, human services, and ethics within social work.
• A lecturer, Sandra Latibeaudiere, is presenting the material.

Overview & Framework

• Braye & Preston-Shoot (1997) argue that collaboration between law and social services requires discussion of values, power, expertise, knowledge, and structures to be successful.

Sections to be Covered

• The presentation will cover morality, ethics, and justice.
• Specific images illustrate these distinct areas.

Morals

• Morality is the sense that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions as good or bad (right or wrong).
• Religion provides a reason for moral conduct.
• Morals are individual and personal beliefs about right and wrong. An example is provided by Lewicki's Essentials of Negotiations.
• Morals are shared beliefs and values within a society or section of a society, defining right and wrong. They are influenced heavily by Christianity, but are not exclusively derived from religion. (Elliott & Quinn in English Legal Systems)

Beliefs

• Beliefs are statements that people hold to be true.

Law & Morals

• Both law and morals are normative, defining what should be done and marking boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.
• Moral conduct isn't necessarily enforced by law, but often by pressures like disapproval, loss of status, or shunning from a community.

Ethics & Values

• Values are beliefs, preferences, or assumptions about what is desirable or good. They are not statements about factual reality, but rather about how things should be.
• Ethics are standards of conduct that define how people should behave based upon values and principles about right and wrong. An example is provided by Hardina (2004).

Ethics

• Ethics is a branch of philosophy that considers the rules, guidelines, and principles that shape decision-making in all aspects of life.
• Ethics defines what is right and wrong, and conduct is considered morally acceptable or sound when aligning with ethical rules. Wrong behavior is deemed immoral (or unethical). An example given is by Noel Cowel in Ethical Perspectives for Caribbean Business (2007).
• Ethics determines what is right and wrong. Conduct deemed correct by a set of ethical rules is labelled moral or of a high moral/ethical standard.
• Ethics is about knowing what's right
• Morals are about doing what's right

Factors Influencing the Development of Personal Ethics

• Factors such as family influences, religious beliefs, cultural norms, personal experiences, and internal reflections shape personal ethics.

Social Work Ethics

• A code of ethics guides professionals, ensuring honest business practices and integrity. It outlines the organization's values, guidelines for approaching problems, and the professional standards.

Why Have a Code of Ethics?

• Codes provide a common set of principles for social workers to use ethically when dealing with service users. This is beneficial for multiple reasons, including guiding behavior, maintaining professional identity, and preventing malpractice.
• Codes are fundamental principles that govern practice decisions and actions in every situation, independent of client characteristics, settings, and professional roles. Principles are basic rules, but application requires careful analysis.
• Ethics should inform actions based on value statements; they are not just abstract ideals. Social work ethics are best understood as values put into action (Banks, 2006).

Professional Ethics

• Professional ethics codify obligations arising from professional choice. Professional social work ethics help recognize morally correct practice and teach professionals how to act in professional situations. (Dolgoff, Loewenberg & Harrington, 1996).

Framework – Codes of Ethics

• The presentation highlights the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), and the Jamaica Association of Social Workers (JASW) codes as relevant frameworks.

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Core Values

• The presentation highlights the six NASW core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.

Ethical Principles

• Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and address social problems. This highlights the service value outlined by the NASW.
• Social workers challenge injustice to ensure social justice as well as valuing the inherent worth and dignity of each person.
• Social workers recognize the importance of human relationships, conduct themselves with integrity, and practice within their areas of competence.

Ethical Standards

• Ethical responsibilities include responsibilities to clients, colleagues, practice settings, the profession as a whole, and broader society.
• Specific ethical considerations in relation to clients are highlighted (e.g. commitment to clients, promoting self-determination, ensuring informed consent, protecting privacy, conflict avoidance).
• Ethical considerations in relation to colleagues (e.g. treating colleagues with respect, maintaining confidentiality, collaboration, sexual relationships).
• Ethical considerations in relation to practice settings (e.g. providing competent supervision and consultation).
• Ethical considerations in relation to the profession (e.g. maintaining integrity, engaging in evaluation and research, contributing to professional development).
• Ethical responsibilities to broader society (e.g. social welfare, public participation, social action).

Additional Social Work Principles

• Beneficence: doing the most good.
• Nonmaleficence: doing no harm.
• Least Harm: minimizing harm to the fewest.
• Justice: being fair.
• Veracity: telling the truth.
• Fidelity: keeping promises (confidentiality).
• Double Effect: good intentions but possible negative results
• The greatest happiness/Utility: the greatest good for the greatest number.
• Self-determination/Autonomy: the right to make life choices.

Considerations When Ethical Issues Arise

• The presentation introduces the Heinz Dilemma as an example illustrating an ethical issue.
• The presentation also outlines how to consider implications of actions.

Approaches to Ethical Decision Making

• Ethical theories and principles shape ethical analysis and provide guidelines for decisions.
• The usefulness of a theory is judged by its ability to lead to common ethical principles.
• Many different theories exist – and they use different approaches.

The Person in the Decision-Making Process

• There are schools of thought regarding ethics — teleologists (results-driven) and deontologists (rule-driven) — influencing decision-making processes.
• Teleologists argue that a decision is ethical if the results are beneficial.
• Deontologists argue that a decision is ethical if it adheres to rules.

Ethical Process

• Teleological ethics focuses on the outcomes or consequences of actions.
• Deontological ethics focuses on the nature of the acts themselves, emphasizing inherent rightness or wrongness of actions independent from consequences.

Two Types of Ethical Thinkers

• Teleologists/Relativists and Deontologists/Absolutists represent opposing schools of ethical thought; their differences are explored.

What Ethics Is Not

• Ethics is not merely following feelings or religion.
• It's not necessarily in line with accepted social norms. Unethical behaviors might be considered lawful by society.

When Society's Norms Conflict with Ethics

• If individual behavior deviates from societal norms or accepts unethical behavior, the individual may need to prioritize ethical conduct over social acceptability.

Importance & Relevance of Ethics to Social Workers

• Ethics is crucial because social workers face diverse social issues. Ethical decision-making affects client outcomes. Recognition of values and prejudices within social workers is necessary.
• Social work practice requires the understanding of values, ethical frameworks, and laws for effective decision-making and practice.

Why Ethics in Human Services?

• Social work practice requires avoiding discrimination, demonstrating respect, and considering factors such as age, disability, class, ethnicity, family status, sexual orientation, gender, culture, marital status, religion, race, and national origin.

When Ethics Are Important For You

• Ethical consideration plays a role in developing better judgement in social work. Codes provide crucial guidelines for ethical conduct for social workers in their clients' best interests. Ethics provides frameworks to navigate complicated situations and promote professional decision-making.

The Importance of Studying Ethics in Social Work

• Social workers encounter diverse issues.
• Their actions impact clients positively or negatively.
• Their decisions should involve consideration of values.

The Importance of Study (Cont'd)

• Social workers must practice without discrimination and with respect toward clients' age, gender, culture, disability, religion, marital status, class, and family structure.
• Ethics is central to quality client service.

Relevance of Ethics in Human Services

• Ethics in human services provides standards for actions and decisions.
• It protects rights, integrity, and the services themselves.
• It's essential for identifying unethical behavior.

Ethical Dilemmas

• Ethical dilemmas are situations where social workers must choose between conflicting ethical directives/values, or when every alternative is undesirable for at least one person.
• Various examples, such as navigating the legal system, balancing duties, assessing client needs, and dealing with issues like autonomy, clashes of interest, availability of resources, caring for clients with mental health challenges, working with legal restrictions, and navigating potential conflicts, and handling difficult situations.

Ethical Dilemmas (Cont.)

• Practical situations highlighting ethical dilemmas between service provision and ethical duty, assessment and intervention, and facilitating change and dependency are presented.

Common Issues in Ethics

• Autonomy, conflicts of interest, and values clashes are some common issues in ethical decision-making.
• Additional issues include identifying available resources, handling those in incarceration, balancing advocacy with institutional requirements, and ensuring ethical boundaries in client interactions.

Ethical Dilemmas -- Examples

• The presentation details scenarios, such as the Heinz Dilemma, to prompt reflection on specific ethical considerations in social work practice

Check Yourself

• The presentation provides a checklist of questions to consider when faced with ethical dilemmas (e.g. maintaining professional and personal honesty, acting in client best interest, seeking peer input).

Applying the Law to Social Work

• The interaction between law and social work can be complex and require understanding legal stipulations as well as appropriate application of social work values.
• Collaboration involves understanding values, power, objectives, expertise, and structures for improved understanding.
• Applying legal considerations to social work practice, issues of interpretation, agreement and societal expectations are all part of the practical process.
• Familiarity with court systems, legal limits on confidentiality, and professional skills are integral to effective social work practice.

Conclusion

• Social work practice is based on situational analysis, and decisions about practice strategies are made.
• Potential tensions may exist between law and social work values, but the law forms a critical framework for practice.

Final Words

• The law mandates practice, but ethical social work involves more than simply following the law; it necessitates social work skills and a thorough understanding of values, prejudices, respecting individuals, and demonstrating an understanding and respect for diversity.

Final Words (Cont'd)

• Social work practice requires a commitment to social work values for effective practice.
• Legal values often align with social work values.
• Tensions may exist between legal considerations and upholding social work principles.

References

• A comprehensive list of referenced sources appears to support the presentation's informational content. The presentation should provide all the authors and dates of published sources. Multiple references are provided. Specific sources, such as the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) are included, as well as authors and publication information for various referenced literature.