Important Note: Please use the media player below to hear an audio course introduction that will give you more background information about the course topic. Also provided is a transcript for you to download and print out.
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Social work values and ethics [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download AudioDownload Transcript
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Identify principles of social work values and ethics
- Apply principles of social work values and ethics to agency learning agreement
- Analyze social work values and ethics in relation to social work practice
- Apply social work practice skills
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 12, “Social Work Ethics” (pp. 136-147)
Gallina, N. (2010). Conflict between professional ethics and practice demands: Social workers’ perceptions. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 7(2), 1–9. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/jswve/fall2010/f10conflict.pdf
Kimball, E., & Kim, J. (2013). Virtual boundaries: Ethical considerations for use of social media in social work. Social Work, 58(2), 185–188.
Note: Retrieved from Walden Library databases.
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Required Media
Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Social work values and ethics [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Note: This audio introduction is located in the “Introduction and Objectives” section. The approximate length of this media piece is 1 minute.
Optional Resources
Click the following link to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
Assignment 1: Week 10 Blog
Refer to the topics covered in this week’s resources and incorporate them into your blog.
By Day 3
Post a blog post that includes:
- A description of the principles of social work values and ethics
- An explanation of how the principles of social work values and ethics might relate to your agency learning agreement throughout your field education experience
By Day 4
Respond to the blog post of three colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
- Make a suggestion to your colleague’s post.
- Validate an idea in your colleague’s post with your own experience.
Be sure to support your blog posts with specific references to this week’s resources and provide full APA citations for your references. For more information about posting your blog assignment, click on the Field Education Blogs link on the course navigation menu.
Assignment 2: Process Recordings
A process recording is a written tool used by field education experience students, field instructors, and faculty to examine the dynamics of social work interactions in time. Process recordings can help in developing and refining interviewing and intervention skills. By conceptualizing and organizing ongoing activities with social work clients, you are able to clarify the purpose of interviews and interventions, identify personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, and improve self-awareness. The process recording is also a useful tool in exploring the interpersonal dynamics and values operating between you and the client system through an analysis of filtering the process used in recording a session.
For this Assignment, you will submit a process recording of your field education experiences specific to this week.
The Assignment (2–4 pages):
- Provide a transcript of what happened during your field education experience, including a dialogue of interaction with a client.
- Explain your interpretation of what occurred in the dialogue, including social work practice theories, and explain how it might relate to diversity or cultural competence covered this week.
- Describe your reactions and/or any issues related to your interaction with a client during your field education experience.
- Explain how you applied social work practice skills when performing the activities during your process recording.
By Day 7
Submit your Assignment
Support your Assignment with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Note: You should also share your process recordings with your field instructor during your individual supervision.
Note: Adherence to confidentiality is required during your process recordings. Do not include real names of clients, supervisors, or social workers with whom you may come into contact during your social work field education experience. Omit any personal identifiers when detailing the interaction with your social work clients.
Responses
Allison Stewart at Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1:31:29 PM
- A description of the principles of social work values and ethics
Garthwait, C. L. (2017 Chapter 12 (p.136). According to our reading, “describes professional and values and ethics and highlights the was in which professional codes of ethics can guide practice. It describes ethical competencies, ethical decision making, and a process for resolving ethical dilemmas.
- An explanation of how the principles of social work values and ethics might relate to your agency learning agreement throughout your field education experience.
In the learning agreement as part of our Social Work Core Competency 1 – Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior, it states,
- One, “-make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision-making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context.”
- “use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain professionalism in practice situations.”
- “use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior”
At the Salvation Army organization this the exact principles of social work that is applied. The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club along with the surrounding area of Charlotte, NC offer programs and services that exemplify and actively practice Christian principles.
“This is done in a way that causes recipients of our services to learn to admire the values, ethics and skills presented, and incorporate them into their own lives. To reach today’s young people and their families in a non-threatening way, our Clubs create an accepting, positive and challenging environment where young people of every background, circumstance, race, creed and religion feel welcomed. As part of the Salvation Army’s family and services, this program is offered to the poorest and most needy among us. It is for this reason that The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of North & South Carolina are so vital to The Salvation Army’s mission and ministry.”
https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/charlotte/
References:
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Chapter 12, “Social Work Ethics” (pp. 136-147)
https://www.salvationarmycarolinas.org/charlotte/
Response 2
Emily Worley at Monday, October 28, 2019 7:46:47 AM
Social work, like many other helping professions are based on principles and operate with a set of ethical standards. Ethical standards and principles help to establish a safe and healthy working environment for social workers and the individuals who are receiving services. Garthwait, 2017 stated that ethical principles have a profound and far-reaching impact on practice. With society and technology changes, social workers must also consider social media ethics. social workers are in need of policies and guidelines that assist in the ethical use of social media tools, including interactions with clients in social network arenas (Kimball & Kim, 2013).
Ethics plays a major role in the learning agreement with my agency, one of the competencies is to Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior. This is achieved through watching the employees at my field, and reviewing the NASW code of ethics. My current field has an ethics board, that monitors any ethical situations and/or ethical dilemmas. Garthwait, 2017 states that having a protocol or set of principles to use in this process is both necessary and invaluable. Ethical dilemmas are sure to arise, but as long as social workers are following the principles and practicing within their scope harm to clients and self can be avoided.
References:
Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Kimball, E., & Kim, J. (2013). Virtual Boundaries: Ethical Considerations for Use of Social Media in Social Work. Social Work, 58(2), 185–188. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1093/sw/swt005
Response 3
Surnita Warner at Tuesday, October 29, 2019 4:24:13 PM
A description of the principles of social work values and ethics
There are six principles of social work, which include the following: service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationship, integrity, and competence. NASW (2017) asserts that service is a social worker’s ability to “draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems.” Within the agency, the intern is able to use this principle because when assisting callers, interns may not always have help. In this case, they must use theoretical content to apply to the caller’s situation immediately. In addition, NASW (2017) references the ethical principle of social justice as a social worker pursuant to social change “ particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. At the agency interns, utilize this principle frequently when answering the National Suicide Hotline. Interns must gather information and remember to use ASIST, which is an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills to assist the caller in relieving their problems and developing a safety plan. In gathering a story of callers intent to commit suicide, multiple relationships are usually referenced within the story. Sometimes, the caller references that the intent started because of their boyfriend, father, and or a teacher. NASW (2017) has established that the importance of human relationships is the social worker’s ability to “understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change.” Therefore, when developing a safety plan, relationships should also be a focus.
An explanation of how the principles of social work values and ethics might relate to your agency learning agreement throughout your field education experience
Dignity and worth of a person is described as a social workers ability to “treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.”(NASW, 2017) This applies to the caller at the agency because if the intern does not answer the phone appropriately or does not place a follow-up call, the intern has not shown the dignity and worth of a person. This is also an example that the intern is not dependable and is unable to be valued as a Social Worker. In addition to Dignity and worth of a person, integrity is also a principle of the NASW that relates to the agency learning agreement within the field experience. NASW (2017) defines integrity as “social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.” Community Crisis Services Incorporated (2019) mission state’s there mission as, “ to provide compassionate crisis support through our hotline, safe shelter programs and information and referral services.” Therefore, when answering the phone the intern should present qualities of compassion, such as kindness, patience, and perseverance.
References
NASW. (2017)“Read the Code of Ethics: Ethical Principles.”
www.socialworkers.org, 2019,
www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.
CCSI. (2019). Mission & History. Retrieved October 27, 2019, from