Dual Relationships In Social Work

Values and Ethics The NASW (2010) and the Texas Department of State Health Services provide a foundation on how social workers interacts with clients, colleagues, practice setting, and their environment. This code of ethics and Code of Conduct provide to the social workers with ethical responsibilities and values in practice setting. By analyzing this ethical responsibilities and values in practice setting it is easy to identify the ethical responsibilities I am currently using. The Texas Department of State Health Services [TDSHS] has a Code of Conducts for social workers that provides a standards of behaviors need to follow as to stay professional and avoid damaging clients’ lives and self. For example, The NASW (2010) describes an ethical principle to practice setting in which 3.07 Administration is describes has advocating for adequate services for clients to

Case 6 Gail and Louise are domestic violence workers who provide outreach services at the local courthouse. Because of the lack of an available private office, they conduct their peer supervision at a local coffeehouse, being careful only to identify their clients by their first name. A. Does this violate the Code of Ethics? I believe that it doesn’t violate the code of ethics.

Numerous times, we see people and we think the worst thing first. Luckily for this week’s case study in the book, The Social Work Experience, An Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare, by Mary Ann Suppes and Carolyn Cressy Wells, LaTonya was graciously given the opportunity to remedy her problem instead of the social worker just giving up on her and removing the kids. When Lauren offered LaTonya the help she needed to make decent choices, she empowered her to be the driver of her own success. In my experience we tend to be more successful when we feel as though we fixed a debauched situation instead of being made to fix the situation.

At Adult Protective Services majority of our work involves investigation of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. At Adult Protective Services our job is to protect the vulnerable elderly population, as well as the population that have disabilities. “Only APS is statutorily authorized and responsible for investigating elder and vulnerable adult abuse and taking steps to protect the victims, and it is generally only APS that helps the most frail and incapacitated older persons”(Quin, 2012, p.68). When abuse is suspected, a case worker will reach out to all parties involved, such as the alleged victim, alleged perpetrator, and all collaterals. Unlike many other professions, case worker are not required to have any written consent to speak with

Alternatively, boundary violations occur when a social worker is involved in a dual relationship with a client or colleague in a manner that is intentionally exploitive, manipulative, deceptive, or coercive (Gutheil & Gabbard, 1993). These are inherently unethical. National Association of Social Workers

The client-helper relationship is the epitome of social work. And, the helper must take his/her responsibility to their client seriously. NOHS (2015) standards 1-9 promote respect, confidentiality, negotiation and recognition of the client’s right to self-determination and informed consent. Standard 2, which refers to informed consent, is by far the most important code in the section as it sets the parameters of the client-helper relationship.

Profession Code of Ethics Comparison As a social work student, we are provided with the foundational education necessary to succeed in our profession. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics is the most significant publication because it “is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2017). For this assignment, we are charged with exploring other professional codes of ethics to gain a better understanding of how they may be similar or differ from one another. Therefore, I choose to explore the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics with the intention of conducting a comparison analysis of both documents.

Introduction According to Walsh(2014)social care practitioners invest a great deal of themselves within the work they carry out. The use of self is intended to develop understanding of others and that being self-aware leads to effective use of self and in turn good social care practice .In social care we often use different concepts and theories as tools to help explain human behavior. Social care practitioners can gain useful insights from considering many psychoanalytical theories as they enable us to explore many unconscious internal mechanisms( Walsh 2014).

Beside personal therapy, boundary setting is one of the essential elements to develop effective client-counsellor relationship. It provides a consistent framework in the counselling process which shapes the appropriate interaction and relationship structure. There are five basic principles outlined in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) Interim Code of Ethics 2015 that guides the therapeutic boundaries. They include: beneficence (to promotes the best interest of the client), non-maleficence (“doing no harm”), autonomy (to encourage independent thinking and decision-making in the client), justice (to provide equal and fair service), and fidelity (to be honest and commit to client’s progress). However, the structure

Who I identify as, including identifying as a social worker once I graduate, will have some level privilege and power attached to the chosen identities. Gelfand, Sillivan, and Steinhouse (2002) noted that there are may dimensions that influence our personal and professional relationships with others, and these dimensions shape how we see and interact with, include or exclude them, and ways that we oppress or discriminate against them. As a social worker whose clients share my same identity, we may benefit by my having a shared understanding of cultural norms and expectations to reach a common goal. For clients who share commonalities with me, we may benefit by being able to work more collaboratively and possibly a more trusting relationship than one that must be built over time. However, just as similarities can be empowering, I must remember that the client knows best despite our shared identities that may speak otherwise.

Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice The social work profession and its Code of Ethics dictate that social workers must act in the best interest of the client, even when those actions challenge the practitioner’s personal, cultural and religious values. In practice; however, ethical decision-making is more complex than in theory. As helping professionals, social workers are constantly faced with ethical decision-making or ethical dilemmas. As noted by Banks (2005), an ethical dilemma occurs “when a worker is faced with a choice between two equally unwelcome alternatives that may involve a conflict of moral principles, and it is not clear what choice will be the right one” (as cited in McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008, p. 43).

It also discussed crossing boundaries with clients and having other relationships such as friendships or other kinds of attachments to the client. In my field placement at Hardin Memorial Hospital social workers may have to be carful not to cross boundaries with clients especially in such a small town in which you may possibly know or know of a client. In addition, my field instructor has made some related and valid points to me. First, Hardin Memorial Hospital is a local hospital in my home town.

Despite social workers best efforts to keep their feelings in check and to respect differences, being confronted with situations in which their values and morals conflict with those of their clients is a common scenario. For example, one may feel uncomfortable dealing with clients because of his or her sexual orientation. This issue arises because of the practitioner’s religious affiliation which results in the practitioner being unable to accept homosexuality. Another example, a pregnant client, ask her pro-life social worker for help obtaining an abortion. As the act of abortion conflicts with the social workers’ values, they may feel torn.

Correspondingly, it will guide me to provide my clients with the ability to make informed consent. Additionally, this value is important to my future practice because it ensures that I become an advocate for my clients in every capacity, including human rights. Lastly, as a social worker, I will ensure that I work towards my clients being free from violence and the threat of violence (Heinonen & Spearman, 2010, p. 34). Secondly, as a social worker it is necessary that my practice is guided by my value of providing a service to humanity.

The direction of this relationship is client-led while the social worker engages in continual assessment of his or her own cultural values, norms, beliefs as well as privilege and power to ensure minimal imposition of such things in their work with Izzie and her