Ethics has been the cornerstone of social work practice since it’s inception. However it was not until 1960 that the National Association of Social Workers, or NASW, codified the ideas of ethical practice into a set of standards. This single page document is known as the Code of Ethics. The motivation for this was to develop a code by which the profession could define and assess the boundaries of ethical practice. Ethics in the field of social work, like other areas of ethics, evolve as societal and cultural norms change over time. Given this, there is a clear need for such a framework; it is necessary to have a set of fixed points against which to compare the changes in our collective ethical views. Unfortunately, this evolution can often
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In 1996, in response to the evolution of healthcare and information, the ethics and professional practice of social work was further defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II). HIPAA set forth new standards in the handling of protected health care information. The Act specifically addresses electronic healthcare information, privacy, security, breach notification, compliance and enforcement and patient safety. (CITE Last name, Year) As evidenced by the multifarious legislation, regulations, and organizations charged with protecting clients and upholding professional standards, social workers are surrounded by potential ethical dilemmas. Even with all of these guidelines in place, today’s social workers face a vast array of challenging situations, with value conflicts being cited as the number one dilemma faced by today’s clinicians (CITE Last name, Year). In no other social work specialty are value conflicts more diversely represented than in the medical field. Social worker practice within the biomedical field is unique in the number of interested parties and systems involved in each situation. Each party brings their own set of values and all of the variables that led …show more content…
In no other field of social work would a clinician have to evaluate if an individual’s decision, which is calculated to result in their own death, is a healthy decision. Accordingly, understanding the core values of the social work profession, and having a thorough understanding of your own core values, is central to resolving value conflicts. The core values of the social work profession are service, social justice, dignity, human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW IS THIS A CITATION?). Each clinician, in the context of their own experience, defines these core values. They are not defined by the NASW, instead the NASW established committees to review any complaints that assert that a clinicians conduct does not align with these core values. The value of having an ethics or discipline committee in lieu of clearly established definitions of these values is that a committee can assess the core values in context of current and relevant culture. The meaning of the word dignity, for example has significantly changed in the a significant way in context of the disability community in since the Code of Ethics was published more than 50 years
In 1996, in response to the evolution of healthcare and information, the ethics and professional practice of social work was further defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II). HIPAA set forth new standards in the handling of protected health care information. The Act specifically addresses electronic healthcare information, privacy, security, breach notification, compliance and enforcement and patient safety. (CITE Last name, Year) As evidenced by the multifarious legislation, regulations, and organizations charged with protecting clients and upholding professional standards, social workers are surrounded by potential ethical dilemmas. Even with all of these guidelines in place, today’s social workers face a vast array of challenging situations, with value conflicts being cited as the number one dilemma faced by today’s clinicians (CITE Last name, Year). In no other social work specialty are value conflicts more diversely represented than in the medical field. Social worker practice within the biomedical field is unique in the number of interested parties and systems involved in each situation. Each party brings their own set of values and all of the variables that led …show more content…
In no other field of social work would a clinician have to evaluate if an individual’s decision, which is calculated to result in their own death, is a healthy decision. Accordingly, understanding the core values of the social work profession, and having a thorough understanding of your own core values, is central to resolving value conflicts. The core values of the social work profession are service, social justice, dignity, human relationships, integrity, and competence (NASW IS THIS A CITATION?). Each clinician, in the context of their own experience, defines these core values. They are not defined by the NASW, instead the NASW established committees to review any complaints that assert that a clinicians conduct does not align with these core values. The value of having an ethics or discipline committee in lieu of clearly established definitions of these values is that a committee can assess the core values in context of current and relevant culture. The meaning of the word dignity, for example has significantly changed in the a significant way in context of the disability community in since the Code of Ethics was published more than 50 years