The social work profession is dedicated to enhancing human well-being and addressing the fundamental needs of all individuals, with a specific focus on empowering vulnerable, oppressed, and impoverished populations. A key aspect of social work is its emphasis on individual well-being within a social context and the well-being of society as a whole. Social workers prioritize the environmental factors that contribute to and address life’s challenges.
Social workers advocate for social justice and change in collaboration with clients, encompassing individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. They acknowledge cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to eliminate discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice through various means, including direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development, education, research, and evaluation. Social workers aim to empower individuals to meet their own needs and promote the responsiveness of organizations and communities to individual needs and social problems.
The mission of social work is grounded in core values that have been central throughout its history. These values form the basis of the profession’s unique purpose and perspective:
- Service
- Social Justice
- Dignity and Worth of the Person
- Importance of Human Relationships
- Integrity
- Competence
This set of core values distinguishes the social work profession. These values and their associated principles must be carefully considered within the context and complexity of human experience.
The Significance of the NASW Code of Ethics
Professional ethics are essential to social work. The profession is obligated to articulate its fundamental values, ethical principles, and standards. The NASW Code of Ethics outlines these elements to guide social workers’ conduct. This Code applies to all social workers and students, regardless of their roles, work environments, or the populations they serve.
The NASW Code of Ethics serves several key purposes:
- It defines the core values that underpin social work’s mission.
- It summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values and establishes specific ethical standards to guide social work practice.
- It helps social workers identify relevant considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.
- It provides ethical standards against which the public can hold the social work profession accountable.
- It introduces new practitioners to social work’s mission, values, principles, and standards, and encourages ongoing education and self-care to reinforce commitment to these core elements.
- It articulates standards that the profession can use to assess unethical conduct by social workers. The NASW has formal procedures for handling ethics complaints against its members. Social workers are expected to cooperate in implementing the Code, participate in NASW adjudication proceedings, and adhere to disciplinary rulings or sanctions.
The Code offers values, principles, and standards to guide decision-making when ethical issues arise. However, it doesn’t provide a rigid set of rules for every situation. Applying the Code requires considering the specific context and potential conflicts among its elements. Ethical responsibilities extend from personal and familial relationships to social and professional interactions.
The NASW Code of Ethics does not prioritize specific values, principles, or standards in cases of conflict. Reasonable differences in opinion may exist among social workers regarding the ranking of these elements. Ethical decision-making requires informed judgment and consideration of how issues would be judged in a peer review process applying the profession’s ethical standards.
Ethical decision-making is an ongoing process. Social workers may face complex ethical dilemmas without simple solutions when obligations conflict. They should consider all relevant values, principles, and standards in the Code. Decisions and actions should align with both the spirit and the letter of the Code.
Numerous other resources offer information about ethical thinking. Social workers should consider ethical theory, social work theory and research, laws, regulations, agency policies, and other codes of ethics, prioritizing the NASW Code of Ethics. They should also be aware of how their clients’ and their own personal values, cultural beliefs, and religious practices impact ethical decision-making, and address any conflicts responsibly. Consulting relevant literature and seeking advice from ethics committees, regulatory bodies, knowledgeable colleagues, supervisors, or legal counsel can provide further guidance.
Navigating Conflicts and Utilizing Technology
When social workers’ ethical obligations conflict with agency policies or laws, they must attempt to resolve the conflict in a manner consistent with the Code’s values, principles, and standards. If a reasonable resolution seems impossible, consultation is essential before making a decision. The NASW Code of Ethics is intended for use by NASW, individuals, agencies, organizations, and bodies such as licensing boards, insurance providers, courts, and government agencies. Violations of the Code do not automatically imply legal liability.
Determinations of legal liability can only be made within legal and judicial proceedings. Alleged violations of the Code are subject to peer review processes, separate from legal or administrative procedures, to allow the profession to counsel and discipline its members.
A code of ethics cannot guarantee ethical behavior or resolve all ethical issues. Instead, it sets forth values, principles, and ethical standards to which professionals aspire and against which their actions can be judged. Ethical behavior stems from a personal commitment to ethical practice. The NASW Code of Ethics reflects the commitment of all social workers to uphold the profession’s values and to act ethically. Principles and standards must be applied by individuals of good character who discern moral questions and, in good faith, seek to make reliable ethical judgments.
As communication technology becomes increasingly prevalent in social work, practitioners must be aware of the unique challenges related to confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, competence, and record keeping. All ethical standards in the Code apply to interactions, relationships, and communications, regardless of whether they occur in person or via technology. “Technology-assisted social work services” include any services using computers, phones, tablets, video technology, or other electronic or digital technologies, including platforms like the Internet, social media, chat rooms, and email. These services encompass all aspects of social work practice, including therapy, counseling, community organization, administration, advocacy, mediation, education, supervision, research, and evaluation. Social workers should stay informed about emerging technological developments and how ethical standards apply to them.
Prioritizing Self-Care and Embracing Ethical Principles
Professional self-care is crucial for competent and ethical social work practice. Given the demands of the profession, challenging work environments, and exposure to trauma, social workers must maintain personal and professional health, safety, and integrity. Social work organizations, agencies, and educational institutions are encouraged to promote policies, practices, and materials that support self-care.
The following broad ethical principles are based on social work’s core values:
Value: Service
Ethical Principle: Social workers prioritize helping people in need and addressing social problems, elevating service above self-interest. They use their knowledge, values, and skills to assist those in need and are encouraged to volunteer their skills without expecting significant financial compensation (pro bono service).
Value: Social Justice
Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice, particularly on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups. They focus on issues like poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of injustice, promoting sensitivity to oppression and cultural diversity. They strive to ensure access to information, services, resources, equal opportunities, and meaningful participation in decision-making for all.
Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person
Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of each person, treating them with care and respect, mindful of individual differences and cultural diversity. They promote clients’ socially responsible self-determination, enhancing their capacity to change and address their own needs. They recognize their dual responsibility to clients and society, resolving conflicts between their interests in a socially responsible manner.
Value: Importance of Human Relationships
Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships, understanding that relationships are a key vehicle for change. They engage people as partners in the helping process, strengthening relationships to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance well-being at all levels.
Value: Integrity
Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner, continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, principles, and standards, and practice in accordance with them. They care for themselves professionally and personally, acting honestly and responsibly, and promoting ethical practices within their organizations.
Value: Competence
Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence, continually developing and enhancing their professional expertise. They strive to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.
Conclusion
What are the rules of moral values that guide decision-making? The NASW Code of Ethics, combined with a strong personal commitment to ethical practice, provides a solid framework for navigating the complexities of social work and ensuring that decisions are guided by the profession’s core values and principles.
