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 defining characteristic of social work is its integrated approach to individual well-being within a social context and the overall health of society. Central to this profession is a deep understanding of environmental factors that contribute to, create, and resolve life’s challenges.
Social workers champion social justice and change, advocating alongside their clients, whether individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities. They demonstrate sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity, actively working to eliminate discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These efforts encompass a wide array of activities, including direct practice, community organization, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, research, and evaluation. Social workers aim to empower individuals to meet their own needs and to foster responsive organizations, communities, and social institutions.
The core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence are the foundation of the social work profession. These values shape the profession’s unique purpose and perspective, guiding social workers in navigating the complexities of human experience.
The NASW Code of Ethics: A Framework for Ethical Conduct
Professional ethics are fundamental to social work. The profession is committed to clearly defining its core values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The NASW Code of Ethics fulfills this commitment by providing a framework to guide social workers’ conduct. This code is applicable to all social workers and students, regardless of their roles, work environments, or the populations they serve. Ethical standards are the standards used to guide judgments and decisions within the profession.
The NASW Code of Ethics serves several key purposes:
- It establishes the core values that underpin social work’s mission.
- It outlines broad ethical principles reflecting these values and defines specific ethical standards for social work practice.
- It helps social workers navigate conflicting professional obligations and ethical uncertainties.
- It provides ethical benchmarks for public accountability of the social work profession.
- It introduces new practitioners to the profession’s mission, values, principles, and standards, and promotes ongoing self-care, education, and commitment to these core elements.
- It sets standards for assessing unethical conduct within the profession, with formal procedures for addressing ethics complaints. Social workers are expected to cooperate in implementing the Code, participate in NASW adjudication processes, and comply with disciplinary rulings.
The Code offers a framework of values, principles, and ethical standards to guide judgments and decisions when ethical issues arise. It is not a rigid set of rules dictating specific actions in every situation. Applying the Code requires considering the context and potential conflicts among its various elements. Ethical responsibilities extend from personal and familial relationships to social and professional interactions.
Reasonable differences in interpreting the ranking of values, principles, and ethical standards to guide judgments and decisions may exist among social workers. Ethical decision-making requires informed judgment and consideration of peer review perspectives.
Ethical decision-making is an ongoing process. Conflicting obligations can present complex ethical dilemmas without simple solutions. Social workers must consider all relevant values, principles, and ethical standards to guide judgments and decisions. Decisions and actions should align with both the spirit and the letter of the Code.
In addition to the Code, numerous resources offer insights into ethical thinking. Social workers should consider ethical theory and principles, social work theory and research, laws, regulations, agency policies, and other relevant codes of ethics, prioritizing the NASW Code of Ethics. They should also recognize the influence of personal values, cultural beliefs, and religious practices on ethical decision-making, addressing any conflicts between personal and professional values responsibly. Consulting relevant literature, ethics committees, regulatory bodies, knowledgeable colleagues, supervisors, or legal counsel can provide additional guidance.
Conflicts may arise between social workers’ ethical obligations and agency policies, laws, or regulations. In such cases, social workers must strive to resolve the conflict in accordance with the values, principles, and ethical standards to guide judgments and decisions of the Code. If a reasonable resolution is not possible, seeking consultation before making a decision is crucial. The NASW Code of Ethics serves as a reference for NASW, individuals, agencies, organizations, licensing boards, insurance providers, courts, and other professional groups. Violations of the Code do not automatically imply legal liability, as such determinations require legal proceedings. Alleged violations are subject to peer review processes, separate from legal or administrative procedures, to allow the profession to self-regulate.
The Essence of Ethical Behavior
A code of ethics cannot guarantee ethical behavior or resolve all ethical issues. Instead, it establishes values, ethical principles, and ethical standards to guide judgments and decisions to which professionals aspire and by which their actions are evaluated. Ethical behavior stems from a personal commitment to ethical practice. The NASW Code of Ethics reflects social workers’ dedication to upholding the profession’s values and acting ethically. Principles and standards must be applied by individuals of good character who thoughtfully consider moral questions and strive to make sound ethical judgments.
The increasing use of communication technology in social work practice presents unique challenges related to confidentiality, informed consent, professional boundaries, competence, record-keeping, and other ethical considerations. All ethical standards in the Code apply to interactions, relationships, and communications, whether in person or through technology. “Technology-assisted social work services” encompass any services using computers, telephones, tablets, video technology, or other electronic or digital technologies, including various online platforms. These services cover all aspects of social work practice, such as psychotherapy, counseling, community organization, administration, advocacy, mediation, education, supervision, research, and evaluation. Social workers must stay informed about emerging technological developments and their ethical implications.
Professional self-care is essential for competent and ethical social work practice. Due to professional demands, challenging work environments, and exposure to trauma, social workers must prioritize their personal and professional health, safety, and integrity. Social work organizations, agencies, and educational institutions should promote policies and practices that support social workers’ self-care.
Core Values and Ethical Principles
The following ethical principles are based on social work’s core values:
- Service: Social workers prioritize helping those in need and addressing social problems, volunteering their skills without expecting significant financial return.
- Social Justice: Social workers challenge social injustice, advocating for vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups, focusing on issues like poverty, unemployment, and discrimination, and promoting equal access to information, services, resources, and decision-making participation.
- Dignity and Worth of the Person: Social workers treat each person with care and respect, acknowledging individual differences and cultural diversity, promoting self-determination and enhancing clients’ capacity to address their own needs, while balancing responsibilities to both clients and society.
- Importance of Human Relationships: Social workers recognize the vital role of relationships in facilitating change, engaging people as partners in the helping process and strengthening relationships to promote well-being.
- Integrity: Social workers act in a trustworthy manner, remaining mindful of the profession’s mission, values, and standards, practicing ethically, and promoting ethical practices within their organizations.
- Competence: Social workers practice within their areas of competence, continually developing their professional expertise, and contributing to the knowledge base of the profession. These values and principles guide social workers in their commitment to ethical practice and service to others.
