Ethical Decision Making In Social Work

"This textbook is a valuable part of the learning process; it will help you to acquire the skills and knowledge you will need in an ever-changing global society. Your text will also help you to connect with the latest research and debates in the field; visit our accompanying website at www.abacon.com/socialwork. There you will find additional information or weblinks that will help you make the best use of what you have learned."--BOOK JACKET.

The focus of this text on ethical decision-making reflects the reality of practice in human services where we are increasingly faced with complex and contentious issues that by definition do not lend themselves to simple solutions. Part of the complexity arises from the deepening seriousness and complexity of questions, concerns, and problems service users present to us along with the multiple roles we play with the requirement to engage in inter professional practice with colleagues from a variety of allied professions. This all occurs within a context of conflicting directives from codes of ethics, legal requirements, agency policies with often inadequate or limited resources and service user needs and expectations. To assist in learning how to respond in an ethically thoughtful manner to this context, we have provided in this text decision making models, core concepts related to ethical practice, value clarification exercises, practice situations with inquiry questions and tasks to assist the reader to think through and become engaged with the ethical dimensions of the situations.

For decades, teachers and practitioners have turned to Frederic G. Reamer’s Social Work Values and Ethics as the leading introduction to ethical decision making, dilemmas, and professional conduct in practice. A case-driven, concise, and comprehensive textbook for undergraduate and graduate social work programs, this book surveys the most critical issues for social work practitioners. This sixth edition incorporates significant updates to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and discussion of challenging issues related to cultural competency, antiracism, moral injury, human rights, environmental justice, ethical humility, non-Western perspectives on ethics, and practitioner self-care. Reamer also focuses on how social workers should navigate the digital world through discussion of the ethical issues that arise from practitioner use of online services and social networking sites to deliver services, communicate with clients, and provide information to the public, and he examines the standards that protect confidential information transmitted electronically. He highlights potential conflicts between professional ethics and legal guidelines and expands discussions of informed consent, confidentiality and privileged communication, boundaries and dual relationships, documentation, conflicts of interest, and risk management. Conceptually rich and attuned to the complexities of ethical decision making, Social Work Values and Ethics is unique in striking the right balance among history, theory, and practical application.

Dilemmas and Decision Making in Social Work is a collection of stories to help social workers work with dilemmas, weigh up options and make good decisions. Told in the first person from the point of view of a social worker, each case study begins with the service user’s story and then applies relevant theory. It demonstrates where workers have to think outside their own frames of reference and seek other’s expertise, how they work with barriers to collaboration with other professionals and how to handle disagreements. Where fitting, the emotional impact of the work is highlighted and how social workers deal with this. In summary: Starts with the human story and then considers which theory applies so very accessible to readers Demonstrates thinking in action Packed with succinct examples of real time challenges and how these have been tackled Full of reflective questions valuable to all social workers and supervisors regardless of experience. This book helps students and new workers learn from experience of established workers, firstly to gain insight into practice in areas they have no experience, but primarily to help them understand how decisions are made reflexively in the moment.

Ethical Practice in Social Work' provides social work students and practitioners with the tools to develop ethical decision-making and problem-solving skills for the changing world of welfare practice. Through case studies in each chapter, the authors demonstrate how social work principles and values can be used to transform practice into an active, effective, inclusive and empowering process for both professionals and their clients. Exercises and discussion questions assist students in developing their ethical understanding.

Ethical predicaments are endemic for mental health professionals working in schools. New interventions, evolving technologies, and a patchwork of ethical and legal guidelines create a constant stream of potential dilemmas. The seven-step model presented in this book allows readers to apply a practical process to complex questions while both minimizing liability and protecting students. Beginning with an introduction of the moral, legal, and clinical foundations that undergird ethical practice, James C. Raines and Nic T. Dibble present an ethical decision making model with seven steps: know yourself and your responsibilities, analyze the dilemma, seek consultation, identify courses of action, manage clinical concerns, enact the decision, and reflect on the process. Ethical Decision-Making in School Mental Health provides ethical guidelines from four different professions and addresses mental health issues in schools. This new edition includes meticulously updated chapters based on recent changes to all of the codes of ethics over the past ten years.