Running head: VALUES PAPER

Values Paper
Judith Potts
Wayne State University
11 November 2013

VALUES PAPER

As I am learning the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, I am

acquiring the knowledge to institute a standard by which I will conduct myself towards others in
my new profession. The Code of Ethics is a guideline that helps me to recognize values,
principles and standards to adhere to so that I make good decisions and judgment when ethical
issues arise. It has conveyed important guidelines that will help me to follow a strict code so that
I have the integrity needed to do a good job in the field of social work.
A few very important points that I think are crucial to becoming a good social worker will
include having the ability to counsel, advocate, assess and assist individuals with respect and
dignity. Another key role in becoming a good worker also includes acknowledging that there
will be obstacles that I will face in this profession and utilizing the right tools to overcome these
obstacles. Lastly, keeping myself well informed by maintaining an education, even after a
degree is earned.
My strengths that I view as being helpful as I become a social worker involve certain
values that I have lived by my entire life. These strengths include my good social skills, my
honesty and that I am open-minded and unprejudiced. I display a very good rapport with others.
Friends and family look to me when there is conflict in their lives. Another reason why they
depend on me is because it has always been important for me to be truthful and to be a reliable
source for those around me. I was also taught to treat all people with respect and dignity and not
to judge a person. These values will assist me in my field so that I can build a good rapport with
individuals in need and on this foundation we will build trust which will allow the individual to
see how competent I am in my profession.

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The values that I find that are especially important in the Code of Ethics include
respecting a clients right to privacy and also protecting the confidentiality of all information
that is obtained in the course of professional service. (NASW 2008, 1.07a, 1.07c) Being in
Social work requires ethical decision making so that the clients rights are protected. The
problem with this is that if the clients tell you something that may be detrimental to the well
being of another person, how do you protect the privacy of the client while ensuring another
persons safety? If another persons well being is jeopardized, where does a social worker draw
the line and set up boundaries so that another person is not harmed? NASW Code of Ethics,
2008, 107.c continues to state that confidentiality should be protected, except for compelling
professional reasons or when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable and
imminent harm to a client or other identifiable person.
A personal value that reflects upon who I am involves my capability to enhance another
persons wellbeing. This value is what motivated me to go into Social Work. The significance of
this to me means that every person must be treated in a way that his or her personal welfare is not
jeopardized. When my grandmother fell ill and was nearing death, we had to put her in a 24hour care facility. Our family members took turns checking in on my grandmother to see if she
was ok. There were many times when a family member would get a call from the nursing home
stating a problem that occurred with my grandmother. We decided to tighten up on the amount
of time spent there to look after her. There were many times that a family member would arrive
and find my grandmother on the floor, next to her bed. She would quietly moan because she was
so very weak. It horrified us because we had not idea how long that she had been lying there, in
pain. This was a light bulb moment for me. I decided that I would do what I could as a person
to eliminate the pain of another who is helpless. This is why I chose to go into social work. I

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want to help those who did not have the capacity to help themselves. Everybody deserves
respect and dignity.
The core values that have helped me to shape my beliefs in reference to my experience
with my grandmother stems from what I have learned in my text. Important values that a social
worker needs to convey is their service to humanity through social justice and understanding the
value of human life regardless of their past experiences and background.
Does everybody really deserve respect and dignity? That is the largest confliction that I
feel that I need to over come before I become a social worker. My fear is that I am put into a
situation where my personal values may get in the way of being able to treat a person with whom
I do not agree with how they live their life. In the NASW, code 1.06 it states, Social workers
should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest tag interfere with the exercise of professional
discretions and impartial judgment. Social Workers should inform clients when a real or
potential conflict of interest arises and then take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner
that makes the clients s interests primary and protects clients interests to the greatest extent
possible.
I cannot foresee myself working with a population that would intently harm another
person especially a young child, because they do not have the capacity to protect themselves.

think that it would be unjust for someone to be treated horrendously and harmed by another.
Small children cannot fend for themselves, which leaves them powerless. It would be difficult
for me to serve someone who has damaged a youngster.
Perhaps this is because of my value of personal integrity. This value has been instilled in
me through my church, my family and my friends. There is a possibility that my spiritual beliefs
may conflict with someone that I am trying to serve. My religious beliefs that have led me to

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follow Holy Bible. The Bible states in Psalms 127:3 that Behold, children are a heritage from
the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. This means that children are a gift from God and
should be treated as such.
A prime example of this would be a situation where I had to oversee a case where there
may be intended child abuse by family members or friend. My automatic response would be to
protect the child or children. As a social worker, I have to look at the situation from a different
perspective. I would need to know how to assist the family as a whole in a non-judgmental way.
I would need to remove my feelings of discomfort and anger and focus on the emotional need of
the child/children through enlisting the help of the parents so that I can get a clearer picture as to
what is going on. I would have to take on the role as a helper and look beyond the personal issue
of self interest rather than take on the role as a problem solver. If I could not handle the degree
of abuse that the children are subject to, I would have to refer them to another source in a
professional manner. In order to resolve the discrepancy between the two, I would have to refer
the case to another organization such as Child Protective Services who can take on the case from
a legal standpoint and look out for the safety of the child/children.
Two codes from the NASW Code of Ethics that would help me to serve this population
would be code 1.01 and code 4.02. The reason I chose code 1.01 is because it speaks of the
commitment to clients. In my example, I talk about someone who is helpless, an individual that
does not have the ability to take care of him or herself. I explain how the responsibility of a
social worker is to primarily promote the well being of the client. My focus is to put the needs of
the client first and by doing so, it may involve reporting an individual who has abused another.
Code 4.02 in the NASW Code of Ethics gives a description as to how social workers should not
discriminate toward others. Since my example also includes that of an abusers, I felt 4.02

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pertained to the issue of discrimination. I chose to use this as an example because this would be
my biggest obstacle to over come. It will be difficult to view an individual who has the capacity
to inflict pain on another, especially one who is helpless, with an open mind. To overcome this
obstacle I will focus primarily on the picture as whole and not focus only on the abuser. I will
also refer the case out in a professional manner by utilizing references so that I can locate a
person or establishment that can better serve them.
This part of the assignment has not affected my decision to become a social worker. My
decision was made when I looked back at my grandmother and her experience with the
retirement home that she had trouble in. What this assignment did was bring forth the premise
that there will be obstacles in this profession. It has also helped to direct me to learn how to face
issues head on and overcome problems that I may face in the future. It has helped me to realize
that social work will have populations that will challenge me and cause me to reexamine my
thoughts, beliefs and actions. Through this assignment I have learned to be respectful to those
that may not deserve respect by putting myself in their shoes and looking at them from a
different perspective.
Another reason for me wanting to go into social work includes a passion that I have to
help others. I want to assist those in need to help them recognize their potential so that they can
work toward goals that would give them some purpose in their life. Through the many stages
that I have experienced in my life, I feel that I am at a point where I have gained enough
knowledge to help others work toward their own achievements. I can guide them by helping
them to find their personal best and help them to overcome barriers that may have held them
back in the past. The NASW Code of Ethics has produced the means for me to follow guidelines
and adhere to the groundwork so that I may advance to become a social worker with a

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foundation of core values to share so that I can assist others in living the best life that they
possibly can.

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8
References

National Association of Social Workers. (approved 1996, revised 1999). Code of Ethics of the
National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: Author. 1.01, 1.06, 1.07, 4.02