What Social Worker Should Know About Ethnics: Understanding and Resolving

Practice Dilemmas
There are two main objectives about this article which are discuss about the current
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) ethnics code and provide model for ethical
decision making that we can apply when facing ethical dilemmas. Nowadays, ethical issues
and dilemmas arise in almost every organization. Therefore, several Code of Ethics was
provided in company and also ethics model of decision making to solve ethical dilemmas that
occurs. In Daft book Management define that ethnic is code of moral principles and values
that govern the behaviors of right or wrong. The current NASW ethnics code contains 26
pages which addresses professional standards, description of core values, ethical standards,
inspirational standards and enforceable guidelines for professional conduct. This article
mentioned the code of ethics contains standards for social workers in six main areas. There
are responsibilities to clients, responsibilities to colleagues responsibilities in practice
settings, responsibilities as professionals, responsibilities to the social work profession and
responsibilities to society.
There are some social worker are not aware of new provisions in code of ethics. This
article had list down ten areas focus on new issues in the Code of Ethics. The first one is
limits to confidentiality. In this case, social workers should maintain confidentiality except
when it is necessary to prevent harm to their client. Second issue about confidentiality in
technological age. Social workers are advised to protect confidentiality when using the
computer, email, and fax machines. They should avoid from disclosure of identifying
information whenever possible. The third issue is confidentiality to family and group work.
Social workers should ask agreement with all their clients about the importance of
maintaining confidentiality and also inform them that it cannot be guaranteed. One way that
social worker can do to maintain confidentiality is by explaining the importance of
confidentiality and discuss with the family how they will handle confidential information.

Next issue is about managed care. Social work practitioner have to be alert when
managed care conflict with social work ethics. In this situation, there is a role stated in Daft
book New Era Management which is moral agent. Daft define that moral agent is the
individual who must take an ethical choice in an organization. Therefore, social worker
practitioners can be active as client advocates in preserving clients rights in a managed care
environment. The fifth issue is cultural competence. To provide services to clients from
different cultures, social workers was asked to develop a knowledge base of their clients
culture and denstronstrate competence. The next issue is regarding dual relationship. The
current Code of Ethics state that social workers cannot haven dual relationship with their
clients because there is a risk of exploitation and potential harm to the client. However, many
social workers indicated that avoiding dual relationship with clients was impossible. To deal
with this issue and the next issue which is sexual relationship, physical contact and sexual
harassment, social worker should carry ethical responsibility. Daft stated that ethical
responsibility included behaviors that are not necessarily codified into law and may not serve
the corporations direct economic interest. This stressed that social worker have to be ethical,
do what is right and avoid all kinds of harm to their clients.
The next issue is impairment and incompetence of colleagues. Social worker who
behaved a colleagues impairment due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance
abuse interfered with practice effectiveness was advised to consult with that colleague or to
take action through employees. The ninth issue is application to administrators. In this issue,
social work administrators have to play their roles to advocate for resources of agencies to
meet client needs. The last issue is about education and training. Social work educators
should provide instruction only in their areas of competence based on the most current
knowledge and information.
To resolve ethical dilemmas among social workers, they often guided by two main
principles which are between (positive obligation) and normal finance (negative obligation).
They frequently rely on two main philosophical models: deontological and teleological.

Deontologists thinkers believe that social work values are so definitive of the profession that
to deny them would lead to destruct of the professional. In the meanwhile, teleological
approach used in situation that involves examining the consequences of the situation. In the
order to make ethical decision making fast and apply to ethical dilemmas, the ETHIC model
of decision making was developed. The following model includes:
E- Examine relevant personal, societal, agency, client and professional values. Social
worker who relies only on professional values is not likely to have a full understanding of
important contextual issues to use in making decisions. To avoid making decision based on
their personal, social workers should assess their own personal values. A discrepancy between
agency and professional values can also produce conflict for the social worker. In this case,
social workers can apply virtue ethics approach which says that moral behavior stems from
personal virtue. Social worker can make ethical decisions naturally if they develops good
character traits and being a virtuous person.

T- Think about what ethical standard of the NASW code of ethics applies, as well as
relevant laws and case decisions. There are six ethical standards in the NASW Code of Ethic
which are social workers ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, practice settings,
professionals, profession, and broader society. The standards can be viewed as deontological
(absolute) principles for the social work profession. Social workers should be aware of
relevant federal, state and local laws that may affect the ethical dilemmas they encounter.
Social workers should apply justice approach which holds that the decision and
responsibilities must be based on standards of equity, fairness and impartiality.
H- Hypothesize about possible consequences of different decisions. This model use
teleological reasoning to resolve ethical dilemmas. Social worker should think about different
scenarios if protecting confidentially is a concern. They can list pros and cons about
maintaining confidentiality versus breaking confidentiality.

I- Identify who will benefit and who will be harmed in view of social works
commitment to the most vulnerable. The alternative that social workers decide may elicit very
convincing reasons for or against different courses of action, especially when the Code of
Ethics seems to support contradictory decisions. Most of vulnerable in our society, social
work has had a lengthy tradition of concern, this may distinguish social worker from other
profession. To resolving ethical dilemma, social workers should act to expand chance and
opportunity for all persons, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed and
exploited persons and group. Social workers can used utilitarian approach which means that
moral behavior produces the greatest good for the greatest number. They could consider the
effect of each choices they make and choose the best one that optimize the benefits for the
greatest number of people.
C- Consult with supervisor and colleagues about the most ethical choice. Social
worker that has a supervisor can use this person as a first resource in ethical decision making.
Questions about ethical dilemmas can be shared with colleagues as informal consultation and
also presented as part of case conference.
As a conclusion, this journal had two main purpose. The first purpose is to inform
practitioners and educator about main new provisions in current Code of Ethics. The second
purpose is to present applicable model of ethical decision making. Social work educators
must strive to educate future social workers about how to identify and resolve professional
dilemmas. In a work environment that is increasingly demanding, we can apply the ETHIC
model. When facing thorny dilemmas, consult with supervisor and colleagues is very crucial.
Besides that, continuing education progress and NASW can also be resource to face with
complex ethical dilemmas.