Social workers should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence. Over time, the NASW Code of Ethics has been recognized as the most visible and influential code of ethics in the United States. social workers, 1 / 62. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the revisions to the Code and their implications for practice. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. Additionally, they are offering a free, 90-minute webinar on the changes, 2021 Revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics: Self-Care and Cultural Competence. EP9: Social Workers and Advocacy. In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, social workers should protect clients interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients level of understanding. The 2021 amendments are limited to the following sections of the Code: Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics, Ethical Principles (namely, the Value of Integrity), and standard 1.05, Cultural Competence. To address the lack of guidance on proactive self-care in the Code of Ethics, new language was added to the purpose and principles sections of the Code. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards. Social workers should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups. In such instances social workers should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients wishes and interests. Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Both clients requests and the rationale for withholding some or all of the record should be documented in clients files. The Code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession's core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work practice. EP78: Co-dependency and Love Addiction. Social workers should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest. Continuing education and staff development should address current knowledge and emerging developments related to social work practice and ethics. Social workers who believe that a social work colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations. Social workers should refer clients to other professionals when the other professionals specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when social workers believe that they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and that additional service is required. This may include providing clients with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator whenever possible. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with participants, should inform participants when a real or potential conflict of interest arises, and should take steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes participants interests primary. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice. Social workers should provide appropriate professional services in public emergencies to the greatest extent possible. Social workers should contact their state licensing board to determine how the recent revisions to the NASW, Many social workers are employed in settings that are not primarily social work organizations. Social workers should routinely review the professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to social work practice and social work ethics. 2022 National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter. To view the updated NASW Code of Ethics in English or Spanish, as well as pre-order a copy of the code, go to: https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics. It highlights how social workers may experience various stressors. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, social workers should pursue other avenues to address their concerns consistent with client wellbeing. By placing this new sentence under integrity and trustworthiness, this addition highlights the ethical risks that may arise when social workers do not have adequate self-care. It not only says that social workers should demonstrate cultural awareness and humility; it provides examples of how to do so. When social workers act on behalf of clients who lack the capacity to make informed decisions, social workers should take reasonable steps to safeguard the interests and rights of those clients. In 1960, NASW adopted its first code of ethics, five years after the association was formed. Study these before your. Social workers should store records following the termination of services to ensure reasonable future access. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of deceased clients consistent with the preceding standards. The following broad ethical principles are based on social works core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Social workers should contact their state licensing board to determine how the recent revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics will impact licensure, including. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers should not provide clinical services to individuals with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. The Code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the professions core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work practice. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. As the largest provider of mental health and social services in the United States ( Heisler, 2018 ), social workers are well positioned to lead the charge of treating suicide prevention as the social . Social workers should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. When providing clients with access to their records, social workers should take steps to protect the confidentiality of other individuals identified or discussed in such records. Standard 1.05(c) is a completely new subsection of 1.05. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflects the services provided. Social workers should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients ability to give informed consent. These changes affect all social workers. Carrie Mounier We should demonstrate them in practice. Erlene Grise-Owens also provides a helpful article on self-care where she talks about the importance of organizational accountability AND practitioner self-care. SELF-CARE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Infectious-Diseases/Coronavirus/Self-Care-During-the-Coronavirus-Pandemic, JUSTICE AND JOY: SELF-CARE IN 2020: www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Talks-Podcast/EP61-Justice-and-Joy-Self-Care-in-2020, SELF-CARE AND AVOIDING BURNOUT: www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Talks-Podcast/EP17-Self-Care-and-Avoiding-Burnout, ARTICLE: www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Infectious-Diseases/Coronavirus/Self-Care-During-the-Coronavirus-Pandemic, SEARCH SELF-CARE IN NASWS SOCIAL WORK CE ONLINE INSTITUTE FOR THESE AND OTHER SELF-STUDY CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT PROGRAMS: https://naswinstitute.inreachce.com, The 3 Ss: Supervision, Self-Reflection, and Self-Care, https://naswpress.org/product/53484/burnout-and-self-care-in-social-work, https://naswpress.org/product/53634/self-care-in-social-work. When such conflicts occur, social workers must make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles, and standards expressed in this Code. This statement may be helpful for social workers advocating for changes in policies, procedures, and resources to support their ongoing mental health, social well-being, and resilience. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated. Social workers should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced. As with self-care, the processes of cultural humility invite social workers to collaborate with others. Individual social, workers and organizations can advance accountability through formal and informal systems that continually review the demonstration of cultural competence or lack thereof. Social workers who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive. Social justice isn't enough. Why was the term cultural competence reinstated as the title of standard 1.05? Social workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleagues impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action. Social workers should seek consultation only from colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence related to the subject of the consultation. For additional guidance social workers should consult the relevant literature on professional ethics and ethical decision making and seek appropriate consultation when faced with ethical dilemmas. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation. Social workers should withdraw services precipitously only under unusual circumstances, giving careful consideration to all factors in the situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects. NASW works to enhance the professional Social workers who function as educators or field instructors for students should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are routinely informed when services are being provided by students. Social workers should advocate for resource allocation procedures that are open and fair. 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