Social Policy Practice and Reflections

1. Read Chapter 12, “Social Work Ethics,” in your textbook The Social Work Practicum: A Guide and Workbook for Students.
2. Read Decision Case 1, “No Room at the Inn,” in your textbook Christianity and Social Work: Readings in the Integration of Christian Faith and Social Work Practice, pages 373–378.
3. Visit the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) website and read the Code of Ethics.
4. Prepare a three- to four-page paper that addresses the following points:
   a. Consider the ethical principles in the NASW Code of Ethics related to the case study with Martha and Kate and address the following prompts:
   i. As a social worker at your agency, how would you respond to Martha’s unmet needs while still maintaining your work responsibilities and personal boundaries?
   ii. Social workers understand dimensions of diversity are the intersectionality of multiple factors including but not limited to age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Please explain how you believe these dimensions of diversity and the family’s life experience may be related to the case study you read.
   b. Consider the ethical concerns or dilemmas most frequently encountered in your field placement setting, according to your field instructor, and address the following points:
   i. How do the social workers in your agency deal with ethical questions and resolve ethical dilemmas (for example, discussions at staff meeting, presentations to an ethics meeting, consultation with experts)?
   ii. To what degree and in what way does the NASW Code of Ethics influence the decisions and behavior of the social workers employed by your agency (for example, referred to during case conferences and staff meetings; available to social workers)?
   iii. How does your agency handle reports of ethics violations on the part of its staff (for example, written incident reports, temporary suspensions of staff, formal investigations, grievance policies, reports to state licensing bodies)?
   c. Reflect on the Code of Ethics and the principles listed in that code. Which principles and values do you feel most strongly about, and why? How have you seen these values and principles come into play in an ethical dilemma?

Sample Solution