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Code of Ethics |
The NASW Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers. This Code includes four sections. The first Section, "Preamble," summarizes the social work profession's mission and core values. The second section, "Purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics," provides an overview of the Code's main functions and a brief guide for dealing with ethical issues or dilemmas in social work practice. The third section, "Ethical Principles," presents broad ethical principles, based on social work's core values, that inform social work practice. The final section, "Ethical Standards," includes specific ethical standards to guide social workers' conduct and to provide a basis for adjudication.
If you believe a social work member of NASW is in violation of this Code of Ethics, one of your options is to file a compliant with NASW.
Commentary
CASE
EXAMPLE #1
Applicable Standards: 1.01; 1.02;
1.07a,b,c; 3.09a,d; 4.02; 6.04a,b,c,d.
An addition to the 1996 Code of Ethics includes a statement on how to think about situations in which social workers feel their ethical obligations conflict with agency policies or relevant laws or regulations. The Code of Ethics leaves open the possibility that a social worker may decide that the ethical course of action is not to enforce agency policy or a law or regulation. The Code of Ethics states that the social worker must make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict and should seek proper consultation before making a decision. The ethical issue resolves around the commitment to clients and to clients’ self-determination and the commitment to protecting client privacy and the confidentiality of information collected versus the responsibility to the employing organization. The Code of Ethics also speaks to the social workers’ responsibility to not allow their employing organizations to interfere with their ethical practice. If the social worker does decide to comply with the law, it would be crucial to work in the political arena to change this law, as it compels the worker to discriminate against a group of clients, which is not ethical practice.