Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers USA.docx

Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers USA.docx

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CodeofEthicsoftheNationalAssociationofSocialWorkersUSA

CodeofEthicsoftheNationalAssociationofSocialWorkers

Approvedbythe1996NASWDelegateAssemblyandrevisedbythe2008NASWDelegateAssembly

Preamble

Theprimarymissionofthesocialworkprofessionistoenhancehumanwellbeingandhelpmeetthebasichumanneedsofallpeople,withparticularattentiontotheneedsandempowermentofpeoplewhoarevulnerable,oppressed,andlivinginpoverty.Ahistoricanddefiningfeatureofsocialworkistheprofession’sfocusonindividualwellbeinginasocialcontextandthewellbeingofsociety.Fundamentaltosocialworkisattentiontotheenvironmentalforcesthatcreate,contributeto,andaddressproblemsinliving.

Socialworkerspromotesocialjusticeandsocialchangewithandonbehalfofclients.“Clients”isusedinclusivelytorefertoindividuals,families,groups,organizations,andcommunities.Socialworkersaresensitivetoculturalandethnicdiversityandstrivetoenddiscrimination,oppression,poverty,andotherformsofsocialinjustice.Theseactivitiesmaybeintheformofdirectpractice,communityorganizing,supervision,consultationadministration,advocacy,socialandpoliticalaction,policydevelopmentandimplementation,education,andresearchandevaluation.Socialworkersseektoenhancethecapacityofpeopletoaddresstheirownneeds.Socialworkersalsoseektopromotetheresponsivenessoforganizations,communities,andothersocialinstitutionstoindividuals’needsandsocialproblems.

Themissionofthesocialworkprofessionisrootedinasetofcorevalues.Thesecorevalues,embracedbysocialworkersthroughouttheprofession’shistory,arethefoundationofsocialwork’suniquepurposeandperspective:

∙service

∙socialjustice

∙dignityandworthoftheperson

∙importanceofhumanrelationships

∙integrity

∙competence.

Thisconstellationofcorevaluesreflectswhatisuniquetothesocialworkprofession.Corevalues,andtheprinciplesthatflowfromthem,mustbebalancedwithinthecontextandcomplexityofthehumanexperience.

PurposeoftheNASWCodeofEthics

Professionalethicsareatthecoreofsocialwork.Theprofessionhasanobligationtoarticulateitsbasicvalues,ethicalprinciples,andethicalstandards.TheNASWCodeofEthicssetsforththesevalues,principles,andstandardstoguidesocialworkers’conduct.TheCodeisrelevanttoallsocialworkersandsocialworkstudents,regardlessoftheirprofessionalfunctions,thesettingsinwhichtheywork,orthepopulationstheyserve.

TheNASWCodeofEthicsservessixpurposes:

1.TheCodeidentifiescorevaluesonwhichsocialwork’smissionisbased.

2.TheCodesummarizesbroadethicalprinciplesthatreflecttheprofession’scorevaluesandestablishesasetofspecificethicalstandardsthatshouldbeusedtoguidesocialworkpractice.

3.TheCodeisdesignedtohelpsocialworkersidentifyrelevantconsiderationswhenprofessionalobligationsconflictorethicaluncertaintiesarise.

4.TheCodeprovidesethicalstandardstowhichthegeneralpubliccanholdthesocialworkprofessionaccountable.

5.TheCodesocializespractitionersnewtothefieldtosocialwork’smission,values,ethicalprinciples,andethicalstandards.

6.TheCodearticulatesstandardsthatthesocialworkprofessionitselfcanusetoassesswhethersocialworkershaveengagedinunethicalconduct.NASWhasformalprocedurestoadjudicateethicscomplaintsfiledagainstitsmembers.*InsubscribingtothisCode,socialworkersarerequiredtocooperateinitsimplementation,participateinNASWadjudicationproceedings,andabidebyanyNASWdisciplinaryrulingsorsanctionsbasedonit.

TheCodeoffersasetofvalues,principles,andstandardstoguidedecisionmakingandconductwhenethicalissuesarise.Itdoesnotprovideasetofrulesthatprescribehowsocialworkersshouldactinallsituations.SpecificapplicationsoftheCodemusttakeintoaccountthecontextinwhichitisbeingconsideredandthepossibilityofconflictsamongtheCode‘svalues,principles,andstandards.Ethicalresponsibilitiesflowfromallhumanrelationships,fromthepersonalandfamilialtothesocialandprofessional.

Further,theNASWCodeofEthicsdoesnotspecifywhichvalues,principles,andstandardsaremostimportantandoughttooutweighothersininstanceswhentheyconflict.Reasonabledifferencesofopinioncananddoexistamongsocialworkerswithrespecttothewaysinwhichvalues,ethicalprinciples,andethicalstandardsshouldberankorderedwhentheyconflict.Ethicaldecisionmakinginagivensituationmustapplytheinformedjudgmentoftheindividualsocialworkerandshouldalsoconsiderhowtheissueswouldbejudgedinapeerreviewprocesswheretheethicalstandardsoftheprofessionwouldbeapplied.

Ethicaldecisionmakingisaprocess.Therearemanyinstancesinsocialworkwheresimpleanswersarenotavailabletoresolvecomplexethicalissues.Socialworkersshouldtakeintoconsiderationallthevalues,principles,andstandardsinthisCodethatarerelevanttoanysituationinwhichethicaljudgmentiswarranted.Socialworkers’decisionsandactionsshouldbeconsistentwiththespiritaswellastheletterofthisCode.

InadditiontothisCode,therearemanyothersourcesofinformationaboutethicalthinkingthatmaybeuseful.Socialworkersshouldconsiderethicaltheoryandprinciplesgenerally,socialworktheoryandresearch,laws,regulations,agencypolicies,andotherrelevantcodesofethics,recognizingthatamongcodesofethicssocialworkersshouldconsidertheNASWCodeofEthicsastheirprimarysource.Socialworkersalsoshouldbeawareoftheimpactonethicaldecisionmakingoftheirclients’andtheirownpersonalvaluesandculturalandreligiousbeliefsandpractices.Theyshouldbeawareofanyconflictsbetweenpersonalandprofessionalvaluesanddealwiththemresponsibly.Foradditionalguidancesocialworkersshouldconsulttherelevantliteratureonprofessionalethicsandethicaldecisionmakingandseekappropriateconsultationwhenfacedwithethicaldilemmas.Thismayinvolveconsultationwithanagencybasedorsocialworkorganization’sethicscommittee,aregulatorybody,knowledgeablecolleagues,supervisors,orlegalcounsel.

Instancesmayarisewhensocialworkers’ethicalobligationsconflictwithagencypoliciesorrelevantlawsorregulations.Whensuchconflictsoccur,socialworkersmustmakearesponsibleefforttoresolvetheconflictinamannerthatisconsistentwiththevalues,principles,andstandardsexpressedinthisCode.Ifareasonableresolutionoftheconflictdoesnotappearpossible,socialworkersshouldseekproperconsultationbeforemakingadecision.

TheNASWCodeofEthicsistobeusedbyNASWandbyindividuals,agencies,organizations,andbodies（suchaslicensingandregulatoryboards,professionalliabilityinsuranceproviders,courtsoflaw,agencyboardsofdirectors,governmentagencies,andotherprofessionalgroups）thatchoosetoadoptitoruseitasaframeofreference.ViolationofstandardsinthisCodedoesnotautomaticallyimplylegalliabilityorviolationofthelaw.Suchdeterminationcanonlybemadeinthecontextoflegalandjudicialproceedings.AllegedviolationsoftheCodewouldbesubjecttoapeerreviewprocess.Suchprocessesaregenerallyseparatefromlegaloradministrativeproceduresandinsulatedfromlegalrevieworproceedingstoallowtheprofessiontocounselanddisciplineitsownmembers.

Acodeofethicscannotguaranteeethicalbehavior.Moreover,acodeofethicscannotresolveallethicalissuesordisputesorcapturetherichnessandcomplexityinvolvedinstrivingtomakeresponsiblechoiceswithinamoralcommunity.Rather,acodeofethicssetsforthvalues,ethicalprinciples,andethicalstandardstowhichprofessionalsaspireandbywhichtheiractionscanbejudged.Socialworkers’ethicalbehaviorshouldresultfromtheirpersonalcommitmenttoengageinethicalpractice.TheNASWCodeofEthicsreflectsthecommitmentofallsocialworkerstoupholdtheprofession’svaluesandtoactethically.Principlesandstandardsmustbeappliedbyindividualsofgoodcharacterwhodiscernmoralquestionsand,ingoodfaith,seektomakereliableethicaljudgments.

EthicalPrinciples

Thefollowingbroadethicalprinciplesarebasedonsocialwork’scorevaluesofservice,socialjustice,dignityandworthoftheperson,importanceofhumanrelationships,integrity,andcompetence.Theseprinciplessetforthidealstowhichallsocialworkersshouldaspire.

Value:

Service

EthicalPrinciple:

Socialworkers’primarygoalistohelppeopleinneedandtoaddresssocialproblems.

Socialworkerselevateservicetoothersaboveselfinterest.Socialworkersdrawontheirknowledge,values,andskillstohelppeopleinneedandtoaddresssocialproblems.Socialworkersareencouragedtovolunteersomeportionoftheirprofessionalskillswithnoexpectationofsignificantfinancialreturn（probonoservice）.

Value:

SocialJustice

EthicalPrinciple:

Socialworkerschallengesocialinjustice.

Socialworkerspursuesocialchange,particularlywithandonbehalfofvulnerableandoppressedindividualsandgroupsofpeople.Socialworkers’socialchangeeffortsarefocusedprimarilyonissuesofpoverty,unemployment,discrimination,andotherformsofsocialinjustice.Theseactivitiesseektopromotesensitivitytoandknowledgeaboutoppressionandculturalandethnicdiversity.Socialworkersstrivetoensureaccesstoneededinformation,services,andresources;equalityofopportunity;andmeaningfulparticipationindecisionmakingforallpeople.

Value:

DignityandWorth