The New Social Worker Vol. 19, No. 3, Summer 2012 | Page 15

To know their world,
step into ours.

Dual degree: M.S. in child development/M.S.W.
in clinical social work with Loyola University Chicago
graduate school in child development • Chicago

www.erikson.edu/dualdegree

IS IT ETHICAL? 101 Scenarios In Everyday Social Work Practice
A Discussion Workbook
by Thomas Horn, MSW, RSW
What would you do if you were asked to be your hairdresser’s social worker? How about if you developed a
crush on a client? Or if you unexpectedly received a $100 check in the mail from an agency to whom you had referred
a client?
Social work is filled with these kinds of questions.They come up every day in professional life.Will your students
be prepared to make the ethical decision?
Very few social workers go to work looking for ways to exploit, manipulate, or mislead the peopel with whom
they work—clients, colleagues, managers, the government, or the general public.Yet, it is possible to cross into unethical
behavior unintentionally, often as a result of poor decisions that are misguided. The line between ethical and unethical
can become blurred.
This workbook provides students with 101 different everyday scenarios and challenges them to think about what
the ethical and unethical choices might be in each situation. Through examining these scenarios on their own and in
discussion with classmates and others, they will become more familiar with how to apply the ethical guidelines and
standards that they will be required to follow as professional social workers.

Space is provided after each scenario for readers to write their own responses as they prepare to discuss the scenario with classmates,
supervisors, and others. There is space for students to write their own scenarios, as well.

Resources are listed, including Code of Ethics Web addresses for nine different social work associations, as well as ethics journals.

“...if you need a resource to begin a discussion of ethics in a classroom or agency in-service, this workbook qualifies
for Social Work Ethics 101.” Paul Dovyak, ACSW, LISW-S, University of Rio Grande, Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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