The New Social Worker Vol. 19, No. 3, Summer 2012 | Page 6

Ethics

Frequently Asked Questions About the Code of Ethics of the
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
by Mike Meacham, Ph.D., LCSW

T

he NASW Code of Ethics is a long
document that provides guidelines
for many complicated situations.
As a new social worker or a social work
student, you may have questions about
the Code. I have provided some answers
below. However, one must remember that clinical judgment allows us to
determine our course of action with each
individual case and circumstance. In the
areas of ethics, morals, and values, there
is often no one correct answer. (See the
full NASW Code of Ethics at http://www.
socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp.)
1. What is the purpose of listing values as part of a code of ethics?

Sociologists define values as the
most abstract level of beliefs in what is
moral. Ethics are the particular statements about conduct for a profession.
When decision-making about ethics becomes an issue, social workers may rely
on the general beliefs of our conduct, as
well as be guided by more specific guidelines within the Code.
2. Are there limits to how far a social
worker is committed to a client?

Yes, Standard 1.01 mentions the
legal obligations social workers have to
society. Although social workers occasionally choose to ignore some illegal
acts of clients during therapy, we have
a commitment to the law, and we are
responsible for the consequences of those
decisions. Standard 3.09 states that social
workers should abide by their commitment to employers, as well. Agency
procedures and rules should be followed
if they are not in conflict with the Code,
which may at times limit our ability to
help a client with a specific need.
3. Are there directions that we may
use to decide if a client’s self determination should be restricted?

Yes, Standard 1.02 states to do so
if “in the social worker’s professional

4

The New Social Worker

judgment, a client’s actions or potential
actions pose a serious foreseeable and
imminent risk to themselves or others.”
A general rule used by many social
workers is “dangerous to self or others.”
Potential and imminent violence must be
reported, according to the Tarasoff ruling. (See http://tinyurl.com/newswtarasoff.)
Rules of behavior in the agency must be
enforced. This leads to some different
interpretations about self determination,
depending on the environment. For example, a social worker may or may not
report that a client is selling marijuana if
he or she is working in an outpatient setting. But in prisons, drug sales are one of
the leading causes of murder within the
“walls” and should then be reported.

Standard 4.07 disallows endorsement
from clients or soliciting clients informally, as this may create an undue influence.

6. Sometimes clients present with
problems in areas about which I
have little knowledge. What can I do
in these cases?

4. What if I am not sure if a client is
capable of understanding “informed
consent”?

7. What infraction of the Code has
resulted in the most negative actions
against social workers?

There are supports available. Psychological testing prior to our services
may indicate IQ and ability to understand situations. The mental status exam
will give evidence, as well. There is a
“Kent Intelligence Exam” that is used
to give the social worker some evidence
that he or she tried to measure the level
of client functioning. A team approach
also helps.

Also, we need to obtain qualified interpreters for those who need them. (See
Standard 1.03 b, 1.14.) It is important that
the interpreter be aware of and preferably part of the specific culture of the
client, because euphemisms differ among
subcultures (e.g., specific meanings differ
in Spanish at times, depending on the
country of origin).

In a 2000 study spanning ten years,
author Kim Strom-Gottfried found that
poor practice resulted in 160 violations,
Sexual misbehavior resulted in 102 violations, and competence issues resulted in
86 violations.

8. How much should I know about diversity and culture to be competent?

5. Is therapy over the telephone or
by computer allowable?

Yes, but Standard 1.03e states that
clients must be made aware of the limitations of distant forms of treatment.

Summer 2012

Standard 1.04c states that social
workers should “ensure the competence
of their work and protect clients from
harm.” This standard in the Code originated from Hippocrates. We can refer
clients to whom we are not capable of
providing good treatment, and we have
trainings, formal and informal education,
research, consultation, and supervision
to support us. At these times, a team
approach is helpful. We may transfer a
client, but Standard 3.08 tells us that we
should minimize difficulties for the client
in transfers by giving them adequate
notice and explanation. Also, we should
assure no duplication of services.

In essence, competency means that
a social worker is capable of working
with clients as they relate to issues in their
environment. Their social status, both
achieved and ascribed, is a very important part of that environment. It is nearly
impossible to be competent with every
culture and subculture, but we can understand the theories and issues surrounding
oppression, access, social justice, liberty,
status liability, and other difficulties faced
by all groups. We also can study the
groups with which we practice to understand better their particular problems.
A good start is to practice the value of
“respect for human dignity,” with which