The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 2013

Ethics Alive! P In Compliance: The NASW Code of Ethics and Other Social Work Obligations by Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, Ph.D. not cover a particular ethical situation, or when there are conflicting obligations making it difficult to determine the most ethical course of action. Consider Standard 1.07(f), which states: When social workers provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups, social workers should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality. This standard only applies to “counseling services.” What if a social worker is conducting a child custody evaluation (considered forensic assessment services rather than counseling)? Does this mean that the social worker does not need to seek agreement regarding each individual’s right to confidentiality? Although the Code does not specifically address forensic services, it would still be ethically appropriate for the worker to follow the guidelines in Standard 1.07(f). Consider the ethically difficult situation that arises when two ethical obligations are in conflict. Assume that a private adoption agency’s policies require social workers to ask prospective adoptive parents about their sexual orientation and to deny adoption to anyone who is gay or bisexual. Under NASW Standard 3.09(a), workers are supposed to “adhere to commitments made to employers,” which includes following agency policy. Under Standard 3.09(d), workers are not supposed to discriminate. Thus, the worker is caught in a bind concerning whether to follow agency policy (which includes discrimination) or to refuse to discriminate against the gay and bisexual applicants. When facing conflicting obligations, the worker may need to prioritize one ethical obligation over another. Thus, a worker who refuses to follow agency policy could be a worker who is acting ethically. Some social workers assume that the NASW Code only applies to them when acting as a social worker. For instance, under the NASW Code, a social worker owes a duty of confidentiality to clients, but the worker does not necessarily owe the same duty of confidentiality to family members or friends. Although much of the NASW Code focuses on work with clients, some sections apply to conduct outside of the social worker’s role. Standard 4.03, for instance, states: Social workers should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfill their professional responsibilities. Consider a social worker who works with African American clients, but during private hours, the worker volunteers for a Neo-Nazi organization that promotes racist ideology. Although the proble ?F?2&V?f??'2??&R6??6?FW&VB&?fFR6??GV7B?F?W?6?V?B??FW&fW&Rv?F?F?Rv?&?W.( ?2&?fW76????&W7??6?&??F?W2???rv?V?BF??26?6??v?&?W.( ?26?V?G2fVV?&?WBv?&???rv?F?&7F?F???W"v??&???FW2&6?6???6??RV??R&V?WfRF?B'&V6???rF?R?5r6?FR??V?G2F?'&V???rF?R?s???vWfW"?'&V6???rF?R6?FR?2??B?V6W76&??'&V???rF?R?~( GV??W72F?W&R?2?r&WV?&??r6?6??v?&?W'2F?&?FR'?F?R6?FR?&VwV?F????bF?R6?6??v?&?&?fW76????2FWFW&??VB7FFR'?7FFR?6???Rv?V?B?fRF????rF?R?w2?b??W"7FFRF?FWFW&??Rv?WF?W"??W"?w2??6?'?&FRF?R?5r6?FR??F??G2?Vv?6?F???????7FFR?f??&?F?F?R?6V?7W&R?w2F???B??6?'?&FRF?R?5r6?FS???vWfW"?F?R?w2F?&WV?&RF?R?6V?6VB6???6?6?6??v?&?W'0??V??R?gFV?V?FRF?R?F????76?6?F????b6?6??v?&?W'2??5r?6?FR?bWF??72v?V??FV?F?g???rF?RWF??6??&?vF???2?b6?6??v?&?W'2?F?B??R???r???vWfW"?F?B??B??6?6??v?&?W'2&R&?V?BF?6???v?F?F?R?5r6?F^( FB?V7B??F?R?Vv?6V?6S?F?B??R?6????rF?BWfV??b??Rf????rF?R?5r6?FR???R?v?B&RV?vv??r??V?WF??6?&V?f??#?F?B??R???rF?B??R?v?B?VVBF?f????rF?R?5r6?FRWfV??b??R&R??B7F??r26?6??v?&?W#???r?&Vf?&R??R7F'BF????rF?B?( ??7V???r???6V?6R??V6R???r?RF?W??????F?R?5r?2?F????76?6?F????'WB?B?2f??V?F'?76?6?F????6?6??v?&?W"v??6???6W2F?&R?V?&W"?bF?R?5rw&VW2F?&?FR'?F?R?5r6?FR????5r?V?&W"v??f???FW2F?R6?FR??"?2??VvVBF??fRf???FVBF?R6?FR???&R7V&?V7BF?F?R?5~( ?2&?fW76????&Wf?Wr&?6W72?F?R&?fW76????&Wf?Wr&?6W726?V?B??6?VFR?VF?F???&WGvVV?F?R6??????B?B6?6??v?&??&W7??FV?B??"?F?VF?6F???F?&R?V&B'???5r?V???b6?6??v?&?W"6???6W2??BF?&V6??R?V?&W"?F?R?5r?2??WF??&?G?F??V"6?????G2?"w&?Wf?6W2v??7BF?B6?6??v?&?W"??6??6?6??v?&?W"?v?B6??( ?v??6??V?B?&V6??R??5r?V?&W"?b?F??( ?B?fRF??( ??B( ?v??v?V?B?v?BF?7V&?V7B?6V?bF?6?????G2&?6W72v?V??F??( ?B?fRF??( ?F?W&R&R???&V6??2F??????5~( GF?7W?'BF?R&?fW76????F??V?Gf?6FRf?"6?6???W7F?6S?F?v??66W72F?&VfW'&VB&FW2??6??fW&V?6W2??Vv???f?&?F?????B?&??G???7W&?6S??B6??????R?bF?R??7BW76V?F??&V6??2???vWfW"??2F?&?6???F?6?V?G2?BF?R'&?FW"6???V??G?F?B??R&V?WfR??6?6??v?&?( ?26?&Rf?VW2?BWF??6?6?FW2?b6??GV7B?gW'F?W"???R&Rv????rF?&R?V?B66?V?F&?R?2&?fW76?????F?F?W6R7F?F&G2??( ?6???b?f????rF?R?5r6?FR?F?W2F?B?V?F?B??7F??rWF??6???( ???7B?bF?RF??R??W2???vWfW"?F?W&R??&RF??W2v?V?F?R?5r6?FRF?W0??@??F?R?Wr6?6??v?&?W ??7V??W"#0??

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