WHEN ETHICS CLASH. Eleanor Downey, PhD, LMSW Sue Martin, LICSW

Transcription

1 WHEN ETHICS CLASH Eleanor Downey, PhD, LMSW Sue Martin, LICSW

2 OBJECTIVES OF PRESENTATION Understand different ethical standards How to address different ethical standards Overcoming bias that impede client outcomes This presentation will explore differing professional ethical standards that may provide challenges for school social workers.

3 WHY DO WE NEED ETHICS? Differences of opinion abound in decisionmaking both within our profession and outside of our profession Theoretical approaches differ Opinion and emotion frequently cloud sound ethical decisions School Social Workers need a framework from which to act in a consistent ethical manner The person making an ethical decision cannot be totally unbiased

4 PURPOSE OF CODES OF ETHICS ACA/APA/NASW cite the following as the purpose of having a code of ethics: Clarify ethical responsibilities Support the mission of the organization Provide a course of action that promotes the profession Provide a model for decision making Provide a basis for processing ethical complaints. (ACA, APA, NASW)

5 TERMINOLOGY WE NEED TO KNOW Morality conformity to the rules or right Justice rightfulness or lawfulness Law - the principles and regulations established in a community by some authority and applicable to its people Values meant to serve as guides or criteria for selecting good & desirable behavior (concerned with good and desirable) Ethics principles that guide people in deciding what is right & wrong---rules of conduct (what is right and correct) Code of Ethics generally provide guidance only for good/bad decisions. Dolgoff,, Harrington, Loewenberg (page 41-42)

6 QUESTIONS? Where have you run into ethical situations where there have been differences based on each profession? What are your concerns about these situations?

7 TEACHERS & OTHER EDUCATORS Use moral authority to assist in making ethical decisions. Theological Philosophical & Ideological Community based Institutional (i.e. school district policy) Conflicts occur when teachers perceive competing courses of action indicated by two or more of the sources of moral authority. Raines & Dibble (page 38)

8 TYPES OF ETHICAL DECISIONS Doing the right thing Doing what is best for the student Doing what is best for the family Doing what is best for the school Doing what is best for the community

9 THE INTERNAL STRUGGLE Need to tell people what to do Desire to take away all the pain the student is experiencing Need to have all the right answers Fear of doing harm, so no decision is made Feeling too much stress Needing to have multi-cultural competence Understanding diversity issues Competing resources and demands Who is your client?

10 FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP An association in which one person accepts the trust and confidence of another to act in the latter s best interest. A relationship in which confidence and trust on one side results in superiority and influence on the other Galambos, C. (1999)

11 APPLICABILITY Code of Ethics Respect for inherent dignity and worth of person well being of client supersede other responsibilities Code also addresses fact that social should be committed to employers-duty to agency Employees compelled to inform employers in times of conflict social work advocate for best interest of client over best interest of employer

12 APPLICABILITY CONTINUED Allocation of limited resources Distributive justice fair distribution of goods and services Conflict happens when services are distributed on criteria on other than fair opportunity and fair distribution Work with administrators to develop policies and procedure consistent with the Code of Ethics Measurement of client outcomes Grievance procedures

13 IDENTIFY THE VALUES IN CONFLICT Identify the tension between ethical/value responsibilities and rights/responsibilities of parents and families and legal responsibilities Differing loyalties can lead to ethical conflicts Use of an Ethical Decision Making Model helps identify relevant ethical values

14 THREE HELPFUL QUESTIONS 1. Are the interests of the parties conflicted? a. How might each party s interests be affected by my action? b. What is my responsibility to each party? 2. Are there competing ethical standards? 3. Are the ethical standards unclear in this case? McNamara (2008)

15 OBJECTIVE APPROACH Social workers need to be knowledgeable about the deleterious effects of racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism or homophobia, anti-semitism, ethnocentrism, classism, and disability-based discrimination on clients behavior, mental and emotional well-being, and course of treatment. Social workers must also recognize racial, ethnic, and cultural differences that may be interpreted as barriers to treatment and develop skills to ameliorate such barriers. Social workers need to look for their own biases on a regular basis. NASW 2004/Ethics and Standards

16 ELEMENTS OF ETHICAL DECISIONS Recognize an ethical issue Get the facts straight Evaluate alternative actions Make a decision and test it Act and reflect on the outcome

17 ETHICAL GUIDELINES Be familiar with NASW stated values and principles. Be aware of where your personal and professional values may conflict. Know and use your sense of self in relation to each client. Be sensitive about the degree of professional influence you employ. Know your profession s Code of Ethics thoroughly. Be familiar with the federal and state laws that govern your profession s pupil services practice. James C. Raines & Nic Dibble. (Pages 27-28).

18 DECISION MAKING MODELS Elaine Congress ETHIC E=Examine relevant personal, societal, agency client, and professional values T=Think about ethical standards of the NASW code, as well as relevant law and case studies H=Hypothesize about the consequences to different decisions I=Identify who will benefit, who will be harmed from each decision C=Consult with supervisors and colleagues

19 ETHICAL DECISION MAKING IN SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK 1. Knowing yourself and your profession s relevant ethical and legal parameters; 2. Analyzing the predicament; 3. Seeking consultation; 4. Identifying the courses of action; 5. Managing the concerns; 6. Implementing the decision; 7. Reflecting on the process Raines and Dibble, (Chapters 1-7)

20 REFERENCES American Counseling Association. Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA Dolgoff,, Harrington, Loewenberg (2012). Ethical decisions for social work practice. (9 th Ed). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Galambos, C. Resolving Ethical Conflict in a Managed Health Care Environment. Health and Social Work, 24, no. 3. (1999), pp National Association School Psychologists. Principles for Professional Ethics. NASW. Code of Ethics. Washington, DC. McNamara, K. (2008). Best practices in the application of professional ethics. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (eds.), Best practices in school psychology, V (Vol. 6, pp ). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. Raines, J.C. and Dibble, N.T. (2011). Ethical decision making in school mental health. New York: Oxford Press. Reamer, Fredric G. (2009). Chapter 1: The Nature of Social Work Ethics. The Social Work Ethics Casebook. Washington DC: NASW Press.