Deck 2: Values and Professional Ethics

Question 1

According to the NASW Code of Ethics, when ethical behavior and the law are in conflict, social workers must always follow the law.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Civil suits to recover damages resulting from unprofessional actions or inaction are known as malpractice suits.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Values are concerned with what is right or wrong, whereas ethics is concerned with what is good or desirable.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

There can be dire consequences if a social worker practices in accord with professional ethical principles when those principles are contradicted by agency rules or societal values.

Question 5

Practicing beyond the scope of one's competence is a possible basis for a malpractice suit.

Question 6

Both the NASW Code of Ethics and the British Code require social workers to respect human rights as expressed in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Question 7

Which of the following is always unethical?

A)Discussing a client's issues with friends
B)Engaging in a romantic relationship with a person who was your client ten years before
C)Referring an anorexic teen to another social worker because you lack expertise in treating eating disorders
D)Failing to report the illegal status of a client to the immigration authorities

Question 8

When malpractice has occurred, there are three legal approaches that can take place.

A)Civil lawsuits, Criminal lawsuits, Supreme Court lawsuits
B)Criminal complaints, Criminal lawsuits, Licensing board complaints
C)Civil lawsuits, Criminal complaints, Licensing board complaints
D)Judicial action, Police reports, Suspension of license

Question 9

Laws seldom change and this constancy provides societal stability.

Question 10

Morality consists of principles or rules of conduct that define standards for right behavior.

Question 11

There is a lack of agreement as to whether client participation, self-determination, and confidentiality are among basic social work values.

Question 12

One reason for the incongruence between a person's professed values and his behavior is that what he says he values is not what he really values.

Question 13

Social work practitioners take their basic professional values from values held by the larger society in which they practice.

Question 14

Attorneys were the first professionals to adopt a code of ethics.

Question 15

The core values of the social work profession as stated in the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers include:

A)Dignity and Worth of a Person
B)Social Justice
C)Integrity
D)Importance of Human Relationships
E)All of the above

Question 16

The court decided in Tarasoff v.Regents that confidentiality is more important than the welfare of the community.

Question 17

The core value of service means that social workers consider helping others above their own interests.

Question 18

There are some people who feel that social workers do not need a code of ethics, that all they need is common sense.

Question 19

The function and purpose of a code of ethics is to provide guidance and direction, not to answer all ethical questions.

Question 20

A code of professional ethics is created to:

A)Protect the professional ideal of self-regulation
B)Provide the public with competent professionals
C)Protection from litigation
D)Provide guidance when encountering ethical dilemmas
E)All of the above

Question 21

The core value of social justice involves:

A)Social workers pursuing change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups.
B)Social workers ensuring that those who oppress others are brought to justice.
C)Social workers empowering clients to be aware of how they are oppressed.
D)All of the above

Question 22

Explain the differences between good/bad decisions, good/good decisions and
bad/bad decisions.

Question 23

Identify and explain the process a client must go through to win a malpractice
case against a social worker.

Question 24

Discuss the overlap between general ethics and professional ethics.See Figure
2.1 on page 27-28.

Question 25

How can social workers avoid malpractice actions by clients?

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT true about law and social work practice?

A)Laws mandate that certain services be provided for all who need them.
B)Laws authorize payment for some services.
C)Laws require social workers to report certain information.
D)Laws regarding social work are passed at the federal level and provide consistency across the country.

Question 27

Discuss the legal and ethical requirements when an HIV-positive client admits to
his social worker that he continues to share needles or engage in unprotected
sexual relations without notifying his partner of his conditions?

Question 28

Discuss what students think about the following statement: "Ethics is not
primarily concerned with getting people to do what they believe to be right, but
rather with helping them to decide what is right" (Jones, Sontag, Beckner and Fogelin, 1977, pg.8).

Question 29

The core value of dignity and worth of the person consists of:

A)Social workers treating all clients equally.
B)Social workers empowering all clients to reach self-actualization.
C)Social workers treating all clients with care and respect for cultural and ethnic diversity.
D)All of the above

Question 30

The core value of competence consists of:

A)Social workers seeking supervision when confronted with ethical dilemmas.
B)Social workers striving to increase their professional knowledge and skills and applying them in practice.
C)Social workers obtaining regular supervision for ethical dilemmas and obtaining the highest level of social work education
D)All of the above

Question 31

Choose 5 out of 10 arguments provided by the authors as to why some social
workers believe professional ethics are not needed, and explain the five you chose.

Question 32

Brainstorm with class, then review Table 2.2, The Possible Bases for Malpractice
Suits.Have the students provide examples for each situation and discuss how to
correct the ethical dilemmas.

Question 33

Discuss the gap that is sometimes found between personal and professional
values.

Question 34

Discuss some of the possible bases for malpractice suits.
Class Exercises:

Question 35

Given the following case study, have the students discuss their personal values
versus what the profession states their six core values should be .Also,
discuss issues of confidentiality, informed consent, privileged communication, reporting procedures, and racial injustice.
Maria is a new social worker in a state psychiatric hospital.During a treatment team meeting she is told that Dr.Lewis spoke with her client's father about his diagnosis and treatment at the local health club.Maria knew her client (age 21) did not sign consent for his family to receive any information about his hospital stay or treatment.Maria became enraged calling Dr.Lewis a "towel head with his turban wrapped to tight." Maria left the team meeting and reported Dr.Lewis to the hospital director and patient advocate.Later that same afternoon, Maria's supervisor called her into her office to discuss what happened and to talk about comments made about Dr.Lewis.

Question 36

When a social worker practices in a manner which is consistent with the profession's mission, values, ethical principles and standards, the social worker is demonstrating which of the following?

A)Honesty
B)Integrity
C)Competence
D)Caring

Question 37

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between professional values
and professional ethics.
Discussion Topics: