Deck 1: Ethical Choices in the Helping Professions

Question 1

In the early days of the social work profession, practitioners were not concerned with ethics.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Every social worker fills two professional roles: (1) Helper/enabler and (2) societal control agent.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The social workers' Code of Ethics requires that social workers use any means
necessary to get clients to do what is obviously in their best interest.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Define ethics, its roots, and its origins.

Question 5

Discuss what your values are concerning the flowing scenario:
Ms.Durning is a 26-year-old Caucasian mother of three children, ages 10, 6, and 4.She is a professional prostitute and works for herself.The children all have different fathers, none of whom are involved in their lives.Ms.Durning and her three children live in a bug infested motel that charges $100 per week.She has to work every night, therefore, she relies on the oldest, a boy, to watch the other two children, both girls.The son has started to get in trouble at school with fighting, and is not completing his homework.Ms.Durning was reported to child protective services by an incoming guest who noticed that three children were left without supervision.To complicate the situation even more, the incoming guest who reported Ms.Durning to CPS was a client of hers three days prior to the report.

Question 6

Ethical problems ask the question: What is the appropriate action to take for any given situation?

Question 7

Is ambiguity acceptable in social work situations? Why or why not? Discuss your
thoughts on a social worker going against his own ethical beliefs in order to abide
by the agency's policies.

Question 8

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between competing values
and competing loyalties.

Question 9

Explain why there has been a renewed interest in social work ethics in today's
society.
Discussion Topics:

Question 10

Jenny Jones is a social worker employed by a child protection agency.Her supervisor has told her to ask for a court order to remove three children from the home of a client that Jenny has been working with for three months.Jenny doesn't want to do this.She thinks that the mother is doing better and she wants to leave the children in the home with continued monitoring.This is an example of:

A)role conflict.
B)value dilemma.
C)insubordination.
D)ethical confusion.
E)a and b

Question 11

When faced with competing loyalties, it is crucial for the social worker to
determine priorities.

Question 12

Ethical dilemmas occur when the social worker must chose between two or more relevant contradictory directives.

Question 13

Studying ethics and values enables practitioners to determine the one correct
course of action when there are choices.

Question 14

Every decision in social work practice includes ethical aspects.

Question 15

In the role of helper/enabler, the social worker must:

A)Be sure the family is enabled to make their own decisions.
B)Help the families understand and analyze alternatives.
C)Provide access to helping systems that enable the family to make decisions.
D)All of the above.

Question 16

The increase in interest in professional social work ethics is due to which of the following?

A)Human Rights Movement
B)Therapist incompetence
C)Social worker ambiguity and uncertainty
D)All of the above

Question 17

Which of the following occurs due to Ethical Problems in Social Work Practice?

A)Goal setting
B)Role conflict
C)Value dilemmas
D)All of the above
E)B and C

Question 18

What are two values to which all social workers are committed?

A)Protection of human life and respecting the client's family
B)Supporting the mission of the agency and being culturally competent
C)Self-determination and enhancing quality of life
D)Social justice and self-determination

Question 19

Define the three types of ethics in social work (general ethics, professional ethics, and professional social work ethics); explain how they pertain to social work practice by comparing and contrasting them.

Question 20

Competing loyalties occur when a social worker must chose between two or more relevant contradictory ethical directions.

Question 21

Dr.Daniel Smith is a dentist who recently discovered he is HIV positive.What, if any, are his obligations to his practice, his patients, and his profession?

Question 22

Have the class work through the following three scenarios using Figure 1.1, Ethical Problems in Social Work Practice, on page 10.

Question 23

Susie has been going to see her parish priest, Reverend Taylor, for 3 months to talk about her marriage and the verbal abuse she sustains from her husband.Reverend Taylor continues to council Susie on the sanctity of marriage.What is wrong with this scenario?

Question 24

Nora is a 16-year-old female who sees her school counselor.She informs the counselor that she is pregnant after having sex with her music teacher.In Nora's state she is not considered to be a minor at the age of 16.What should the school counselor do?

Question 25

Discuss how you would respond if your supervisor asked you to misdiagnose a client in order for them to receive much needed services.

Question 26

Share with classmates ethical dilemmas that you have experienced in your life and how you handled them.Brainstorm as a class what types of options could have been used to solve the ethical dilemma.
Class Exercises:

Question 27

Have the class watch the film Good Will Hunting and discuss the ethical issues
surrounding the different approaches taken by the many different therapists that Will saw.

Question 28

According to the authors, all social workers are committed to client protection of life, enhancement of life, and client self-determination.Do you believe this is true? Why or why not?

Question 29

Professional social work ethics are intended to help social work practitioners recognize morally correct practice and learn how to decide and act ethically in any professional situation.Role play an ethical dilemma that a client might have (with a classmate) and attempt to respond in an ethically professional manner.

Question 30

Discuss genocides that have taken place in the last 70 years (Hitler's Germany, Cambodia, Darfur, Rwanda) and any ethical responsibility that you feel you as a social worker have to such situations.