CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK

• SERVICE

• SOCIAL JUSTICE

• DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE PERSON

• IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

• INTEGRITY

• COMPETENCE
 NASW CODE OF ETHICS
ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CLIENTS

• COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS
a. Primary responsibility is to promote clients’ well-being but can be
superseded by legal obligations or responsibility to larger society
• Self-Determination
a. Respect and promote clients rights except when professional
judgment determines clients actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and
imminent risk to client or others
• Informed Consent
a. Assure clients understanding and agreement
b. Assist clients who have limited literacy or comprehension
c. If client lacks capacity to give consent, work to protect their
interests
d. Inform Involuntary clients about nature and extent of services and
what rights of refusal
e. Inform recipients of limitation and risks when providing services
via electronic media
f. Obtain client consent before audiotaping, videotaping or permitting
3rd party observation

• Competence
a. Represent competency within boundaries of education, training,
certification, etc.
b. Use new techniques only after appropriate training, supervision,
etc.
c. When entering an emerging area of practice, exercise careful
judgment to ensure competence and protects clients

• Cultural Competence and Social Diversity

a. Understand culture, its function in society and on behavior and
strength of every culture
b. Develop a knowledge base and demonstrate cultural competence
and sensitivity.
c. Seek education and understanding about the nature of social
diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national
 origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political
belief, religion and mental or physical disabilities

• Conflicts of Interest
a. Be alert for potential conflict of interest and inform client and
attempt to resolve if one arises, terminating relationship if necessary
b. Do not take advantage of professional relationships or exploit
others to further personal interests
c. Do not engage in multiple relationships with clients that hold
potential for harm or exploitation
d. Clarify roles and professional obligations when providing services
to two or more people in relationship with one another. Clarify and
take action to minimize conflict when it is perceived or anticipated

• Privacy and Confidentiality

a. Do not solicit private information from clients unless it is pertinent
to service being provided
b. Disclose confidential information only with valid or legally
authorized consent
c. Protect confidentiality of all professionally obtained information,
except to prevent imminent harm to client or other identifiable person
and then only the least amount necessary
d. Inform client of disclosure of confidential information and
potential consequences, prior to disclosure if possible
e. Discuss as soon as possible, the nature of confidentiality and
circumstances of disclosure
f. Seek agreement among couples, families, or groups about
individual’s right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve
information shared by others. Inform participants that social worker
cannot guarantee that participants will honor such agreements

• Privacy and Confidentiality

g. Inform participants of policies concerning disclosure of information
among those involved
h. Do not disclose information to third-party payers without client
authorization
i. Do not discuss confidential information in any setting where privacy
cannot be ensured
j. During legal proceedings, if a social worker believes court-ordered
disclosure of confidential information could harm a client, they should
request order be withdrawn, narrow its limit or seal the record

k. Protect client confidentiality when responding to media requests

l. Protect confidentiality of clients written and electronic records

m. Take precautions to ensure confidentiality of information

transmitted to other parties via electronic technology. When possible,
avoid disclosure of identifying information.

n. Transfer or dispose of client records in manner that protects clients’

confidentiality and is consistent with state records and licensure
statutes

o. Take precautions to protect client confidentiality in event of social

workers’ termination, death, or incapacitation

p. Do not disclose identifying information for teaching or training

purposes without client consent

q. Do not disclose identifying information when discussing clients

with consultants without client consent or compelling need

r. Protect confidentiality of deceased clients consistent with preceding

standards

• Access to Records
a. Provide clients with reasonable access to their records. Provide
assistance with interpretation or consultation when concerned that
client access could cause serious misunderstanding or harm to the
client. Client access to record or portion thereof, only when there is
compelling evidence that such access could cause serious harm to the
client. Client requests and rationale for withholding should be
documented in client files
b. Protect confidentiality of other individuals in identified or
discussed in records when providing clients access to their records
 • Sexual Relationships
a. Under no circumstances should social workers engage in sexual
contact or activities with current clients, whether consensual or forced
b. Social Workers should not engage in sexual activities with clients’
relatives or others with whom clients maintain a close personal
relationship when there is a risk of exploitation or harm to the client.
Such activity may be harmful to the client and make it difficult to
maintain appropriate professional boundaries
c. Social workers should not engage in sexual contact or activities
with former clients because of the potential for harm to the client.
Social workers – not clients - assume the full burden of demonstrating
that the former client has not been exploited, coerced, or manipulated
in any way, when claiming an exception to this prohibition is
warranted
d. Social workers should not provide clinical services to individuals
with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. Providing
services to a former sexual partner could be harmful to the individual
and obstruct the ability to maintain appropriate professional
boundaries

Physical Contact
a. Social workers should not engage in physical contact with clients
when there is the possibility of psychological harm to the client as a
result (such as cradling or caressing clients). Appropriate physical
contact must be governed by clear, appropriate, and culturally
sensitive boundaries
• Sexual Harassment
a. Social workers should not sexually harass clients. Sexual
harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for
sexual favors, or other sexually-oriented verbal or physical conduct
• Derogatory Language
a. Social workers should not use derogatory language in their written
or verbal communications to or about clients. Social workers should
use accurate and respectful language in such communications
• Payment for Services
a. Fees should be fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the
services performed. Consideration should be given to client’s ability
to pay
b. Social workers should avoid accepting goods or services from
clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements
create the potential for conflicts of interests, exploitation and
inappropriate boundaries in the professional relationship

• Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity

a. Social workers should take reasonable steps to safeguard the
interests and rights of clients who lack capacity to make informed
decisions

• Interruption of Services
a. Make reasonable efforts to assure continuity of services in the
event of interruption by factors such as unavailability, illness,
death, etc.

• Termination of Services
a. Social workers should terminate services and professional
relationship with clients when they are no longer required or serve
clients’ needs or interests
b. Take reasonable steps to avoid abandonment of clients still in need
of services. Assist in making arrangements for continuation of
services when necessary.
c. Fee-for-services clients may be terminated for non-payment if the
financial contractual arrangements were made clear to the client and
client doesn’t pose an imminent danger to self or others and
consequences of nonpayment have been addressed and discussed
d. Do not terminate services to pursue a social, financial, or sexual
relationship with a client
e. Notify clients promptly and arrange options in relation to clients
needs when termination or interruption of services can be anticipated.
f. Inform clients of options when social worker is leaving employment
setting
ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO COLLEAGUES

• Respect
a. Treat colleagues with respect and accurately, fairly represent their
views, qualifications and obligations
b. Avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in
communications with clients or other professionals. This may include
demeaning references to their competence, physical characteristics,
beliefs, etc.
c. Cooperate with colleagues to serve the well-being of clients

• Confidentiality
a. Respect confidential information shared by colleagues. Ensure
that colleagues understand this obligation

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
a. Participate and contribute to team decisions that affect well-being
of clients. Team and its members should establish clear professional
and ethical obligations
b. If team decision raises ethical concerns for social worker, attempt
to resolve through appropriate channels. Failing that, pursue other
avenues to address concerns consistent with client well-being

• Disputes Involving Colleagues

a. Do not take advantage of dispute between colleague and employer
to advance personal interests
c. Do not exploit clients in disputes with colleagues or engage clients
in discussion of conflicts between colleagues

• Consultation
a. Seek advice and counsel of colleagues toward clients’ best interests
b. Stay aware of colleagues’ areas of expertise and seek consultation
from colleagues who have demonstrated expertise related to the
subject of consultation
d. Disclose the least amount of information necessary when
consulting with colleagues about clients
• Referral for Services
a. Refer clients to other professionals when their expertise is needed
to serve client fully or additional service is required because social
worker is not making reasonable progress
b. When referring clients to other professionals, take appropriate steps
to facilitate orderly transfer of responsibility
c. No kickbacks

• Sexual Relationships
a. Supervisors or educators should not engage in any sexual
relationship with someone over whom they exercise professional
authority
b. Avoid sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential
for conflict of interest

• Sexual Harassment
a. Don’t sexually harass supervisees, students, trainees or colleagues

• Impairment of Colleagues
a. If a social worker has direct knowledge of a colleague’s impairment
that interferes with practice effectiveness, they should consult with
that colleague and assist with remedial action
b. If a social worker believes a colleague has not taken adequate steps
to address impairment, he/she should take action through appropriate
channels established by employers, NASW, and other regulatory
bodies

• Incompetence of Colleagues
a. Take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct
a colleague’s unethical conduct
b. Be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for
concerns about colleague’s unethical conduct
c. If a social worker believes that a colleague has acted unethically,
they should seek resolution through discussion with colleague when
feasible
d. If necessary, social workers should take action through appropriate
formal channels if they believe a colleague has acted unethically
e. Defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with
unethical conduct
ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN PRACTICE SETTING

• Supervision and Consultation

a. Social workers who supervise or consult should have the necessary
knowledge or skill and practice only within their area of expertise and
competence
b. Social work supervisors or consultants should set clear, appropriate,
and culturally sensitive boundaries
c. Supervisors should now engage in dual or multiple relationships
with supervisees when there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm
to the supervisee
d. Supervisees performance should evaluated in a fair and respected
manner

• Education and Training

a. Social work educators, instructors, or trainers should provide
instruction based on the most current professional knowledge and
practice only within their area of expertise
b. Social work field instructors or educators should evaluate students’
performance in a fair respectful manner
c. Social work educators and field instructors should take reasonable
steps to ensure clients are routinely informed when services will be
provided by students
d. Social work field instructors or educators should not engage in dual
or multiple relationships with students where there is risk of potential
harm or exploitation of student. Educator/Instructor should set clear,
appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries

• Performance Evaluation
a. On the basis of clearly stated criteria, be fair and considerate when
evaluating the performance of others

• Client Records
a. Ensure that documentation is accurate and reflects provided
services
b. Documentation should be sufficient and timely to facilitate service
delivery and continuity
 c. Documentation should be directly relevant to service delivery and
protect clients’ privacy
e. Social work records should be maintained for time required by
governing statutes and stored to ensure reasonable future access

• Billing
a. Billing practices should accurately reflect source, nature and extent
of provided service

• Client Transfer
a. Carefully consider clients’ needs before accepting referrals from
other providers. Social workers should discuss with potential clients
the nature of clients’ current relationship with other service providers
including possible benefits and risks of entering into a new service
relationship
b. Discuss with client whether consultation with previous provider is
in client’s best interest

• Administration
a. Administrators should advocate for adequate resources to meet
clients’ needs
b. Social workers should advocate for fair and open resource
allocation. When all clients’ needs cannot be met, non-
discriminatory allocation procedures should be developed based on
appropriate, consistent principles
c. Administration should take reasonable steps to ensure adequate
resources for appropriate supervision
d. Administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure working
environment is consistent with and encourage compliance with
NASW CODE OF ETHICS

• Continuing Education and Staff Development

a. Social work administrators and supervisors should provide or
arrange continuing education and staff development addressing
current knowledge and emerging developments

• Commitments to Employers
a. Social workers should adhere to commitments made to employers
 b. Social workers should work to improve agency policies and
procedures and service efficiency and effectiveness.
c. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure employers
are aware of ethical obligations of NASW CODE OF ETHICS
d. Social workers should not allow agencies administration, policies
or orders to interfere with ethical social work practice, but ensure that
practices are consistent with NASW CODE OF ETHICS
e. Prevent and eliminate discrimination in employment policies,
practices and work assignments
f. Accept employment or arrange field placements only in
organizations that exercise fair personnel practice
g. Social workers should be diligent and wise stewards of agency
resources

• Labor-Management Disputes
a. Social workers may engage in organized action, including labor
union participation, to improve client services and working conditions
b. Actions of social workers involved in labor disputes should be
guided by professional ethics, values and standards. Reasonable
differences of opinion exist among professionals concerning primary,
professional obligations during labor disputes. Examine relevant
issues and possible impact on clients before deciding on course of
action
 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS PROFESSIONALS

• Competence
a. Accept employment or responsibility only on the basis of existing
competence or intention to acquire necessary competence
b. Maintain professional proficiency. Keep current and critically
examine emerging professional knowledge. Pursue professional
literature review and continuing education regarding professional
practice and ethics
c. Base practice on recognized knowledge and ethics
d. Base practice on recognized knowledge and ethics

• Discrimination
a. Never practice, condone, facilitate or collaborate with any sort of
discrimination

• Private Conduct
a. Do not allow private conduct to interfere with ability to fulfill
professional responsibilities

• Dishonesty, Fraud and Deception

a. Do not participate in, condone or be associated with ripping
others off

• Impairment
a. Do not allow personal problems to interfere with professional
judgment or personal problems or jeopardize others
b. If personal problems are interfering with professional performance,
get help and make changes

• Misrepresentation
a. Make clear distinction between personal statements and actions and
as representative of profession, employer or other agencies.
Accurately represent official and authorized positions of professional
organizations when speaking on their behalf
 a. Ensure that representation of qualifications, education, etc are
accurate. Take steps to correct inaccuracies or misrepresentation of
credentials by others
• Solicitations
a. Do not solicit vulnerable clients
b. Do not solicit testimonial endorsements from vulnerable clients

• Acknowledging Credit
a. Take credit only for what you have done or contributed to
b. Acknowledge work and contributions of others

ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROFESSION

• Integrity
a. Maintain and promote high practice standards
b. Uphold and advance profession through study and research, active
discussion and responsible criticism
c. Contribute time and expertise to activities that promote profession,
including teaching, legislative participation, community service, etc.
d. Share knowledge and contribute to professional knowledge base
e. Prevent unauthorized and unqualified social work practice

• Evaluation and Research

a. Monitor and evaluate policies, implementation, and interventions
b. Promote and facilitate evaluation and research
c. Critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge and
utilize research evidence
d. When engaged in evaluating and research, carefully consider
institutional review boards
e. consequences and follow appropriate guidelines. Consult
Obtain voluntary and written, informed consent form research
participants
f. When participants are incapable of giving informed consent,
explain, obtain assent per their ability and written consent from
appropriate proxy
g. Never design or conduct research without consent procedures
without rigorous and responsible justification
 h. Inform participants of rights to withdraw at any time without
penalty
i. Ensure that participants have access to appropriate support services
j. Protect participants from distress, harm or deprivation
k. When evaluating services, information should be discussed for
professional purposes only and only with concerned parties
l. Ensure anonymity and confidentiality of research participants and
obtained data. Inform participants about any limits to confidentiality,
measures to ensure confidentiality and when data will be destroyed
m. Omit participants’ identifying information when presenting
research results unless authorized consent has been obtained
n. Report research findings accurately. Do not fabricate data and
correct published errors per standard publication methods
o. Avoid conflicts of interest or dual relationships with research
participants, inform them of potential conflict and resolve conflicts in
a manner that makes participants’ interests primary
p. Educate self, students and colleagues about responsible research
practices

Ethical Responsibilities to Society

• Social Welfare
a. Promote general welfare of society, at all levels for all peoples and
their environments. Advocate for sufficient living conditions.
Promote Social Justice in every sphere

• Public Participation
a. Facilitate informed public participation in shaping social policies
and institutions

• Public Emergencies
a. Provide appropriate professional services to greatest possible
extent.

• Social and Political Action

a. Ensure that all people have equal access to resources, services and
opportunities sufficient to meet their needs and develop fully. Be
aware of the political arena and advocate for change to improve social
conditions and promote social justice
b. Act to expand choice and opportunity for all people and groups
c. Promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social
diversity within America and around the world. Promote policies and
practices that promote respect for differences, support expansion of
cultural resources, advocate for that which promotes cultural
competence. Promote policies that safeguard rights and confirm
equity and social justice
d. Act to prevent and eliminate domination, exploitation, and
discrimination against anyone and everyone.