Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work- Balancing Professional Principles and Personal Values

Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work- Balancing Professional Principles and Personal Values

Realistic scenario based on an ethical dilemma a Social Worker may experience

Jane has recently divorced and is living with her daughter Sonia, who is six years old. Since her divorce, Jane has been struggling to pay her bills because her ex-husband, Bob, only pays Sonia’s school fees. Jane’s house was recently closed because she had not paid rent for a long time. She is now living with her friend, while Sonia is living with her aunt, Bob’s sister. The aunt is concerned about Sonia, and she feels that she should live with her father because her mother cannot give her the kind of life she was used to before the divorce. Sonia is excited about the idea of living with her father and is looking forward to it. The aunt hires a social worker to talk to Jane and convince her to let Bob take Sonia. Jane is not willing to meet the social worker because she wants to maintain custody of her daughter. The aunt is, on the other hand, pressuring the social worker to do whatever it takes to meet with Jane and talk to her about Sonia’s custody because she is having a hard time living with Sonia due to her busy schedule and does not want Sonia to move to her mother’s friend’s place because it is in an unsafe neighborhood.

How I would resolve the ethical dilemma

In the scenario above, the ethical dilemma arises because, as a social worker, I have the responsibility to improve Sonia’s well-being and get informed consent from her mother. One of the ethical responsibilities of a social worker is ensuring that the client provides valid informed consent (National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2021). Based on the information in the scenario above, it is evident that I may not get informed consent from Jane because she fears that she may lose custody of her daughter if she lets her go live with her father. I would, therefore, resolve this ethical dilemma by advising Sonia’s aunt to request Sonia to talk to her mother and assure her that she would start living with her again after she has re-established herself financially. I would also request Sonia’s aunt to advise Sonia to refer her mother to me to guide her on how to adjust to the proposed arrangement.

References

National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2021). NASW – National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

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The NASW Code of Ethics is a set of guiding principles to assist Social Workers in making decisions focused on the best interests of their clients. Sometimes, these principles may contradict what we might do in our personal lives, and these decisions can be difficult. These conflicts are called ethical dilemmas, and they occur when a certain situation calls for the Social Worker to prioritize one ethical principle over another or if a Social Worker’s values conflict with the practices outlined by the social work profession.

Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work- Balancing Professional Principles and Personal Values

Please choose ONE Ethical Standard in the NASW Code of Ethics.
Create a realistic scenario based on an ethical dilemma a Social Worker may experience and explain how you would resolve this ethical dilemma in the role of the Social Worker.