Social Work Ethics Day to Day: Guidelines for Professional Practice

How do professional social workers resolve the ethical dilemmas that occur daily while making sure that their clients get the help they need? Professional social workers, attempting to fulfill the needs of their clients, face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis and make practice decisions with incomplete information in situations that present irreconcilable and irresolvable problems. Yet social workers entering the profession are frequently unprepared for the complex ethical issues with which they must cope. This book examines conflicts in social work ethics as they arise in daily professional practice. Wells and Masch use a selected urban agency, an early intervention center for handicapped children, as a springboard for discussion and as an illustration of the ethical issues. In addition they show how the social worker actually resolves these problems on a daily basis. Each chapter examines one of the six major principles of the Social Work Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, exploring both the general issues each principle attempts to address and, through case studies, the significant and often problematic nature of the principles. A collaborative effort drawing on academic and professional experience, Social Work Ethics Day to Day offers both solid scholarship and discussions that are practical, contemporary, and down to earth. The crisp, informal writing style and clear organization make the book easily accessible.