Fall 2010 Social Work Interns: Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice
Each week students will answer one of the following Questions for Discussion. The Questions for Discussion will be peer reviewed. Complete instructions are located in the course syllabus and in the students Blackboard account. Each student will answer one question from the list below for each chapter. No two students should answer the same question. Be sure to include the page number in the textbook which assisted youwith your answer (this is very important in order for the student to earn credit for their response). The questions and the answers will be used as a study guide for quizzes and exams. Students will earn a unit grade based on their postings and the quality of their postings bytheir peers. SPECIAL NOTE ON GRADING FOR THIS UNIT - You may not wait until theday before the deadline and complete multiple questions or post multiple comments. Five (5) points will be deducted from the students final grade for each and every late comment or posting. The instructor will check on a weekly basis and place reduction points in Blackboard. At the end of the semester a paper magazine will be created to provide an outlet for students in the field of social work to share their unique experiences and perspective with faculty and fellow students in the area of Social Work Ethics.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Student Summary
After you have finished answering all of the questions please post your OVERALL comments about the assignment ! Answer each question. Spelling and grammar count. Thank you!
1. So what did you think?
2. I was interested in this assignment.
3. I learned something from this assignment.
4. The technology was easy to use.
5. It was clear what I was supposed to do.(if not please be specific)
6. I would tell another student that they might find this task useful.
7. What did you like the most?
8. What didn't you like?
9. Other Comments:
1. So what did you think?
2. I was interested in this assignment.
3. I learned something from this assignment.
4. The technology was easy to use.
5. It was clear what I was supposed to do.(if not please be specific)
6. I would tell another student that they might find this task useful.
7. What did you like the most?
8. What didn't you like?
9. Other Comments:
Chapter 13 Whose Responsibility Are Professional Ethics?
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss the ethical risks associated with conducting agency risk audits.
2. Discuss the debate in social work practice concerning what constitutes appropriate ethical practice.
3. Explain the procedures for reporting unethical behavior by a social worker.
4. What is a client’s bill of rights and why is it necessary?
5. Review with the class the meaning of accountability (who is accountable, and once found accountable what the process is); risk assessment, training, professional complain procedures, etc…, to deal with the problem.
6. Discuss whether or not students feel that social workers attain knowledge and skills that allow them to contribute effectively in ethical discussions involving social workers and clients.
7. According to Dolgoff et al (2008) ethical decision-making begins with familiarity with the Code of Ethics as well as the clarification of one’s own values. Discuss any areas in which your personal values conflict with the Code of Ethics. What do you plan to do if confronted with such a situation?
8. Conduct and facilitate a mock peer review meeting with all students sharing a case in the past or present to see how the process works. Discuss with the students whether they felt the process benefited them or did not benefit them.
9. Ask the students to create their own patient bill of right’s and then compare their ideas with a real copy of a client’s bill of rights. Discuss the similarities and differences.
10. Peer review meetings are important because…
11. Agency risk audits are conducted for which of the following reasons?
12. Discuss-Among NASW members, there is much confusion and disagreement as to what constitutes appropriate ethical practice.
1. Discuss the ethical risks associated with conducting agency risk audits.
2. Discuss the debate in social work practice concerning what constitutes appropriate ethical practice.
3. Explain the procedures for reporting unethical behavior by a social worker.
4. What is a client’s bill of rights and why is it necessary?
5. Review with the class the meaning of accountability (who is accountable, and once found accountable what the process is); risk assessment, training, professional complain procedures, etc…, to deal with the problem.
6. Discuss whether or not students feel that social workers attain knowledge and skills that allow them to contribute effectively in ethical discussions involving social workers and clients.
7. According to Dolgoff et al (2008) ethical decision-making begins with familiarity with the Code of Ethics as well as the clarification of one’s own values. Discuss any areas in which your personal values conflict with the Code of Ethics. What do you plan to do if confronted with such a situation?
8. Conduct and facilitate a mock peer review meeting with all students sharing a case in the past or present to see how the process works. Discuss with the students whether they felt the process benefited them or did not benefit them.
9. Ask the students to create their own patient bill of right’s and then compare their ideas with a real copy of a client’s bill of rights. Discuss the similarities and differences.
10. Peer review meetings are important because…
11. Agency risk audits are conducted for which of the following reasons?
12. Discuss-Among NASW members, there is much confusion and disagreement as to what constitutes appropriate ethical practice.
Chapter 12 Changing World, Changing Dilemmas
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss how managed care organizations limit therapeutic services for clients.
2. Discuss the types of ethical dilemmas that are created by managed care organizations.
3. Define what client dumping is, how it occurs, and why it occurs.
4. Discuss the ethical implications of client dumping.
5. As a macro practitioner, to whom do your loyalties belong? (the agency, the community in general, the human service agencies within the community, the community’s population, your friends)
6. List and discuss the options that therapists choose when insurance coverage ends.
7. Discuss Caputo’s (1991), ethical framework for electronic communications.
8. Many funding sources now require that agencies provide outcome data in order to continue receiving funding. Discuss some of the ethical issues that might come up in an agency that is required to prove the effectiveness of its various programs.
9. Discuss the policy implications of managed care, how it effects practice, and relate it back to chapter 11 where it is discussed that misdiagnosis is often intentional on the part of the practitioner.
10. Discuss what students feel a therapist should do if a client who needs continued treatment has reached the maximum on his annual or lifetime benefits but is unable to pay for services.
11. Research knowledge, clinical expertise, and client values are all integrated in evidence-based practice. Discuss the five steps a practitioner needs to perform in evidence-based practice.
12. Discuss what you believe is the ethical thing to do when a client can no longer pay the therapist’s fee.
1. Discuss how managed care organizations limit therapeutic services for clients.
2. Discuss the types of ethical dilemmas that are created by managed care organizations.
3. Define what client dumping is, how it occurs, and why it occurs.
4. Discuss the ethical implications of client dumping.
5. As a macro practitioner, to whom do your loyalties belong? (the agency, the community in general, the human service agencies within the community, the community’s population, your friends)
6. List and discuss the options that therapists choose when insurance coverage ends.
7. Discuss Caputo’s (1991), ethical framework for electronic communications.
8. Many funding sources now require that agencies provide outcome data in order to continue receiving funding. Discuss some of the ethical issues that might come up in an agency that is required to prove the effectiveness of its various programs.
9. Discuss the policy implications of managed care, how it effects practice, and relate it back to chapter 11 where it is discussed that misdiagnosis is often intentional on the part of the practitioner.
10. Discuss what students feel a therapist should do if a client who needs continued treatment has reached the maximum on his annual or lifetime benefits but is unable to pay for services.
11. Research knowledge, clinical expertise, and client values are all integrated in evidence-based practice. Discuss the five steps a practitioner needs to perform in evidence-based practice.
12. Discuss what you believe is the ethical thing to do when a client can no longer pay the therapist’s fee.
Chapter 11 Social Work with Selected Client Groups
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss the debate within the social work profession concerning a therapist’s duty to warn a partner that they may be infected with HIV.
2. Discuss some of the costs to society that domestic violence has (judicial, medical, shelter, etc).
3. Discuss the types of ethical dilemmas that are created by managed care organizations.
4. NASW feels that client self-determination should apply to all aspects of life and death, and affirms the right of any individual to direct his or her care wishes at the end of life (Social Work Speaks Abstracts, 2007). What are your feelings related to social workers’ role in presenting clients with end-of-life options?
5. List the pros and cons of patient-assisted suicide in regards to the 1999 NASW Code of Ethics.
6. Discuss how omitting consideration of spiritual or religious orientations that are important to clients can limit the effectiveness of the social worker’s efforts.
7. Can therapeutic alliances be developed online? Discuss some of the benefits to online therapy verses face-to-face therapy.
8. Discuss the class the current debate in the mental health profession regarding whether or not a social worker has a duty to warn a partner if their client disclosed they are HIV positive and have not informed their partner.
9. Discuss what a social worker should do when managed care will not reimburse unless there is a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. Is it ethical to misdiagnose in order for the client to receive needed services?
10. Discuss how the following issues can be ethically addressed in online sessions: explaining the limits of confidentiality and mandated reporting laws; obtaining informed consent; providing the fee structure; discussing record-keeping, and security measures and termination policies.
11. Discuss the many forms of domestic violence: who it involves, who the client is, and what the treatment outcomes are.
12. Discuss the inconsistency between Standard 1.02 of the Code, which asserts that social workers have a responsibility to limit self-determination when people pose a serious risk to themselves or others, and the NASW Standards for Palliative and End of Life Care.
1. Discuss the debate within the social work profession concerning a therapist’s duty to warn a partner that they may be infected with HIV.
2. Discuss some of the costs to society that domestic violence has (judicial, medical, shelter, etc).
3. Discuss the types of ethical dilemmas that are created by managed care organizations.
4. NASW feels that client self-determination should apply to all aspects of life and death, and affirms the right of any individual to direct his or her care wishes at the end of life (Social Work Speaks Abstracts, 2007). What are your feelings related to social workers’ role in presenting clients with end-of-life options?
5. List the pros and cons of patient-assisted suicide in regards to the 1999 NASW Code of Ethics.
6. Discuss how omitting consideration of spiritual or religious orientations that are important to clients can limit the effectiveness of the social worker’s efforts.
7. Can therapeutic alliances be developed online? Discuss some of the benefits to online therapy verses face-to-face therapy.
8. Discuss the class the current debate in the mental health profession regarding whether or not a social worker has a duty to warn a partner if their client disclosed they are HIV positive and have not informed their partner.
9. Discuss what a social worker should do when managed care will not reimburse unless there is a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. Is it ethical to misdiagnose in order for the client to receive needed services?
10. Discuss how the following issues can be ethically addressed in online sessions: explaining the limits of confidentiality and mandated reporting laws; obtaining informed consent; providing the fee structure; discussing record-keeping, and security measures and termination policies.
11. Discuss the many forms of domestic violence: who it involves, who the client is, and what the treatment outcomes are.
12. Discuss the inconsistency between Standard 1.02 of the Code, which asserts that social workers have a responsibility to limit self-determination when people pose a serious risk to themselves or others, and the NASW Standards for Palliative and End of Life Care.
Chapter 10 Organizational and Work Relationships
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. The book provides six actions a social worker can take upon learning that a colleague has engaged in unethical behaviors. List and discuss four of the six options.
2. Explain why a social worker is faced with an ethical dilemma when they discover that the policies of the agency they work for are not ethical.
3. Explain in detail how you would assess the following situation:
Your supervisor is going away for two weeks and asks you to stay at her home to take care of her animals and keep an eye on the house. She offers you $200.00 for your assistance.
4. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the concepts of direct liability and vicarious liability.
5. The goals and objectives of some organizations are not always congruent with the values of the social work profession. To whom should a social worker be committed: the employing agency, the client, or themselves? Provide rationale for your decision.
6. List and discuss the responsibilities of a supervisor.
7. Discuss the Exemplar 10.2 Failure to Report a Case of Child Abuse (page 165), and how a report could affect the therapeutic relationship.
8. Engage the class in a discussion of both the positive and negative experiences they have had with supervisors in their past and present placements.
9. Discuss with the class what a social worker should do if their ethics and values are in conflict with the ethics and values of a member of their consulting team who is from another profession.
10. If an administrator renames “recreation services” to “respite services” because government funding for recreation is dropped, an illusion of compliance is achieved by playing semantics games; is this ethical behavior?
11. Discuss with the class what each member feels her responsibility is when she learns that a colleague has violated the Code of Ethics.
12. Ask the students to list what qualities they look for in a supervisor and discuss these qualities as a class.
1. The book provides six actions a social worker can take upon learning that a colleague has engaged in unethical behaviors. List and discuss four of the six options.
2. Explain why a social worker is faced with an ethical dilemma when they discover that the policies of the agency they work for are not ethical.
3. Explain in detail how you would assess the following situation:
Your supervisor is going away for two weeks and asks you to stay at her home to take care of her animals and keep an eye on the house. She offers you $200.00 for your assistance.
4. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the concepts of direct liability and vicarious liability.
5. The goals and objectives of some organizations are not always congruent with the values of the social work profession. To whom should a social worker be committed: the employing agency, the client, or themselves? Provide rationale for your decision.
6. List and discuss the responsibilities of a supervisor.
7. Discuss the Exemplar 10.2 Failure to Report a Case of Child Abuse (page 165), and how a report could affect the therapeutic relationship.
8. Engage the class in a discussion of both the positive and negative experiences they have had with supervisors in their past and present placements.
9. Discuss with the class what a social worker should do if their ethics and values are in conflict with the ethics and values of a member of their consulting team who is from another profession.
10. If an administrator renames “recreation services” to “respite services” because government funding for recreation is dropped, an illusion of compliance is achieved by playing semantics games; is this ethical behavior?
11. Discuss with the class what each member feels her responsibility is when she learns that a colleague has violated the Code of Ethics.
12. Ask the students to list what qualities they look for in a supervisor and discuss these qualities as a class.
Chapter 9 The Professional Relationship: Limits, Dilemmas, and Problems
Each student will select one question to answer. You must include the page number in the book which assisted you with your answer. Each student will comment on two of their peers responses. No two students may answer the same question.
1. Discuss the two opposing views of the social work profession in regards to Gewirth’s principle of Generic Consistency.
2. Create five examples of dual-role relationships and explain why each one could constitute an ethical dilemma.
3. Discuss what consequences could arise for a client if engaged in a sexual relationship with a therapist.
4. Explain the argument by some social workers that a sexual relationship with a client in certain circumstances is beneficial to treatment.
5. Is therapist self-disclosure to a client ethical? Why or why not?
6. Using the list of reasons to lie to a client provided on the top of page 152, discuss with the class which ones they feel are ethical reasons for being dishonest and why they feel this way.
7. Have students discuss their feelings about the limited personal privacy for a client (that the professional does not control the data provided by the client) and how, if at all, that impacts the therapeutic relationship.
8. Discuss feelings related to using dishonesty when it is in the client’s interest (such as presenting a wrong diagnosis so as to be able to provide services that the client is in need of that would otherwise not be available).
9. Discuss the debate in the social work profession about sexual relations with clients and why some social workers feel it is appropriate in specific instances.
10. Using Table 9.1 Frequency and Percentages of Incidents and Perceived Appropriateness of Behavior of Social Work Professionals, on page 148, give the class an opportunity to take this as an exam; have them list “yes” or “no” in regards to whether they feel it is appropriate or not. Do not have them put their names on the quiz. Have the students hand in their quizzes and then tally the numbers of yes and no responses per each question. Discuss the results.
11. Answer the following questions based on the vignette below.
Alex is a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts. He is a forensic social worker in a state mental hospital, working solely with patients who have been deemed not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Alex is informed by admissions that he will be receiving another NGRI patient; a 27-year-old Caucasian female named Zoe Taylor. He immediately recognizes the name as an old girlfriend of two years, who he had a sexual relationship with that ended four years prior. Zoe has murdered her husband by shooting him point blank in the chest with a shotgun in front of her son. She shot him because he has been cheating on her with multiple partners. Because Alex was once involved with Zoe and still has unresolved feelings for her, he immediately sets up a transfer for Zoe to be held at the local county jail. Alex never informed his supervisor of his prior relationship with Zoe. Alex goes to see Zoe in the prison three days per week to discuss her case and to have sex. A prison guard walks in on Alex and Zoe in the act of intercourse and reports the behavior to Alex’s supervisor at the hospital. Alex’s supervisor is the clinical director of the hospital and Alex’s best friend. He feels Alex made an error in judgment that can be dealt with in supervision thus no report of sexually inappropriate behavior on the part of Alex was ever reported to NASW.
1. What was Alex’ responsibility to the hospital, himself, and Zoe when the admission call was initiated?
2. Are there any dual-role relationships in the vignette? If so, how many and between whom?
12. Answer the following questions based on the vignette below.
Alex is a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts. He is a forensic social worker in a state mental hospital, working solely with patients who have been deemed not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Alex is informed by admissions that he will be receiving another NGRI patient; a 27-year-old Caucasian female named Zoe Taylor. He immediately recognizes the name as an old girlfriend of two years, who he had a sexual relationship with that ended four years prior. Zoe has murdered her husband by shooting him point blank in the chest with a shotgun in front of her son. She shot him because he has been cheating on her with multiple partners. Because Alex was once involved with Zoe and still has unresolved feelings for her, he immediately sets up a transfer for Zoe to be held at the local county jail. Alex never informed his supervisor of his prior relationship with Zoe. Alex goes to see Zoe in the prison three days per week to discuss her case and to have sex. A prison guard walks in on Alex and Zoe in the act of intercourse and reports the behavior to Alex’s supervisor at the hospital. Alex’s supervisor is the clinical director of the hospital and Alex’s best friend. He feels Alex made an error in judgment that can be dealt with in supervision thus no report of sexually inappropriate behavior on the part of Alex was ever reported to NASW.
3. What was the responsibility of the prison guard who discovered Alex and Zoe engaging in intercourse?
4. What was the responsibility of the hospital’s clinical director?
1. Discuss the two opposing views of the social work profession in regards to Gewirth’s principle of Generic Consistency.
2. Create five examples of dual-role relationships and explain why each one could constitute an ethical dilemma.
3. Discuss what consequences could arise for a client if engaged in a sexual relationship with a therapist.
4. Explain the argument by some social workers that a sexual relationship with a client in certain circumstances is beneficial to treatment.
5. Is therapist self-disclosure to a client ethical? Why or why not?
6. Using the list of reasons to lie to a client provided on the top of page 152, discuss with the class which ones they feel are ethical reasons for being dishonest and why they feel this way.
7. Have students discuss their feelings about the limited personal privacy for a client (that the professional does not control the data provided by the client) and how, if at all, that impacts the therapeutic relationship.
8. Discuss feelings related to using dishonesty when it is in the client’s interest (such as presenting a wrong diagnosis so as to be able to provide services that the client is in need of that would otherwise not be available).
9. Discuss the debate in the social work profession about sexual relations with clients and why some social workers feel it is appropriate in specific instances.
10. Using Table 9.1 Frequency and Percentages of Incidents and Perceived Appropriateness of Behavior of Social Work Professionals, on page 148, give the class an opportunity to take this as an exam; have them list “yes” or “no” in regards to whether they feel it is appropriate or not. Do not have them put their names on the quiz. Have the students hand in their quizzes and then tally the numbers of yes and no responses per each question. Discuss the results.
11. Answer the following questions based on the vignette below.
Alex is a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts. He is a forensic social worker in a state mental hospital, working solely with patients who have been deemed not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Alex is informed by admissions that he will be receiving another NGRI patient; a 27-year-old Caucasian female named Zoe Taylor. He immediately recognizes the name as an old girlfriend of two years, who he had a sexual relationship with that ended four years prior. Zoe has murdered her husband by shooting him point blank in the chest with a shotgun in front of her son. She shot him because he has been cheating on her with multiple partners. Because Alex was once involved with Zoe and still has unresolved feelings for her, he immediately sets up a transfer for Zoe to be held at the local county jail. Alex never informed his supervisor of his prior relationship with Zoe. Alex goes to see Zoe in the prison three days per week to discuss her case and to have sex. A prison guard walks in on Alex and Zoe in the act of intercourse and reports the behavior to Alex’s supervisor at the hospital. Alex’s supervisor is the clinical director of the hospital and Alex’s best friend. He feels Alex made an error in judgment that can be dealt with in supervision thus no report of sexually inappropriate behavior on the part of Alex was ever reported to NASW.
1. What was Alex’ responsibility to the hospital, himself, and Zoe when the admission call was initiated?
2. Are there any dual-role relationships in the vignette? If so, how many and between whom?
12. Answer the following questions based on the vignette below.
Alex is a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts. He is a forensic social worker in a state mental hospital, working solely with patients who have been deemed not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI). Alex is informed by admissions that he will be receiving another NGRI patient; a 27-year-old Caucasian female named Zoe Taylor. He immediately recognizes the name as an old girlfriend of two years, who he had a sexual relationship with that ended four years prior. Zoe has murdered her husband by shooting him point blank in the chest with a shotgun in front of her son. She shot him because he has been cheating on her with multiple partners. Because Alex was once involved with Zoe and still has unresolved feelings for her, he immediately sets up a transfer for Zoe to be held at the local county jail. Alex never informed his supervisor of his prior relationship with Zoe. Alex goes to see Zoe in the prison three days per week to discuss her case and to have sex. A prison guard walks in on Alex and Zoe in the act of intercourse and reports the behavior to Alex’s supervisor at the hospital. Alex’s supervisor is the clinical director of the hospital and Alex’s best friend. He feels Alex made an error in judgment that can be dealt with in supervision thus no report of sexually inappropriate behavior on the part of Alex was ever reported to NASW.
3. What was the responsibility of the prison guard who discovered Alex and Zoe engaging in intercourse?
4. What was the responsibility of the hospital’s clinical director?
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