There are a number of ethical dilemmas that arise in the context of social work. The ethical dilemmas are circumstances whereby medical practitioners experience two or more conflicting professional values and the agent must make the right decision concerning the best course of action based on available ethical principles (Allen, 2012). In this essay, we are going to discuss about receipt of gifts and dual relationships as the major ethical dilemmas in the social work context (Bernstein, 2016).
a. the specific ethical issues in the dilemmas
In certain occasions, for instance, some clients may offer special gifts to agents as a way of thanking them based on their early endeavors to provide quality services. Reciprocating by offering gifts might sometimes prove problematic in the social work context since it may constitute a breach of integrity (Bernstein, 2016). Similarly, rejecting the same gift would destroy the relationship between the two parties involved because the agent would hurt the client’s feelings. The key ethical issue in this dilemma is the significance of human relationships since rejecting the offer may either destroy the good rapport between the two individuals or make the patient feel stigmatized. Again, integrity is another ethical issue since health care professionals should always offer their services through healthy and suitable limits. This is because they should act as professional role models throughout the course of building relationships with clients (Bernstein, 2016).
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Still, dual relationships involve intimate relationships between service providers and their clients outside the social work context. This is prohibited in accordance with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Although, the law forbids this, it is difficult to control since some clients and agents are from the same locality and do have intimate life relationships because they meet in different occasions outside the social work (MSWGuide.org., 2018). However, the NASW guidelines recommend the most appropriate ethical and professional ways of relating to the clients in nonprofessional settings. Some of the ethical values and principles involved in this ethical dilemma involve dignity and worth of the person. This implies that social work practitioner should perform his/her duties according to the ethical principles, and professional standards without creating conflicting interests of the client and those of the society.
Furthermore, MSWGuide.org. (2018) provides the significance of human relationships plays a crucial role in case of ethical dilemmas since it is a value that builds trust between the client and the service provider. Hence, conflicting situations arise in case the practitioner reports the prohibited acts of the client. Integrity still manifests itself as a guiding principle in the case of dual relationships (Bernstein, 2016). Therefore, social work practitioners must conduct themselves in the most honest and responsible manner as they stick to the laws and policies of the social work agencies and the larger community. Finally, social work requires social justice. This principle is against the situations where dual relationships manifest themselves to the extent of making the client’s situation become precarious based on past unintended injustices (MSWGuide.org., 2018).
b. criteria used to resolve the ethical dilemmas
There are a number of steps involved in the resolution of the aforesaid ethical dilemmas. For example, consulting the code should be the first guideline. Reading through the NASW code of ethics provides the best conflicting principles and how to handle them in case of dilemmas in the social work practice (MSWGuide.org, 2018). Again, reviewing the state or federal laws is a crucial act that encourages making of sound decisions based on both legal and ethical requirements. Therefore, the social work practitioner can now take the best possible course of action by brainstorming ideas, considering the possible outcomes of various decisions as well as looking into the consequences of inaction. Additionally, it is good to seek supervision in case of doubts or questions regardless of the levels of experiences in the field of social work. The supervisors will provide a better second opinion to aid in making the most appropriate decisions as a guiding principle during the ethical dilemma. Finally, consulting NASW is an equally better step towards solving the ethical dilemma. Being a member of this organization will offer the required support to make such ethical dilemmas have limited impacts on decisions made by the social work practitioner (MSWGuide.org, 2018). Therefore, the practitioner can discuss the dilemma with a more experienced professional though without disclosing the identity of the client; thus, providing professional guidance on how to best handle the situation.
c. Who should resolve the ethical dilemma?
It is the responsibility of the social worker to solve any ethical dilemma arising within the social work sector. This is because it is his/her sole concern to consider what is legal, the recommendations of the code of ethics and what is good for the members of the community for the better good of the society.
d. Who will benefit from the resolution of the ethical dilemma?
Both the social worker and the client will benefit from the resolution of arising ethical dilemmas. The social worker will offer the services based on the codes of conduct and guiding principles of the NASW guidelines while the latter will get justice from concerning the quality of services offered.
e. What are the various options for resolving the ethical dilemma? How do you decide which resolution is best?
Other options include considering the legalities, reviewing the code of ethics, getting input, and finally considering the pros and cons of the actions taken. Consulting senior professionals will ensure that the social worker decides on the best possible resolution to be used in resolving an ethical dilemma.
References
Allen, K. (2012). The New Social Worker. The Social Work Careers Magazine. Retrieved 17/7/2018 from http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/What_Is_an_Ethical_Dilemma%3F/
Bernstein, R. (2016). Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work. Retrieved 17/7/2018 from http://online.brescia.edu/social-work-news/ethical-dilemmas-in-social-work/
MSWGuide.org. (2018). Social Work Ethics: 5 Common Dilemmas and How to Handle Them Responsibly. Blog. Retrieved 17/7/2018 from https://www.mswguide.org/blog/social-work-ethics/
