The Right Decision?

Students struggling to reach the “right” decision are often surprised to learn that among experienced social workers, there may be no consensus on one “preferred” course of action (review the first few pages of the NASW Code of Ethics). In practice classes, students often learn that there is typically a preferred skill, practice approach, or model to apply based on case circumstances. The relative certainty of practice decisions feels safer than the uncertainty of struggling with and resolving ethical dilemmas. Becoming accustomed to the uncertainties associated with resolving ethical dilemmas is a target that many social workers fail to strike.

Keep in mind that the goal of sound ethical reasoning is not to reach the “right” solution but rather to rationally and systematically consider the ethical aspects of a case and to be clear about the basis on which the decision was made. This involves a process of deconstruction and contemplation that enables you to consciously articulate the reasoning behind your choice of action. You must be able to explain and justify that the decision you reached protected the client’s rights and served the client’s best interests, and that you upheld the values and standards of the profession.

This case example is presented to stimulate interest in the subject of ethical decision making and is designed to encourage students and new social workers to discuss and debate ethical dilemmas with peers and colleagues. Finding out what others think or would do in a case such as this will help you to clarify your position and will sharpen your ethical reasoning skills. Discuss this case (or another ethical dilemma you are facing in your practice) at the lunch table, bring it into the classroom for discussion, or deliberate on it in a supervisory session. Ask questions, reach to see things through the lens of others who have a stake in the outcome of the decision, and be open to the positions and value preferences of colleagues.

As social workers, we are in close agreement about upholding standards related to client confidentiality, fostering self-determination, promoting the dignity and worth of the client, and acting in a trustworthy manner with clients. There is less agreement about how to translate these into practice, particularly when one of these commitments can be served only at the expense of another. Since “the NASW Code of Ethics does not specify which values, principles, and standards are most important and ought to outweigh others in instances where they conflict” (NASW Code of Ethics, p. 2) and “does not provide a set of rules that prescribes how social workers should act in all situations” (NASW Code of Ethics, p. 2), social workers must develop skills to systematically analyze ethical dilemmas and, on a case by case basis, carefully assess which action they determine to be more incumbent over the others.

Reference

National Association of Social Workers (1999). Code of ethics. Washington, D.C.: Author.

Marian Mattison, DSW, ACSW, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work at Providence College in Providence, RI. She has conducted numerous workshops on the subject of ethical decision making and has written articles on this subject.

Copyright © 2003 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. From THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, Spring 2003, Vol. 10, No. 2. For reprints of this or other articles from THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER (or for permission to reprint), contact Linda Grobman, publisher/editor, at P.O. Box 5390, Harrisburg, PA 17110-0390, or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .