1. Ethics and Professionalism
Department of Social
Washington State
& Health Services

2. Child Welfare Social Work
Personal vs. Professional Values
Know your personal values/biases
Know your role
Ethical Imperatives
Clear professional boundaries
Competence
Integrity
Client self-determination
Confidentiality

3. Ethical Imperative: Professional Boundaries

4. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries
Public employees should not make decisions in order to gain financial or other benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.
RCW , Special privileges
RCW , Gifts
RCW , Limitations on gifts
RCW , Employment after public service

5. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries
Use of State Position
Conflict of Interest
Receiving/exchanging
Money
Gifts
Food or drink
Services
Providing lesser/greater services

6. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries
Use of State Position
A state officer or employee may not use his or her state position to secure special privileges or to grant exemptions to benefit himself, herself, family members, or other persons.

7. Ethical Conduct: Boundaries
Conflict of Interest & Dual Relationships
A conflict of interest occurs when you have a private interest that may benefit from your actions, or when a private interest could interfere with official duties
An interest need not be financial to create a conflict of interest
Most conflicts result from the exercise of discretionary authority

8. Ethical Imperative: Competence

9. Ethical Conduct: Competence
Reasonable knowledge of primary issues of concern
Reasonable knowledge of treatment approaches & their efficacy
Cultural competence
Willingness to seek help and guidance when needed

10. Culturally Competent Practice:
One’s ability to work in a way that is effective given the normative expectations of a given community
A willingness to avoid assumptions and to be interested in cultural factors in the broadest sense
Is a continuing process
Begins with self-awareness
Requires basic knowledge of human diversity

11. Ethical Imperative: Integrity

12. Ethical Conduct: Integrity
Employees in public service should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organizations that might influence them in the performance of their duties.
RCW , Activities incompatible with public duties
RCW , Compensation for official duties or nonperformance
RCW , Compensation for outside activities
RCW , Honoraria

13. Ethical Conduct: Integrity
Objectivity
Public employees must place the public’s interest before any private interest or outside obligation - choices need to made on the merits.
RCW , Activities incompatible with public duties
RCW , Financial interests in transactions
RCW , Assisting in transactions

14. Ethical Conduct: Integrity
Stewardship
Public employees have a duty to conserve public resources and funds against misuse and abuse.
RCW , Special privileges
RCW , Use of persons, money, or property for private gain
RCW , Use of public resources for political campaigns
WAC
Admin Policy 15.15

15. Ethical Conduct: Integrity
Questions to Ask Yourself
Will my use of state resources result in added costs or any other disadvantage to the state?
Am I using this resource in order to avoid personal expense?
Am I confident that my use of state resources will not compromise the security or integrity of state information or software?
Are state resources being used for purposes that could be embarrassing for my agency if reported publicly?

16. The Green Zone
Any Use that is Reasonably Related to Your Official Duties
Combined Fund Campaign

17. The Yellow Zone Personal Use OK Under Limited Circumstances
Really de minimis exceptions
There is little or no cost to the state;
There is no interference with the performance of official duties;
The use is brief in duration and frequency;
The use does not distract from the conduct of state business; and
The use does not disrupt other state employees and does not obligate them to make a personal use of state resources.

18. The Red Zone Prohibited Uses Outside business interests
Commercial uses
Illegal or unprofessional activities
Political activities, including lobbying

19. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
You send s to your friend’s home computer from your state computer regarding personal plans for the weekend.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

20. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
You ran across an article in TIME magazine that you want to share with friends and make several copies using the office’s copier.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

21. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
You send an to your senator opposing the confirmation of a nominee for federal office.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

22. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
Your supervisor approves the use of a state
computer to do course work for a class that
will enhance your skills.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

23. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
You send a brief or make a brief, local call to check on your kids.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

24. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
You access the Internet during a lunch break to check on your stock portfolio and transfer assets to a different fund.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

25. Dilemma Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?
A family moves in next door to you, and you would really like to have her babysit your children, but you’re wondering if she has CPS history. You decide to check for referral history in FamLink.
Is this appropriate stewardship of state resources?

26. Ethical Imperative: Client Self-Determination

27. Ethical Conduct: Client Self-Determination
Know your role
Identification of role at initial contact
Full and complete identification of concerns
Documentation that is accurate and fairly reflects what occurred
Inform clients of possible impacts of their choices
Use motivational interviewing to enhance motivation for change

28. Ethical Imperative: Confidentiality

29. Ethical Conduct: Confidentiality
Keep information confidential
Except in Duty to Warn situation
Mandatory reporting requirements
Inform clients of the limits of confidentiality
Inform all of documentation requirements
Follow special protocols for protected information
HIV
Certain pieces of info when DV is occurring

30. Conclusion: Ethical Choices
What you find is that the tough ethical choices are not between good and evil, but rather between two goods:
Truth versus Loyalty
Individual versus Community
Short-term versus Long-term
Justice versus Mercy