ETHICS AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

WE WILL DISCUSS: Two tools for ethical decision making 1. A model for handling ethical dilemmas 2. “Ethical Principles Screen” Common ethical dilemmas found in social work with organizations & communities

What is an ethical dilemma? “Problematic situations in which ethical principles conflict and a decision must be made concerning the best or most ethical course of action. “ (Kirst-Ashman, 2001, p. 252)

HANDLING ETHICAL DILEMMAS (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2003, Issues and ethics in the helping profession, 6th ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole)

HANDLING ETHICAL DILEMMAS (Corey, Corey & Callanan, 2003) Identify the problem or dilemma, gathering as much information about the situation from as many perspectives as possible. Identify the potential issues involved, determining the core principles and the competing issues. Review the relevant codes of ethics.

HANDLING ETHICAL DILEMMAS Cont. 4.Review the applicable laws and regulations. 5. Consult with TRUSTED colleagues, supervisors, or legal experts. 6. Consider the possible and probable courses of action. 7. Examine the consequences of various options. 8. Decide on a particular course of action, weighing the information you have and the impact of your other choices.

HANDLING ETHICAL DILEMMAS You don’t necessarily need to follow that order. Each task is important. Be careful to document each step of the way. Regardless of what decision making tools you use, you are still responsible for your own behavior and decisions. They ARE hard, that’s why they’re called dilemmas. Get support (without breaking confidentiality)!

Ranking Ethical Principles in order to Solve Dilemmas Loewenberg & Dolgoff (1996) developed an “Ethical Principles Screen” which is a hierarchy of ethical principles to guide decision making.

People have the ethical right to: Life Equality Autonomy Least Harm Quality of Life Privacy Truthfulness

People have the ethical right to: 1. Life When a dilemma includes a life or death variable, one should choose the action that saves a life. What might be an example of this? If an HMO might stop covering drugs to treat AIDS, macro level advocacy campaign would be an ethical response. The clients’ right to life takes precedence over the HMO’s right to decide what medical costs it will cover.

People have the ethical right to: 2. Equality People should be treated fairly and equally. A social worker should honor this principle except in life or death cases. An example? If a food bank is not reaching everyone who is eligible, but there is not enough for all. The people already receiving the food depend on it to live. Usually you would work to stretch it to treat all eligible equally, but not if it meant depriving those whose life depends on it.

People have the right to: Autonomy The right to make one’s own decisions, self determination. Only people’s right to survive & to equal treatment takes precedence over the right to this freedom/autonomy.

People have the right to: “Least harm” People have the right to be protected from injury. Example?

A community decides to build a recreation center for its residents A community decides to build a recreation center for its residents. Two properties are available, one is an open three-acre lot used daily by youth for sports. The other is an abandoned warehouse.

This principle suggests that the warehouse should be chosen because to choose the lot would be a loss or cause injury to the youth who use it.

What are other considerations? (What do the youth think? The location of the lot vs. the location of the warehouse..)

People have the right to: Quality of Life The right to seek and attain a “better quality of life” Only people’s right to survive & to equal treatment & least harm takes precedence over this right.

An example? A program offers single parents job training. Public assistance is ended when they complete the program. But what if the parents are not becoming employed because there are no jobs? Should the program be discontinued? Should the requirements be modified?

People have the right to: Privacy & Confidentiality Everyone has the right not to have their private information made public. An example?

People have the right to: Truthfulness People have the right to know the truth, to have accurate information. An example? Must a social worker show clients any and all documentation concerning them?

Scenario: Limited Resources The management team of a rural social services board has learned that its funding has been cut in half for the next three year budget cycle. The agency has provided day care for working parents, domestic violence shelter, sex education and contraception counseling for teens and a foreign adoptions program.

Which principles apply? Use the Ethical Principles Screen to assist you in deciding how to handle the budget cuts.

People have the right to: Life Equality Autonomy Least Harm Quality of Life Privacy Truthfulness

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Conceptualizing an Ethical Dilemma (Kirst-Ashman, 2009, p. 424) Recognize the problem. Investigate the variables involved. Get input/feedback from others. Appraise values that apply to the dilemma. Evaluate the dilemma on the basis of established ethical principles. Identify & think about possible alternatives to pursue. Weigh the pros and cons of each alternative. Make your decision about what to do.

1. Recognize the Problem Is this significant? Yes? Proceed No? Halt

2. Investigate the variables involved. Which ethical principles are involved? Which ethical principles are in conflict? Who is involved? How are you involved? What is your agency or tribal program involvement? How might your program be affected by resolution or lack of resolution of this dilemma? What other questions or variables might provide you with clues to a workable solution?

3. Get Input From Others If possible, consult with TRUSTED person(s). Discuss different ways of viewing & handling the dilemma. Be careful to not worsen the situation by violating confidentiality. + If it’s a colleague or supervisor, they will understand context. - If it involves colleagues or supervisor, it may be a bad idea.

4. Appraise values that apply to the dilemma. Decide which values or principles apply to the situation. You may realize that it is a problem with an ethical principle to guide your action. Appraise= assess the significance

Evaluate the dilemma on the basis of established ethical principles. Make conscious decisions about which values are more important than others. HOW??? Utilize tools such as “Ethical Principles Screen” (Dolgoff, Loewenberg & Harrison, 2005, p. 65).

State & federal laws… agency & tribal policies What happens when they seem to contradict themselves or human need??