Ethical Considerations for Child Welfare Practice Amber R. Hebert, LCSW-BACS Louisiana State University

Presenter Bio Amber R. Hebert earned an MSW in 2003 and is a second year doctoral student at Louisiana State University School of Social Work. She currently supervises behavioral health services at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. Prior to working in the Correctional Center, Ms. Hebert was a high school teacher and foster care case manager. She also provided private family practice services, custody evaluations, and parenting coordination as requested by the 15th and 16th Judicial Districts. She enjoys working with chronically mentally ill offenders and looks forward to conducting research that will advance services to underserved populations.

Objectives The participants will be able to identify ethics guidelines and consider applicable practice standards in ethical decision-making strategies; The participants will be able to identify ethical responsibilities to clients (drawn from NASW Code of Ethics); The participants will be able to identify at least 5 common ethics violations in child welfare practice, regardless of practice setting; and The participants will gain knowledge of how to identify ethical dilemmas in routine practice.

eth·ics /’eTHiks/ Noun moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior. the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.

vir·tue /ˈvərCHo͞o/ Noun. Moral excellence; goodness; righteousness Conformity of one’s life and conduct to moral and ethical principles A particular moral excellence

Virtues, values & character ethics Adams, P. (2009). Ethics with Character: Virtues and the ethical social worker. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 3, 83-105. Virtues, values & character ethics Decision making models, professional codes & procedures Adams, 2009

Purpose of Ethics Education Stimulate the moral imagination & alert to the dimensions of theory & practice Develop analytic skills in identifying & dealing with issues as they arise Elicit a sense of moral obligation and personal responsibility for our value choices & decisions Develop the ability to respond to ethical controversy and ambiguity   Gray, M. & Gibbons, J. (2007). There are no answers, only choices: Teaching ethical decision making in social work. Australian Social Work, 60(2), 222- 238.

NASW Code of Ethics Ethical Principles Service Social Justice Dignity & Worth of the Person Importance of Human Relationships Integrity Competence

Ethical Responsibilities to Clients Social Workers’ primary responsibility is to promote the wellbeing of their client. Commitment to Clients Self- Determination Informed Consent Competence Cultural Competence Conflicts of Interest Privacy & Confidentiality Access to Records Sexual Relationships Physical Contact Sexual Harassment Derogatory Language Payment for Services Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity Interruption of Services Termination of Services

Common Ethical Dilemmas Cultural considerations Boundaries Personal bias Below standard of care Personal values versus agency policy Administrative decisions as ethical dilemmas

Louisiana State University School of Social Work Go Forth & Be Ethical! Amber R. Hebert, LCSW-BACS AmberHebertLCSW@yahoo.com Louisiana State University School of Social Work