Tag: Social work

Ethical Principles in the NASW Code of Ethics

Ethical Principles in the NASW Code of Ethics

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) code of ethics refers to a set of standards which inform the professional code of conduct to be followed by all social workers. It provides a set of principles, standards, and values to guide the everyday conduct and decision-making of social workers. The ethical principles in the NASW code of ethics are based on the values of integrity, competence, social justice, the significance of human relationships, and service. Since 1996, the NASW Delegate Assembly approved the first and most substantive revision on 4th August 2017. The 2021 update entails language which addresses how important self-care is. Additionally, amendments to the standard of cultural competence give more direction to people in the social work profession. The purpose of this essay is to discuss two ethical principles in the NASW code of ethics including social justice and the dignity and worth of the individual.

Social Workers Should Challenge Social Injustice

First, it is the responsibility of social workers to pursue social change in a given society. Social workers are mostly tasked with protecting oppressed individuals, vulnerable groups, and other groups of people. Social injustice has to do with taking action in situations that infringe on the rights of a given group of people. Social change impacted by social workers focuses mostly on issues of discrimination, unemployment, poverty, among other forms of injustice(Byers & Shapiro, 2019). The activities carried out by social workers help to promote knowledge and sensitivity about cultural diversity, ethnic diversity, and oppression. Additionally, social workers work to ensure there is access to the services, information, and resources that are required by people. Furthermore, they ensure there is meaningful participation and equality of opportunity when it comes to matters of making decisions for all people. Social work is cognizant of the fact that society is faced with many social injustices hence the need for professional social workers to know about these injustices to enable them to work towards change.

Social Workers Should Show Respect for the Worth and Dignity of an Individual

Another principle in the NASW code of ethics is that social workers must recognize the worth and dignity of other people. Social workers are required to treat every person they come across in a respectful and caring fashion (Willis & Molina, (2019). Additionally, social workers are required to be mindful of the individual differences and ethnic and cultural diversity of other individuals. Notably, they should strive to promote clients who are socially responsible and determined. Social workers also enhance the capacity of clients to resolve their problems hence bringing social change. Moreover, social workers should recognize that their play a dual role not only to their clients but also towards the broader society. It is the duty of social workers to resolve any disputes occurring between the interest of their clients and the broader society. Social workers should resolve disputes in a manner socially responsible and consistent with ethical principles, ethical standards, and values of the profession. Supporting this principle is imperative because respect is a value that is crucial in navigating all aspects of the practices of social science.

In conclusion, the NASW Code of Ethics provides a set of principles, standards, and values to guide the everyday conduct and decision-making of social workers. Social justice and observing the worth and dignity of other individuals are some of the codes of ethics laid out by NASW. Social workers are responsible with protecting oppressed individuals, vulnerable groups, and other groups of people. Social workers are required to treat every person they come across in a respectful and caring fashion and to be mindful of the individual differences and ethnic and cultural diversity of other individuals.

References

Byers, D. S., & Shapiro, J. R. (2019). Renewing the ethics of care for social work under the Trump administration. Social work, 64(2), 175-180.

Willis, N. G., & Molina, V. (2019). Self-care and the social worker: Taking our place in the code. Social work, 64(1), 83-86.

Discuss why the generalist model became the operational model in social work

Discuss why the generalist model became the operational model in social work

Construct an essay on the generalist model of 750-1,000 words and include the following:
1. Explain the generalist model.
2. Discuss why the generalist model became the operational model in social work.
3. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages to the social worker in using the generalist model.
Be sure to cite at least three relevant scholarly sources in support of your content.

The Generalist Model
The practice of social work has undeniably undergone numerous and continued changes that reflect the positions of various policymakers. Social work was mainly invented to aid in the alleviation of social problems while working closely with institutions, communities, families, and individuals. The late 1960s and ’70s saw the evaluation of the conceptual frameworks and content of social work given the surrounding social and political climate then (Miller, Tice, & Hall, 2008). This assessment culminated in the genesis of the Generalist model. The generalist model primarily focuses on how individuals interact with their environment while ensuring the integration of the community organization, group work, and casework (Miller et al., 2008). Additionally, practitioners can choose to employ the model in a manner that considers social work in four main systems including the action system, the target system, the change medium system, and the client system. Through this model, policies are formulated to ensure strategic changes that cover three main aspects, namely the connection between individuals and their environment, the environment, and the individual.
The generalist model seeks to address individuals’ concerns in the community with respect to their environment. That is, the model offers a platform through which the relevant professionals employ a set of critically thought-out strategies that tailor social work practice to the concerned persons (Raeymaeckers, 2016). The model provides a crucial lens that views how the individual-environment interaction influences the subject- positively or negatively. As such, the generalist model necessitates that social workers have adequate knowledge regarding human diversity and development (Raeymaeckers, 2016). These aspects would consequently ensure that any issues presented by an individual are adequately addressed irrespective of their stage of life or background.
The generalist model became the operational approach of choice given its capacity to essentially accommodate various aspects of social work. Firstly, the generalist model allows for the integration and dynamic interrelationship between thought processes and action (Raeymaeckers, 2016). By that, the model equips practitioners with frameworks that extend beyond the client as the target of intervention. The integration of various levels of organization is also enhanced by the model. That is, the model takes care of target groups ranging from the micro to the macro levels (Miller et al., 2008). The employment of the model enhances the actualization and realization of the set action plans.
Another basis underpinning the choosing of the generalist model appears to be its employability in the management of dynamic systems. Systems are dynamic and are thus bound to change in character ranging from the client to environmental factors. The efficiency of any target intervention system, for the most part, lies in its ability to facilitate a relationship with the client system such that individuals remain open to discussing their issues without fear of vulnerability (Raeymaeckers, 2016). This aspect thus favored the consideration of the generalist model as the operational approach in social work practice. Additionally, the model allows the practitioners to sufficiently cover the essential steps of the interventional process. these steps include follow-up, termination, evaluation, implementation, planning, assessment, and engagement (Raeymaeckers, 2016). As such, the model enhances the realization of the purpose and goals of social work practice.
One advantage of the generalist model approach is the capability of the social work practitioners to handle complex issues. Unlike specialization which is mostly characterized by specialists’ inability to handle the commonly termed ‘wicked problems’ (Raeymaeckers, 2016). Additionally, generalist practice enables professionals to have a broad overview of the clients’ problems in their entirety. That is, generalist practitioners arguably possess a significant level of knowledge and skills outside a given specialty (Raeymaeckers, 2016). As such, they are in a better position to handle a cocktail of problems presented to them by an individual at ago. Clients attended to by generalist practitioners thus elicit higher levels of responsiveness to the target interventions employed (Raeymaeckers, 2016). Therefore, generalist practitioners could obtain an adequate assessment and follow-up of a single client with multiple problems given their capacity to handle such complex issues.
However, generalist practitioners may be disadvantaged given their broad scope of practice. Generalist social workers handle multiple problems at once and thus may have limited knowledge and skills in a specific area (Balandra, 2017). Clients with severe problems in a specific life domain may not really benefit from the services of a generalist practitioner. Consequently, generalist practitioners are bound to strain in an attempt to ensure that clients do not become overwhelmed to the extent of being vulnerable (Balandra, 2017). Additionally, the relative lack of role clarity characterized by generalist practice predisposes these social workers to challenges of exercising effective collaboration with specialist practitioners (Balandra, 2017). From this observation, it would be prudent to find the balance between generalist and specialist services to minimize such disadvantages.
 
References
Balandra, E. (2017). The Generalist Practice: Perceived Preparedness Among Social Workers Workers. Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations, 513. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/513.
Miller, S. E., Tice, C. J., & Hall, D. M. (2008). The Generalist Model: Where do the Micro and Macro Converge? Advances in Social Work, 9(2), 79-90. https://www.%3A%2F%2Fjournals.iupui.edu%2Findex.php%2Fadvancesinsocialwork%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F203%2F198%2F736&usg=AOvVaw21LW0gVd.
Raeymaeckers, P. (2016). A specialist’s perspective on the value of generalist practice: A qualitative network analysis. Journal of Social Work, 16(5), 610–626. DOI: 10.1177/1468017316644693.