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Ethical Decision Making Tool

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ethical problem solving model social work

The Ethical Decision Making Tool

Are you reflecting on an ethical dilemma?

This tool includes interactive options to guide Nova Scotia Registered Social Workers through the CASW  Code of Ethics  and the NSCSW  Standards of Practice  (2015).

Ethical Decision Making

Our experiences and values influence ethical decision-making. That’s why it’s important for social workers to seriously consider the perspectives of those they work with, the environments they are working in and the influence of the dominant narrative. Throughout the ethical decision-making process, we encourage reflection on one’s own value system, emotions, and positionality in relationship to these broader systems.

Social Work Philosophy & Ethics

Social work values are embedded in principles of social justice and Humanitarianism. The social work worldview is often distinct from the dominant ideology (how issues are represented in our society at large). Dominant values are presented as though they apply to everyone but are often the values of elites or ruling powers in society, such as the state. We still battle prejudices related to race, gender, and class etc.

Social work can act as the conscience of society. As social workers, we bare witness to suffering and help people find their voice. That is the “noble” part of our professional identity. There have always been courageous social workers who “spoke truth to power” and challenged the dominant view (Spencer, Massing and Gough,2017).

Intersectionality

Post-modern social work philosophy and ethics are guided by intersectional theory which promotes thinking about multiple identities and how systems of oppression are interconnected through ethnicity, class, and gender… etc which are experienced simultaneously, not ‘one at a time (Mullaly, 2009). The theory holds that each person holds different degrees of oppression and privilege based on our relative positioning along axes of interlocking systems of oppression. Where each of us lies in relation to the center and the margin —our social location—is determined by our identities, which are necessarily intersectional (Hulko, 2004).

Our social location refers to the relative amount of privilege and oppression that individuals possess on the basis of specific identity constructs, such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and faith” (Hulko, 2009, p. 5). Differences in class, in social and economic power, in educational opportunity and achievement, in health and physical well-being, are the expression and result of institutionalized inequalities in opportunity and socialization through the narrative of the dominant ideology. Such differences perpetuate and increase the social imbalances in power and thereby serve to maintain all forms of oppression (Mullay,2009).

Intersectional theory informs social workers on how to build professional helping relationships. Rooted first through the concept of empathy, or living in someone else’s shoes, intersectional theories guide social works to understand our shared experience with a client, drive a mutual need to collaborate, while addressing collective problems that have created these issues. Empathy leads to us to work in solidarity with clients towards liberation from oppressive structures (Mullaly, 2009). When we recover the buried memories of our socialization, to share our stories and heal the hurts imposed by the conditioning, to act in the present in a humane and caring manner, to rebuild our human connections and to change our world (Sherover-Marcuse, 2015.)

Relational Ethics

Intersectionality informs social workers on how to co-create meaning with clients. Traditionally, care is often thought of as flowing one way–from professional to client in the case of social work. The notion of relational ethics helps us to see care as something that happens in the space between us, what some have called the “third space” (Spencer, Massing and Gough, 2017). Care is neither about you nor I alone, but a process of co-creating a better story that happens between us. That is, it brings together a space in which we are all equal in our humanity. In practice, this may mean that as professionals, we take primary responsibility for the helping process but freely share the process of co-creation (Spencer, Massing and Gough,2017). In action this may mean:

  • We put the other’s needs in the forefront for the moment.
  • We are emotionally present to the other, attentive to their story.
  • We resist the urge and need to immediately fix the problem (or what we think is the problem).
  • We help people to empower themselves.
  • We share appropriately how the other’s story touches us.
  • We take responsibility for our ethical practice but share ethical dilemmas with the other as appropriate (Spencer, Massing and Gough, 2017).

Intersectional thinking pushes us to work in solidarity with clients to liberate both the undoing effects and of the causes of social oppression. These changes will involve transforming oppressive behavioral patterns and “unlearning” oppressive attitudes and assumptions (Mullay, 2009).

Dolgoff, R., Loewenberg, F. M., & Harrington, D. (2009). Ethical issues for social work practice.

Gough, J. & Spencer, E. (2014) Ethics in action: An exploratory survey of social workers ethical decision making and value conflicts. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics vol. 11. 2. (pp 23-39).

Hulko, W. (2004). Social science perspectives on dementia research: Intersectionality. Dementia and social inclusion, 237-254.

Hulko, Wendy (2009). The time-and context-contingent nature of intersectionality and interlocking oppressions.” Affilia 24.1 (2009): 44-55.

Mattsson, T. (2014). Intersectionality as a Useful Tool Anti-Oppressive Social Work and Critical Reflection. Affilia, 29(1), 8-17.

Mullaly, R. P. (2010). Challenging oppression and confronting privilege: A critical social work approach. Don Mills, Ont: Oxford University Press.

Spencer E; Massing, D & Gough, J (2017)Social Work Ethics; Progressive, Practical, and Relational Approaches; Oxford Press.

Questions? Contact the College’s Executive Director/Registrar, Alec Stratford at [email protected].

ethical problem solving model social work

Apr 19, 2024 — Yesterday, on the anniversary of the mass casualty tragedy in Colchester and Cumberland counties, the Minister of Justice repeatedly insisted to media that gender-based violence is not an epidemic in our province. He apologized on the same day. Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of the deep roots of violence, and recommit to ending it, together.

ethical problem solving model social work

Apr 8, 2024 — NSCSW is seeking an Administrative Support Assistant, Membership Services. The application deadline is Apr 22, 2024.

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  • The PLUS Ethical Decision Making Model

Seven Steps to Ethical Decision Making –  Step 1: Define the problem  (consult  PLUS filters ) –  Step 2: Seek out relevant assistance, guidance and support  –  Step 3: Identify alternatives –  Step 4: Evaluate the alternatives  (consult  PLUS filters ) –  Step 5: Make the decision –  Step 6: Implement the decision –  Step 7: Evaluate the decision  (consult  PLUS filters )

Introduction Organizations struggle to develop a simple set of guidelines that makes it easier for individual employees, regardless of position or level, to be confident that his/her decisions meet all of the competing standards for effective and ethical decision-making used by the organization. Such a model must take into account two realities:

  • Every employee is called upon to make decisions in the normal course of doing his/her job. Organizations cannot function effectively if employees are not empowered to make decisions consistent with their positions and responsibilities.
  • For the decision maker to be confident in the decision’s soundness, every decision should be tested against the organization’s policies and values, applicable laws and regulations as well as the individual employee’s definition of what is right, fair, good and acceptable.

The decision making process described below has been carefully constructed to be:

  • Fundamentally sound based on current theories and understandings of both decision-making processes and ethics.
  • Simple and straightforward enough to be easily integrated into every employee’s thought processes.
  • Descriptive (detailing how ethical decision are made naturally) rather than prescriptive (defining unnatural ways of making choices).

Why do organizations need ethical decision making? See our special edition case study, #RespectAtWork, to find out.

First, explore the difference between what you expect and/or desire and the current reality. By defining the problem in terms of outcomes, you can clearly state the problem.

Consider this example: Tenants at an older office building are complaining that their employees are getting angry and frustrated because there is always a long delay getting an elevator to the lobby at rush hour. Many possible solutions exist, and all are predicated on a particular understanding the problem:

  • Flexible hours – so all the tenants’ employees are not at the elevators at the same time.
  • Faster elevators – so each elevator can carry more people in a given time period.
  • Bigger elevators – so each elevator can carry more people per trip.
  • Elevator banks – so each elevator only stops on certain floors, increasing efficiency.
  • Better elevator controls – so each elevator is used more efficiently.
  • More elevators – so that overall carrying capacity can be increased.
  • Improved elevator maintenance – so each elevator is more efficient.
  • Encourage employees to use the stairs – so fewer people use the elevators.

The real-life decision makers defined the problem as “people complaining about having to wait.” Their solution was to make the wait less frustrating by piping music into the elevator lobbies. The complaints stopped. There is no way that the eventual solution could have been reached if, for example, the problem had been defined as “too few elevators.”

How you define the problem determines where you go to look for alternatives/solutions– so define the problem carefully.

Step 2: Seek out relevant assistance, guidance and support

Once the problem is defined, it is critical to search out resources that may be of assistance in making the decision. Resources can include people (i.e., a mentor, coworkers, external colleagues, or friends and family) as well professional guidelines and organizational policies and codes. Such resources are critical for determining parameters, generating solutions, clarifying priorities and providing support, both while implementing the solution and dealing with the repercussions of the solution.

Step 3: Identify available alternative solutions to the problem The key to this step is to not limit yourself to obvious alternatives or merely what has worked in the past. Be open to new and better alternatives. Consider as many as solutions as possible — five or more in most cases, three at the barest minimum. This gets away from the trap of seeing “both sides of the situation” and limiting one’s alternatives to two opposing choices (i.e., either this or that).

Step 4: Evaluate the identified alternatives As you evaluate each alternative, identify the likely positive and negative consequence of each. It is unusual to find one alternative that would completely resolve the problem and is significantly better than all others. As you consider positive and negative consequences, you must be careful to differentiate between what you know for a fact and what you believe might be the case. Consulting resources, including written guidelines and standards, can help you ascertain which consequences are of greater (and lesser) import.

You should think through not just what results each alternative could yield, but the likelihood it is that such impact will occur. You will only have all the facts in simple cases. It is reasonable and usually even necessary to supplement the facts you have with realistic assumptions and informed beliefs. Nonetheless, keep in mind that the more the evaluation is fact-based, the more confident you can be that the expected outcome will occur. Knowing the ratio of fact-based evaluation versus non-fact-based evaluation allows you to gauge how confident you can be in the proposed impact of each alternative.

Step 5: Make the decision When acting alone, this is the natural next step after selecting the best alternative. When you are working in a team environment, this is where a proposal is made to the team, complete with a clear definition of the problem, a clear list of the alternatives that were considered and a clear rationale for the proposed solution.

Step 6: Implement the decision While this might seem obvious, it is necessary to make the point that deciding on the best alternative is not the same as doing something. The action itself is the first real, tangible step in changing the situation. It is not enough to think about it or talk about it or even decide to do it. A decision only counts when it is implemented. As Lou Gerstner (former CEO of IBM) said, “There are no more prizes for predicting rain. There are only prizes for building arks.”

Step 7: Evaluate the decision Every decision is intended to fix a problem. The final test of any decision is whether or not the problem was fixed. Did it go away? Did it change appreciably? Is it better now, or worse, or the same? What new problems did the solution create?

Ethics Filters

The ethical component of the decision making process takes the form of a set of “filters.” Their purpose is to surface the ethics considerations and implications of the decision at hand. When decisions are classified as being “business” decisions (rather than “ethics” issues), values can quickly be left out of consideration and ethical lapses can occur.

At key steps in the process, you should stop and work through these filters, ensuring that the ethics issues imbedded in the decision are given consideration.

We group the considerations into the mnemonic PLUS.

  • P  = Policies Is it consistent with my organization’s policies, procedures and guidelines?
  • L = Legal Is it acceptable under the applicable laws and regulations?
  • U  = Universal Does it conform to the universal principles/values my organization has adopted?
  • S = Self Does it satisfy my personal definition of right, good and fair?

The PLUS filters work as an integral part of steps 1, 4 and 7 of the decision-making process. The decision maker applies the four PLUS filters to determine if the ethical component(s) of the decision are being surfaced/addressed/satisfied.

  • Does the existing situation violate any of the PLUS considerations?
  • Step 2:   Seek out relevant assistance, guidance and support
  • Step 3: Identify available alternative solutions to the problem
  • Will the alternative I am considering resolve the PLUS violations?
  • Will the alternative being considered create any new PLUS considerations?
  • Are the ethical trade-offs acceptable?
  • Step 5: Make the decision
  • Step 6: Implement the decision
  • Does the resultant situation resolve the earlier PLUS considerations?
  • Are there any new PLUS considerations to be addressed?

The PLUS filters do not guarantee an ethically-sound decision. They merely ensure that the ethics components of the situation will be surfaced so that they might be considered.

How Organizations Can Support Ethical Decision-Making  Organizations empower employees with the knowledge and tools they need to make ethical decisions by

  • Intentionally and regularly communicating to all employees:
  • Organizational policies and procedures as they apply to the common workplace ethics issues.
  • Applicable laws and regulations.
  • Agreed-upon set of “universal” values (i.e., Empathy, Patience, Integrity, Courage [EPIC]).
  • Providing a formal mechanism (i.e., a code and a helpline, giving employees access to a definitive interpretation of the policies, laws and universal values when they need additional guidance before making a decision).
  • Free Ethics & Compliance Toolkit
  • Ethics and Compliance Glossary
  • Definitions of Values
  • Why Have a Code of Conduct?
  • Code Construction and Content
  • Common Code Provisions
  • Ten Style Tips for Writing an Effective Code of Conduct
  • Five Keys to Reducing Ethics and Compliance Risk
  • Business Ethics & Compliance Timeline

Ethics, Values, and Recovery in Mental Health Social Work Practice

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ethical problem solving model social work

  • Bani Aadam 4 &
  • Melissa Petrakis 5  

Part of the book series: Social Work ((SOWO))

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Health care is bureaucratic and outcomes focused. It is influenced by market and political forces, as much as scientific ones, with friction between good practice and the neoliberal commodification of health services creating tensions. Decisions in health care are increasingly shaped by a myriad of “drivers and contingencies” against a backdrop of complex and conflicting values and ideas. Clinical governance, safety and quality, research and evaluation, cost-saving, and cost-efficiencies all intermingle to create a multifaceted working environment that needs to be agile to be responsive to people’s needs. It is against this backdrop, and in the growing complexity in all areas of health care, that recovery can be seen to enable the four core ethical principles (4Ps): respect (of autonomy), nonmaleficence (not doing harm), beneficence (doing good), and justice (treating people fairly). Our overall proposition is that the concepts and values that recovery drives, should be seen as central components to social work practice because it aligns with and complements codes of ethics, reinforces social work practice and standards, and enables better health and social outcomes.

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NSW Ministry of Health, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Department of Social Work, Monash University, and Senior Research Fellow, Mental Health Service, St Vincent’s Hospital (Melbourne), Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Melissa Petrakis

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Rosaleen Ow

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Aadam, B., Petrakis, M. (2020). Ethics, Values, and Recovery in Mental Health Social Work Practice. In: Ow, R., Poon, A. (eds) Mental Health and Social Work. Social Work. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0440-8_2-2

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0440-8_2-2

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Thinking Ethically

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Moral issues greet us each morning in the newspaper, confront us in the memos on our desks, nag us from our children's soccer fields, and bid us good night on the evening news. We are bombarded daily with questions about the justice of our foreign policy, the morality of medical technologies that can prolong our lives, the rights of the homeless, the fairness of our children's teachers to the diverse students in their classrooms.

Dealing with these moral issues is often perplexing. How, exactly, should we think through an ethical issue? What questions should we ask? What factors should we consider?

The first step in analyzing moral issues is obvious but not always easy: Get the facts. Some moral issues create controversies simply because we do not bother to check the facts. This first step, although obvious, is also among the most important and the most frequently overlooked.

But having the facts is not enough. Facts by themselves only tell us what is ; they do not tell us what ought to be. In addition to getting the facts, resolving an ethical issue also requires an appeal to values. Philosophers have developed five different approaches to values to deal with moral issues.

The Utilitarian Approach Utilitarianism was conceived in the 19th century by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill to help legislators determine which laws were morally best. Both Bentham and Mill suggested that ethical actions are those that provide the greatest balance of good over evil.

To analyze an issue using the utilitarian approach, we first identify the various courses of action available to us. Second, we ask who will be affected by each action and what benefits or harms will be derived from each. And third, we choose the action that will produce the greatest benefits and the least harm. The ethical action is the one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number.

The Rights Approach The second important approach to ethics has its roots in the philosophy of the 18th-century thinker Immanuel Kant and others like him, who focused on the individual's right to choose for herself or himself. According to these philosophers, what makes human beings different from mere things is that people have dignity based on their ability to choose freely what they will do with their lives, and they have a fundamental moral right to have these choices respected. People are not objects to be manipulated; it is a violation of human dignity to use people in ways they do not freely choose.

Of course, many different, but related, rights exist besides this basic one. These other rights (an incomplete list below) can be thought of as different aspects of the basic right to be treated as we choose.

The right to the truth: We have a right to be told the truth and to be informed about matters that significantly affect our choices.

The right of privacy: We have the right to do, believe, and say whatever we choose in our personal lives so long as we do not violate the rights of others.

The right not to be injured: We have the right not to be harmed or injured unless we freely and knowingly do something to deserve punishment or we freely and knowingly choose to risk such injuries.

The right to what is agreed: We have a right to what has been promised by those with whom we have freely entered into a contract or agreement.

In deciding whether an action is moral or immoral using this second approach, then, we must ask, Does the action respect the moral rights of everyone? Actions are wrong to the extent that they violate the rights of individuals; the more serious the violation, the more wrongful the action.

The Fairness or Justice Approach The fairness or justice approach to ethics has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said that "equals should be treated equally and unequals unequally." The basic moral question in this approach is: How fair is an action? Does it treat everyone in the same way, or does it show favoritism and discrimination?

Favoritism gives benefits to some people without a justifiable reason for singling them out; discrimination imposes burdens on people who are no different from those on whom burdens are not imposed. Both favoritism and discrimination are unjust and wrong.

The Common-Good Approach This approach to ethics assumes a society comprising individuals whose own good is inextricably linked to the good of the community. Community members are bound by the pursuit of common values and goals.

The common good is a notion that originated more than 2,000 years ago in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. More recently, contemporary ethicist John Rawls defined the common good as "certain general conditions that are...equally to everyone's advantage."

In this approach, we focus on ensuring that the social policies, social systems, institutions, and environments on which we depend are beneficial to all. Examples of goods common to all include affordable health care, effective public safety, peace among nations, a just legal system, and an unpolluted environment.

Appeals to the common good urge us to view ourselves as members of the same community, reflecting on broad questions concerning the kind of society we want to become and how we are to achieve that society. While respecting and valuing the freedom of individuals to pursue their own goals, the common-good approach challenges us also to recognize and further those goals we share in common.

The Virtue Approach The virtue approach to ethics assumes that there are certain ideals toward which we should strive, which provide for the full development of our humanity. These ideals are discovered through thoughtful reflection on what kind of people we have the potential to become.

Virtues are attitudes or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop our highest potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues.

Virtues are like habits; that is, once acquired, they become characteristic of a person. Moreover, a person who has developed virtues will be naturally disposed to act in ways consistent with moral principles. The virtuous person is the ethical person.

In dealing with an ethical problem using the virtue approach, we might ask, What kind of person should I be? What will promote the development of character within myself and my community?

Ethical Problem Solving These five approaches suggest that once we have ascertained the facts, we should ask ourselves five questions when trying to resolve a moral issue:

What benefits and what harms will each course of action produce, and which alternative will lead to the best overall consequences?

What moral rights do the affected parties have, and which course of action best respects those rights?

Which course of action treats everyone the same, except where there is a morally justifiable reason not to, and does not show favoritism or discrimination?

Which course of action advances the common good?

Which course of action develops moral virtues?

This method, of course, does not provide an automatic solution to moral problems. It is not meant to. The method is merely meant to help identify most of the important ethical considerations. In the end, we must deliberate on moral issues for ourselves, keeping a careful eye on both the facts and on the ethical considerations involved.

This article updates several previous pieces from Issues in Ethics by Manuel Velasquez - Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics at Santa Clara University and former Center director - and Claire Andre, associate Center director. "Thinking Ethically" is based on a framework developed by the authors in collaboration with Center Director Thomas Shanks, S.J., Presidential Professor of Ethics and the Common Good Michael J. Meyer, and others. The framework is used as the basis for many programs and presentations at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

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Eth3338 - section 2: best practice models of ethical decision making.

ethical problem solving model social work

This course will now present a number of ethical decision making models, covering current and best practices strategies from the social work and counseling arenas, as well as from the private business sector. Each of these models will be presented in an easily printable form, allowing the trainee to print and store the models for easy later reference. Models are arranged in order of increasing complexity, from the simplest model to the most detailed model. The clinician who wishes to operate from the most defensible and responsible ethical position would do well to have a comprehensive knowledge of all of these models, operate using the combined principles and understandings of these best practices models - applying them with integrity and skill - while carefully documenting the work and noting which model or models were utilized to arrive at the ethical decision. Model I: Elaine Congress ETHIC Model of Decision Making In her article, What Social Workers Should Know About Ethics: Understanding and Resolving Practice Dilemmas, (Advances in Social Work Practice, Vol. 1 No 1 Spring 2000, pgs 1 – 25), Congress discusses the major tenets of the newly revised NASW Code of Ethics. In addition to her review, Congress also presents the ETHIC model of decision making: “This easy to use five step process includes examining personal, agency, client, and professional values, thinking about ethical standards and relevant laws, hypothesizing about consequences, identifying the most vulnerable, and consulting with supervisors.” This model, described in more detail below, is meant to be a quick and as effective as possible approach to resolving ethical dilemmas. E – Evaluate relevant personal, societal, agency, client and professional values T – Think about what ethical standard of the NASW Code of Ethics applies, as well as relevant laws and case decisions H – Hypothesize about possible consequences of different decisions I - Identify who will benefit and who will be harmed in view of social work’s commitment to the most vulnerable C – Consult with supervisor and colleagues about the most ethical choice Congress, Elaine P., What Social Workers Should Know About Ethics: Understanding and Resolving Practice Dilemmas, Advances in Social Work Practice, Vol. 1 No 1 Spring 2000, pgs 1 – 25 Model II: American Counseling Association Approach to Ethical Decision Making In its statement of purpose, the ACA Code of Ethics states that counselors are expected to use a credible decision making approach to resolving dilemmas: “When counselors are faced with ethical dilemmas that are difficult to resolve, they are expected to engage in a carefully considered ethical decision-making process. Reasonable differences of opinion can and do exist among counselors with respect to the ways in which values, ethical principles, and ethical standards would be applied when they conflict. While there is no specific ethical decision making model that is most effective, counselors are expected to be familiar with a credible model of decision making that can bear public scrutiny and its application.” A Practitioner’s Guide to Ethical Decision Making ( 2006) developed by Holly Forester-Miller and Thomas Davis for the American Counseling Association presents an ethical decision making model for ACA members. This model is summarized below. ACA Ethical Decision Making Model 1. Identify the problem. 2. Apply the ACA Code of Ethics. 3. Determine the nature of the dimensions of the dilemma. 4. Generate potential courses of action. 5. Consider the potential consequences of all options, choose a course of action. 6. Evaluate the selected course of action. 7. Implement the course of action. Forester-Miller and Davis conclude that: “It is important to realize that different professionals may implement different courses of action in the same situation. There is rarely one right answer to a complex ethical dilemma. However, if you follow a systematic model, you can be assured that you will be able to give a professional explanation for the course of action you chose.” Citing Van Hoose and Paradise (1979) they go on to say: “a counselor ‘is probably acting in an ethically responsible way concerning a client if: (1) he or she has maintained personal and professional honesty, coupled with (2) the best interests of the client, (3) without malice or personal gain, and (4) can justify his or her actions as the best judgment of what should be done based upon the current state of the profession.’” Forrester-Miller, H. and Davis, T. (1996). A practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making. Alexandria, VA. American Counseling Association. Van Hoose, W. H. and Paradise, L.V. (1979). Ethics in counseling and psychology: Perspectives in issues and decision-making. Cranston, RI: Carroll Press. Model III: Essential Steps for Ethical Problem-Solving – Frederic Reamer and Sr. Ann Patrick Conrad The following approach, discussed by Reamer and Conrad, was included in a video developed by the NASW Office of Ethics and Adjudication and produced by NASW Press and the NASW Insurance Trust as a tool for use by practitioners, faculty members and students, agency administrators, and licensing boards. 1. DETERMINE whether there is an ethical issue or/and dilemma. Is there a conflict of values, or rights, or professional responsibilities? (For example, there may be an issue of self-determination of an adolescent versus the well-being of the family.) 2. IDENTIFY the key values and principles involved. What meanings and limitations are typically attached to these competing values? (For example, rarely is confidential information held in absolute secrecy; however, typically decisions about access by third parties to sensitive content should be contracted with clients.) 3. RANK the values or ethical principles which - in your professional judgment - are most relevant to the issue or dilemma. What reasons can you provide for prioritizing one competing value/principle over another? (For example, your client's right to choose a beneficial course of action could bring hardship or harm to others who would be affected.) 4. DEVELOP an action plan that is consistent with the ethical priorities that have been determined as central to the dilemma. Have you conferred with clients and colleagues, as appropriate, about the potential risks and consequences of alternative courses of action? Can you support or justify your action plan with the values/principles on which the plan is based? (For example, have you conferred with all the necessary persons regarding the ethical dimensions of planning for a battered wife's quest to secure secret shelter and the implications for her teen-aged children?) 5. IMPLEMENT your plan, utilizing the most appropriate practice skills and competencies. How will you make use of core social work skills such as sensitive communication, skillful negotiation, and cultural competence? (For example, skillful colleague or supervisory communication and negotiation may enable an impaired colleague to see her/his impact on clients and to take appropriate action.) 6. REFLECT on the outcome of this ethical decision making process. How would you evaluate the consequences of this process for those involved: Client(s), professional(s), and agency (ies)? (Increasingly, professionals have begun to seek support, further professional training, and consultation through the development of Ethics Review Committees or Ethics Consultation processes.) From discussion by Frederick Reamer & Sr. Ann Patrick Conrad in Professional Choices: Ethics at Work (1995), video available from NASW Press , Retrieved 1/21/08 from: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/oepr/steps.asp Model IV: Steinman, Richardson and McEnroe Ethical Decision-Making Process The Ethical Decision-Making Manual for Helping Professionals, by Steinman et al. states that before you can begin a decision making process you need to identify the problem. Once the problem is identified, their model includes the following steps: Step 1: Identify the Ethical Standard Involved - What are the codes or laws that apply? If there are none, then why is it a problem? Step 2: Determine the Ethical Trap Possibilities - Possible Ethical Traps to avoid include: a. a belief that there is an easy “commonsense, objective” solution b. conflicting values, such as between personal or religious values and professional values c. the circumstances are so unique they must be taken into consideration, and d. confusion about who will benefit from a decision Step 3: Frame a Preliminary Response – What do the code and the law say you should do; what circumstances, if any, should influence the response; and what is your preliminary response? Step 4: Consider the Consequences – What will happen if you take that action? What are the short and long term consequences? Could there be any unintended consequences? Are the consequences ethically defensible? Step 5: Prepare Ethical Resolution a. What is the situation, including possible relevant circumstances? b. What ethical codes or laws are involved? c. What do these codes or laws suggest I or others do? d. If I have consulted with colleagues, supervisors, or professional ethics boards, at this point, what do they suggest I or others do? e. What are the consequences of taking this action on the client, on me, on my employer, and on others in the community? f. In light of these considerations, here is what I propose……. Step 6: Get feedback – Discuss with your supervisor, respected peer, and/or attorney if legal issues involved

Step 7: Take Action – Use feedback to amend the resolution as needed and then take action. Steinman, Sarah, Richardson, Nan Franks and McEnroe, Tim, The Ethical Decision-Making Manual for Helping Professionals, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, New York, 1998 Model V: Dolgoff, Loewenberg and Harrington – A General Decision Making Model In presenting his model for making ethical decisions, Dolgoff states that “Ethical decision making is far too complex to permit the development of a simple “how-to” problem-solving model…… A model is a permissible didactic devise as long as it is understood that in real life every decision is preceded and followed by other decisions, many of which have a direct bearing on the matter under consideration.” (pgs. 57 – 58) A General Decision-Making Model Step 1. Identify the problem and the factors that contribute to its maintenance Step 2. Identify all of the persons and institutions involved in this problem, such as clients, victims, support systems, other professionals and others Step 3. Determine who should be involved in the decision making Step 4. Identify the values relevant to this problem held by the several participants identified in Step 2, including the client’s and worker’s Step 5. Identify the goals and objectives whose attainment you believe may resolve (or reduce) the problem Step 6. Identify alternate intervention strategies and targets Step 7. Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of each alternative in terms of the identified goals Step 8. Select the most appropriate strategy Step 9. Implement the strategy selected Step 10. Monitor the implementation, paying particular attention to unanticipated consequences Step 11. Evaluate the results and identify additional problems To assist social workers using Dolgoff’s Decision Making Model, he offers the Ethical Assessment Screen to “help social workers further clarify and integrate the ethical aspects of decision making in social work practice.” (pg 58) Ethical Assessment Screen 1. Identify your own relevant personal values in relation to this ethical dilemma 2. Identify any societal values relevant to the ethical decision to be made 3. Identify the relevant professional values and ethics What can you do to minimize conflicts between personnel, societal, and professional values? 4. Identify alternative ethical options that you may take 5. Which of the alternative ethical actions will protect to the greatest extent your client’s and others’ rights and welfare? 6. Which alternative action will protect to the greatest extent possible society’s rights and interests? What can you do to minimize conflicts between your client’s, others’ and society’s rights and interests? 7. Which alternative action will result in your doing the “least harm” possible? 8. To what extent will alternative actions be efficient, effective and ethical? 9. Have you considered and weighed both the short and long term ethical consequences? Ethical Rules Screen With the Ethical Rules Screen, Dolgoff provides a step to help social workers understand that the Code takes precedent over their own personal values. This concept is relevant to counselors and marriage and family therapists, as well. A social worker who has done an ethical self- assessment, such as the one provided above, will have a better appreciation of the values they hold that are personal versus those that they hold as a professional. The Ethical Rules Screen suggests that if one or more provisions of the Code apply, the Code should be followed. If the Code does not cover the specific issue or if conflicting provisions of the Code apply, Dolgoff offers the social worker a way to rank the provisions of the Code as they apply to that particular situation in the Ethical Principles Screen provided below. Since the NASW Code of Ethics does not place any one particular value, principle or standard above another and recognizes that there will be reasonable differences of opinion, it is important that social workers attempting to apply any decision making model have a justifiable approach for how they have ranked the principles. Ethical Rules Screen Examine the Code of Ethics to determine if any of the Code rules are applicable. These rules take precedence over the worker’s personal value system. If one or more of the Code rules apply, follow the Code rules. If the Code does not address the specific problem, or several Code rules provide conflicting guidance, use the Ethical Principles Screen. Ethical Principles Screen (EPS) 1. Protection of life 2. Equality and inequality 3. Autonomy and freedom 4. Least harm 5. Quality of life 6. Privacy and confidentiality 7. Truthfulness and full disclosure Dolgoff, Ralph, Loewenberg, Frank, and Harrington, Donna, Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice, Brooks/Cole – Thompson Learning, Belmont, CA, 2005

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Case Studies in Pharmacy Ethics (3 edn)

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1 A Model for Ethical Problem Solving

  • Published: April 2017
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Chapter 1 begins with a five-step model for analyzing a case posing ethical questions in pharmacy: (1) responding to a “sense” or feeling that something is wrong, (2) gathering information and making an assessment, (3) identifying the ethical problem, (4) seeking a resolution, and (5) working with others to choose a course of action. This five-step model is illustrated by the book’s first case, one involving reporting a possibly lethal medical error. A patient dies after mistakenly being given heparin intended for another patient. The case is followed by commentary applying the model and concluding with possible resolutions of the dilemma. The pharmacist might share the information with all those involved, including the family of the now-deceased patient, or tell only the pharmacist who prepared the drugs. The implications of the ethical principles involved, such as nonmaleficence and veracity, are explored.

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IMAGES

  1. Sam Young: Process Model for Ethical Problem-solving

    ethical problem solving model social work

  2. Image Gallery ethical models

    ethical problem solving model social work

  3. participative ethical decision making model

    ethical problem solving model social work

  4. Human Relations 1.0

    ethical problem solving model social work

  5. Solving ethical problems

    ethical problem solving model social work

  6. Framework for Ethical Decision-Making Images

    ethical problem solving model social work

VIDEO

  1. Problem Solving Model

  2. Ethical Issues in Counseling / Psychotherapy Practice (Week 2)

  3. Problem Solving

  4. Problem Solving lesson #3

  5. Code Of Pharmaceutical Ethics

  6. Felix Munyampeta official video 2023

COMMENTS

  1. Essential Steps for Ethical Problem-Solving

    From discussion by Frederick Reamer & Sr. Ann Patrick Conrad in Professional Choices: Ethics at Work (1995), video available from NASW Press 1-800-227-3590. Format developed by Sr. Vincentia Joseph & Sr. Ann Patrick Conrad. NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review, 1-800-638-8799. 750 1st Street, NE, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002.

  2. PDF The ETHICS Model: Comprehensive, Ethical Decision Making

    The ETHICS model is a theoretical grounded ethical decision-making model that draws from the latest relevant literature in ethics and integrates multiple theoretical perspectives. Specifically, the model is comprehensive and accessible, and can be used with a wide range of cases. This model organizes a decision-making process for new and ...

  3. NSCSW

    Ethical Decision Making. Our experiences and values influence ethical decision-making. That's why it's important for social workers to seriously consider the perspectives of those they work with, the environments they are working in and the influence of the dominant narrative. Throughout the ethical decision-making process, we encourage ...

  4. PDF Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work Practice

    As with any ethical decision-making tool, social workers must use professional judgment when using these tools and consult with a colleague or supervisor as needed. For a detailed description of the Ethical Principles Screen, please see Dolgoff, Loewenberg, & Harrington (2005). Ethical decisions for social work practice. Thomson Brooks/Cole.

  5. PDF Ethical Decision-making Framework

    roles, emotions, and capacities as they relate to others in the social work relationship. Self-reflective practice includes social workers as part of the problem-solving process rather than separate from it. Personal and instinctual motivations can have a profound influence on one's choices. Consider

  6. PDF Guides to Ethical Decision-Making

    SOC 160: Introduction to Social Work Learning Unit 2: Handout Model IV: Steinman, Richardson and McEnroe Ethical Decision-Making Process The Ethical Decision-Making Manual for Helping Professionals, by Steinman et al. states that before you can begin a decision making process you need to identify the problem. Once the problem is identified,

  7. The problem-solving model: A framework for integrating the science and

    In this chapter we (a) review the early development of the problem-solving model for social work practice; (b) discuss the later development of the problem solving model in terms of its extension to and further elaboration by generalist models of social work practice; (c) provide an overview of how the problem-solving model allows for the integration of the scientific and artistic elements of ...

  8. PDF Ethical Decision-Making in Social Work Practice

    Social workers are encouraged to use ethical decision-making models that promote critical thinking and reflection. A multitude of ethical decision-making models exist. The following model, or ethical decision -making steps, is an accumulation of aspects from the models included in the literature and is based on a best practice approach.

  9. Problem Solving in Social Work Practice: Implications for Knowledge

    This approach has important implications for moving the profession toward greater accountability in the practice of social work. Unless educators can motivate practitioners to change the way in which they ask questions and make predictions, it is unlikely that practitioners will use scientific information in their problem-solving processes.

  10. Problem-Solving Theory: The Task-Centred Model

    General Overview. The task-centred model is a problem-solving, empirically based, short-term practice model. It was developed by social work educators Bill Reid and Laura Epstein and was intended for practice with various client populations, including clients from historically oppressed, diverse backgrounds.An underlying premise of the task-centred model is that life circumstances inevitably ...

  11. PDF Ethical Decision Making Framework Frederic Reamer (2012)

    Ethical Decision Making Framework - Frederic Reamer (2012) 1. Identify the ethical issues, including the social work values and ethics that conflict. 2. Identify the individuals, groups, and organizations that are likely to be affected by the ethical decision. 3. Tentatively identify all possible courses of action and the participants involved in

  12. Social Work Theory and Ethics: Ideas in Practice

    Her primary focus area of teaching and research is professional and applied ethics, and she has developed a well-known model of ethical decision-making that is widely used in social work education. Donna is the sole author of the second edition text, Interprofessional Ethics: Collaboration in the Social, Health and Human Services published by ...

  13. PDF Decision Making Models for Managing Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work

    of social work's commitment to the most vulnerable C CONSULT Consult with supervisor and colleagues about the most ethical choice 2. Essential Steps for Ethical Problem Solving - Frederic Reamer and Sr. Ann Patrick Conrad (NASW 2020. Essential steps for ethical problem-solving. Retrieved from

  14. Code of Ethics: English

    The NASW Code of Ethics is a set of standards that guide the professional conduct of social workers. The 2021 update includes language that addresses the importance of professional self-care. Moreover, revisions to Cultural Competence standard provide more explicit guidance to social workers. All social workers should review the new text and ...

  15. Methodologies for ethical decision making in Social Work

    followed by the »Ethical Principles Screen« (EPS). The 11 steps initially proposed are as follows: 1) iden tify the problem and the. factors that help to maintain it; 2) identify the people and ...

  16. Values and Ethics for Professional Social Work Practice

    Values and ethics help to distinguish social work from other professions and provide a basis for accountability. Ethical decisions rely on a strong understanding of the codes that guide the profession, on practitioner self-awareness and on the use of thoughtful, thorough frameworks for weighing choices when dilemmas or conflicts arise. ...

  17. The PLUS Ethical Decision Making Model

    Seven Steps to Ethical Decision Making. - Step 1: Define the problem (consult PLUS filters) - Step 2: Seek out relevant assistance, guidance and support. - Step 3: Identify alternatives. - Step 4: Evaluate the alternatives (consult PLUS filters) - Step 5: Make the decision. - Step 6: Implement the decision.

  18. Ethics, Values, and Recovery in Mental Health Social Work Practice

    Ethics is a broad subject matter. It is fundamentally however, about what is right and wrong (Paalanen and Hopia 2017, p. 2).The purpose here then is to speak to ethics - which essentially orbits the notions of respect, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice (Beauchamp and Childress 2013; Hoop et al. 2008; Gillon 2003) - as it relates to mental health social work practice.

  19. Thinking Ethically

    This approach to ethics assumes a society comprising individuals whose own good is inextricably linked to the good of the community. Community members are bound by the pursuit of common values and goals. The common good is a notion that originated more than 2,000 years ago in the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero.

  20. Ethical Conflicts in Social Work Practice: Challenges and Opportunities

    Together these articles shed light on how social workers address ethical conflicts that arise from tensions between social work values and organisational goals and priorities in different practice settings and workplace environments. In her study of criminal justice social workers in Scotland, Jane Fenton describes how new contexts for social ...

  21. SECTION 2: BEST PRACTICE MODELS OF ETHICAL DECISION MAKING

    To assist social workers using Dolgoff's Decision Making Model, he offers the Ethical Assessment Screen to "help social workers further clarify and integrate the ethical aspects of decision making in social work practice." (pg 58) Ethical Assessment Screen 1. Identify your own relevant personal values in relation to this ethical dilemma 2.

  22. A Model for Ethical Problem Solving

    Abstract. Chapter 1 begins with a five-step model for analyzing a case posing ethical questions in pharmacy: (1) responding to a "sense" or feeling that something is wrong, (2) gathering information and making an assessment, (3) identifying the ethical problem, (4) seeking a resolution, and (5) working with others to choose a course of action.

  23. Ethical problem solving skills in social work practice

    M. Vincentia Joseph. This paper discusses the findings of research on the way issues were dealt with in clinical social work practice. Significantly, practitioners made limited use of ethical skills in identifying and resolving ethical conflict and most often dealt with these conflicts through the use of lay or technical practice skills.