Essay on "Social Work Reflection on Code of Ethics"

Essay 5 pages (1363 words) Sources: 4 February 18, 2019

[EXCERPT] . . . .

NASW Code of Ethics: Reaction Paper

Relevant NASW Social Work Standards

Social work standards refer to the primary responsibilities and obligations professionals have towards their clients and colleagues, as well as to the community. The Sanchez case study demonstrates the importance of all the NASW social work standards. However, there are a few social work standards especially applicable in this case. The social worker needs to pay attention to NASW Standard 1.05, Cultural Awareness and Social Diversity. Culture, ethnicity, and language are crucial issues in this case. The Sanchez family must be considered in light of cultural background, heritage, and tradition, with strong implications for the inter-generational conflicts apparent between the parents and their children. Language is less of an issue for the Sanchez family than it might be in other cases, although socioeconomic class and access to community resources could be a cause for concern. Identity, community, and sense of belongingness will be impacting specific individuals like Emilia and her parents, whose worldviews clash due not just to generation or age but also to culture. The case outline fails to indicate whether Emilia or her siblings were born in the United States but given their divergence from parents’ Hector and Celia in terms of traditional values, it can be assumed that Emilia is a first generation American whose values are as aligned with the dominant culture in South Florida as they are with her Mexican heritage.

While other client-level standards do pertain to the Sanchez case, the social worker needs to pay closer attention to NASW 6.04, Social and Political Action. Social and political action are standards that differentiate the social worker from other members of a care team, such as psychologists. Whereas a psychologist focuses mainly on the needs of the client or family members, the social worker considers contextual variables and how to mediate between the needs of the client and the society. In the Sanchez case, the family may not be aware of the resources available to them to help with children with special needs. Likewise, the Sanchez family may not be aware of the potential benefits of utilizing mental health services like family counseling to rebuild bridges between Hector and Celia, on the one hand, and Emilia on the other. Political activism and social justice action also require that the social worker use the Sanchez case study as a springboard for change in local, state, or even federal law and public policy. If the Sanchez story illustrates an ongoing pattern whereby immigrant families remain chronically underserved, then the social worker has an ethical responsibility to use evidence-based practice to inform public policy.

While all the NASW social work standards remain salient in this and other cases, social workers need to recognize their role as advocates of patient rights and their power to impact legislation and public policy. The Sanchez case demonstrates how social workers can and should play a more active role in mobilizing community resources and helping clients access resources. While social workers also need to constantly respect their clients’ right to privacy, as stated in NASW Standard 1.07, the Sanchez case better demonstrates the confluence of commitments towards individual clients and broader social justice concerns.

Problem Area

Immigrant Status and Low Income Assistance Programs

In a nation built on immigration and immigrant identity, the Sanchez family has every opportunity to thrive. However, lack of access to or awareness of available resources could be a primary cause for concern. The social worker has a responsibility to empower the client, and also to make sure that local and state policy reflects the actual needs of people like the Sanchez family. In South Florida, where the majority of residents are foreign born, immigrant status is not a stigma as it might be in other areas of the nation. Still the Sanchez case shows that not all immigrant families are aware of their rights and of their opportunities to utilize social services to mobilize personal and community resources. For example, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (2018) outlines the major parameters of Medicaid. The federal medical assistance program Medicaid “provides access to health care for low-income families… READ MORE

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