Impaired Social Workers/Professionals

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic G. Reamer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Sexual Misconduct ◽  
Ethical Standards ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

The possibility of practitioner impairment exists in every profession. Stress related to employment, illness or death of family members, marital or relationship problems, financial problems, midlife crises, personal physical or mental illness, legal problems, substance abuse, and professional education can lead to impairment. This article provides an overview of the nature and extent of impairment in social work, practitioners’ coping strategies, responses to impairment, and rehabilitation options and protocols. Particular attention is paid to the problem of sexual misconduct in social workers’ relationships with clients. The author reviews relevant ethical standards and presents a model assessment and action plan for social workers who encounter an impaired colleague.

Advancing Sex Positivity while Combating Sexual Misconduct

2017 ◽  
pp. 238-255
Author(s):  
Jayleen Galarza ◽  
Becky Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Sexual Misconduct ◽  
Ethical Standards ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
Positive Approach ◽  
Limited Communication ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Investigative Process ◽  
Sex Positive

Social work professionals are accountable to ethical standards and a code of conduct that were developed to protect clients from harm. As accusations of sexual misconduct by social work practitioners is possible, it is important that agencies and organizations decrease the amount of additional harm that may result from the reporting and investigative process. Unfortunately, some agencies engage in practices that hinder the reporting of sexual misconduct, such as: victim blaming, lack of transparency, and limited communication during the investigation. Within this chapter, the authors propose that social work professionals adopt a sex positive approach to managing and investigating reports of sexual misconduct by practitioners. According to the authors, a sex positive approach seeks to challenge agencies and organizations to treat such cases seriously while respecting the individuals involved and limiting the risk of further violating or isolating the complainant.

ПСИХОЛОГО-ПЕДАГОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ ПРАЦІВНИКІВ

1970 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 232-241
Author(s):  
Марина Лапіна
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Vocational Training ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
The Future

Статтю присвячено проблемам професійного навчання соціальних працівників, зокрема розглянуто психолого-педагогічні аспекти процесу підготовки висококваліфікованих фахівців. Зазначено що в професійній психології та педагогіці набуває поширення компетентнісний підхід до сучасної освіти. Акцентовано увагу на особистісно-орієнтованому та психолого-акмеологічному напрямках професійної освіти та навчання. Особистісні якості фахівця розглядаються як метапрофесійні компетенції, що забезпечують якість праці майбутнього соціального працівника. На основі аналізу специфіки підготовки фахівців соціономічних професій окреслено загальні напрями формування професійних компетенцій соціальних працівників: пріоритет професійно-особистісного розвитку для досягнення високого рівня професіоналізму фахівця; формування психологічної, особистісної та рефлексивної компетентності; практична зорієнтованість процесу навчання. Розглянуто методи та технології активного формування психологічної та особистісної компетентності фахівця в процесі професійного навчання, а саме методика контекстного (знаково-контекстного) навчання та психолого-акмеологічні методи та процедури професійного розвитку. Стверджується, що включення до навчального процесу інноваційних, заснованих на взаємодії педагога та учня, психолого-педагогічних технологій активного навчання має формувати особистісні зони розвитку майбутніх фахівців, удосконалювати способи та засоби професійного становлення, що значно підвищує якість професійного навчання соціальних працівників. The article deals with the problems of vocational training of social workers. They are particularly considered with psychological and pedagogical aspects of training highly qualified specialists. It specifies that competence-based approach to modern education gets spreading in the professional psychology and pedagogy. The article is accented on personality-oriented and psycho-akmeological directions existing in the psychology of professional education and training. Personal qualities of the professional are considered as metaprofessional competences which ensure the future social worker’s quality of work. The general directions of formation professional competence of social workers are identified on the base of the analyses of the specific professional training socionomic professions: priority of vocational and personality development for achievement a high level of professionalism; formation of the psychological, personal and reflective competence; practical orientation of the learning process. The methods and technologies of active formation of psychological and personality’s competence of the specialist during the vocational training are reviewed in the article, specifically the method and technique of signed-contextual learning and psycho-akmeological methods and procedures of professional development. It is alleged that the inclusion in the educational process of preparation innovational, psychological and pedagogical techniques of active learning, based on the interaction between the teacher and the student, should generated personal’s development zones of the future professionals, refine the methods and means of the professional development that significantly improves the quality of social worker’s professional training.

The Development and Initial Validation of the Empathy Scale for Social Workers

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve King ◽  
Michael J. Holosko
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Student Training ◽  
Empathy Scale ◽  
Work Knowledge

Empathy is a core principle essential to social work. Despite this emphasis, minimal empirical research of empathy has been undertaken by social work researchers. The purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW). The ESSW is a 41-item self-report inventory designed to assess empathy in social work practitioners. The sample ( N = 271) consisted of social workers who had attained the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Findings revealed promising psychometric properties for the ESSW, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) demonstrated content, construct, and factorial validity. Results were encouraging and they lay the ground work for the continued development of the ESSW. This scale addresses a gap in social work knowledge regarding the empirical evaluation of empathy. Results have implications for social work as the scale may be used to assess student training needs and/or as a screening tool for social work supervisors and practitioners.

Preamble, Purpose, and Ethical Principles Sections of the NASW Code of Ethics: A Preliminary Analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 578-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
National Association ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Ethical Standards ◽  
Fourth Section

The first three, brief sections of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (1999) display striking inconsistency of content and uncertainty of purpose. The decision to incorporate those sections into a single code document along with the lengthy fourth section (Ethical Standards) appears to have contributed to their imperfection. The mission statement and the ethical principles, in particular, may develop better if they are divided into separate documents, each with its own distinct purpose. Such a development might help reduce the extent to which social workers must rely upon individualistic rather than shared wisdom in responding to common ethical issues.

Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Freud ◽  
Stefan Krug
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Dual Relationships ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect of their work. The authors conclude that social work's adoption of the psychoanalytic constrains of anonymity, neutrality, and abstinence has detoured the profession from its original double focus on individuals and their society.

Social workers’ attitudes toward human rights in a sample from Taiwan

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yi Chen ◽  
I-Chen Tang
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
General Knowledge ◽  
Educational Training ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Protests ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

The human rights concept is that everyone is entitled to enjoy those rights inherent to being human, without distinction. However, should human rights be considered a self-evident value for the social work profession? This study was to explore how social workers in Taiwan perceive the human rights concept. Responses from 276 social worker participants were analyzed by using a self-administered questionnaire. This study showed that social workers had a general knowledge of human rights. Receiving human rights educational training and engaging in social protests were important variables in increasing human rights awareness for social work practitioners.

scholarly journals Dual Diagnosis as a Tool for Therapists and Social Workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Andrzej Lipczyński ◽  
Jarosław Kinal ◽  
Institute of Sociology University of Rzeszow
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Bipolar Affective Disorder ◽  
Psychoactive Substances

The problem of dual diagnosis described as the first in Poland Lehmann in 1993. He noticed that for people with dual diagnosis is needed different diagnostic and therapeutic-specific approach and that social services (Lehman, 2000; Le hman 1993; Lehman, Myers 1994). Clinical experience suggests the need for a clear separation of this group of patients from both patients and the mentally ill odwykowo. T HAT approach allows to carry out homogeneous diagnostic psychiatric patients. Such ayodrębnienie It is dictated by the difficulties of diagnostic and therapeutic (Siegfried 1998; Sciacca 1991; Lehman, 1998). One clinical term for such a diverse group of patients do not permit a homogeneous diagnostic tests and determine the needs, problems and medical treatment and social services. Interest in this group of patients is not only due to cognitive reasons, but also due to the increasing number of people with dual diagnosis, more effective treatment and social assistance. Another reason is the rapidly growing number of people with PD. This group represents a challenge for physicians, social workers (Crome, Myton 2004; Lehman 2000; Alaja, Sepia1998).Clinical studies confirm the phenomenon of interactivity in which a mentally ill person is at high risk of developing mood-dependent dependence, particularly alcohol and those who are at high risk for mental illness (Lehman 2000).Dual diagnosis is the term defining the clinical coexistence in the same person from one side of a mental disorder, and disorders related to psychoactive substances, mostly drugs and / or alcohol (Abel-Saleh 2004; Crome, Myton 2004). The population of patients with dual diagnosis is large and varies widely in type and severity of the mental illness, the type of psychoactive agents and specific disorders resulting from the adoption of psychoactive substances, psychological and social skills which is obtained support and other factors (Lehman 1996; Ridgely 1987), such as schizophrenia. Severe mental illness (severe mental illness) as a concept which takes into account the clinical diagnosis (diagnosis) the degree of impairment of (disability) and duration of disorder (duration). This criterion includes serious mental breakdowns such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, depression. These disorders seriously impair people-to-people contact, self-care. Treatment of people with dual diagnosis is a problem because it results from the combination of two extremely different ways of dealing with mental illness and addiction.

scholarly journals Dual Diagnosis as a Tool for Therapists and Social Workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Andrzej Lipczyński ◽  
Jarosław Kinal ◽  
Institute of Sociology University of Rzeszow
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Bipolar Affective Disorder ◽  
Psychoactive Substances

The problem of dual diagnosis described as the first in Poland Lehmann in 1993. He noticed that for people with dual diagnosis is needed different diagnostic and therapeutic-specific approach and that social services (Lehman, 2000; Le hman 1993; Lehman, Myers 1994). Clinical experience suggests the need for a clear separation of this group of patients from both patients and the mentally ill odwykowo. T HAT approach allows to carry out homogeneous diagnostic psychiatric patients. Such ayodrębnienie It is dictated by the difficulties of diagnostic and therapeutic (Siegfried 1998; Sciacca 1991; Lehman, 1998). One clinical term for such a diverse group of patients do not permit a homogeneous diagnostic tests and determine the needs, problems and medical treatment and social services. Interest in this group of patients is not only due to cognitive reasons, but also due to the increasing number of people with dual diagnosis, more effective treatment and social assistance. Another reason is the rapidly growing number of people with PD. This group represents a challenge for physicians, social workers (Crome, Myton 2004; Lehman 2000; Alaja, Sepia1998).Clinical studies confirm the phenomenon of interactivity in which a mentally ill person is at high risk of developing mood-dependent dependence, particularly alcohol and those who are at high risk for mental illness (Lehman 2000).Dual diagnosis is the term defining the clinical coexistence in the same person from one side of a mental disorder, and disorders related to psychoactive substances, mostly drugs and / or alcohol (Abel-Saleh 2004; Crome, Myton 2004). The population of patients with dual diagnosis is large and varies widely in type and severity of the mental illness, the type of psychoactive agents and specific disorders resulting from the adoption of psychoactive substances, psychological and social skills which is obtained support and other factors (Lehman 1996; Ridgely 1987), such as schizophrenia. Severe mental illness (severe mental illness) as a concept which takes into account the clinical diagnosis (diagnosis) the degree of impairment of (disability) and duration of disorder (duration). This criterion includes serious mental breakdowns such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, depression. These disorders seriously impair people-to-people contact, self-care. Treatment of people with dual diagnosis is a problem because it results from the combination of two extremely different ways of dealing with mental illness and addiction.

Student-Directed Behavioral Community Interventions in Social Work Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Bördlein
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Behavior Analysis ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Community Interventions ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Social Work Interventions ◽  
Work Education

Behavioral social work is the application of behavior analysis to the field of social work. There are behavioral social work interventions for individuals, groups, and communities. Nevertheless, behavioral social work is far from a widely adopted approach among social work practitioners. A reason for the underuse might be seen in the fact that most interventions in behavioral social work aim at individual clients and groups. Social work could further benefit from the application of methods taken from behavioral community interventions. Behavioral community interventions modify the behavior of a larger group of people (e.g., pedestrians using a crosswalk, cafeteria patrons, students using a university building) with antecedent- and consequence-focused interventions. The article describes a training program for social work students in behavioral community interventions. Results of two projects, undergraduate students designed and performed, are presented. Behavioral community interventions are recommended as a valuable part of the education of social workers.

scholarly journals What Social Workers Should Know About Ethics: Understanding and Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

10.18060/124 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine P. Congress
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Dual Relationships ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

Recognizing ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in professional practice is crucial for social work practitioners, educators, and students. After a discussion about the limited, although growing, literature on social work ethics, the ten main tenets form the most current NASW Code of Ethics are presented. These topics include limits to confidentiality, confidentiality and technology, confidentiality in family and group work, managed care, cultural competence, dual relationships, sexual relationships, impairment and incompetence of colleagues, application to administrators and relevance to social work educators. In addition to understanding the Code of Ethics, social workers can use the ETHIC model of decision making for resolving ethical dilemmas. 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 and colleagues. A case example involving confidentiality, HIV/AIDS and family therapy demonstrates how social workers can use the ETHIC model.

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