Social Workers who Move into Private Practice: Ideological Considerations as a Factor in the Transition

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 465-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate van Heugten

Various aspects of a recent and unprecedented upsurge in private-practice social work in New Zealand were examined in research conducted from 1993 to 1999. A qualitative methodology was employed to try to reveal new information about a field of practice that has been extensively canvassed using quantitative methods. The findings reported here concern the importance of ethical dilemmas. These dilemmas were a surprisingly common motivating factor in respondents' decision to leave salaried agency social work. Most of the 33 respondents had recently left government or quasi-government agencies and less commonly had left private, nonprofit agencies. As expected, ethical dilemmas also arose in the transition to private practice, and respondents related their mostly pragmatic management of these.

10.18060/124 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine P. Congress

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.


Author(s):  
Daphne C. Watkins

Mixed methods research integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods into a single study to produce a more inclusive and expansive understanding of a topic. This article defines mixed methods in social work research, and discusses design notation, language, popular mixed methods designs, and data integration. Using mixed methods provides an opportunity for social workers to take advantage of the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches and to offset their weaknesses. It is important that social workers engaged in mixed methods research maximize the interpretation of their findings and articulate the advantages of using mixed methods over qualitative or quantitative methods alone. Given the unique features of the profession, it is imperative that social workers carve out a distinctive mixed methods niche for social work researchers and practitioners.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1834-1853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orly Shapira-Lishchinsky ◽  
Miri Ben-Amram

Abstract This study reveals the ethical dilemmas encountered by social workers who mentor workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities that work in the free labour market through supported employment frameworks. The aim of the study is to examine the social workers' ethical dilemmas, while extracting rules of conduct and ethical codes that are unique to supported employment frameworks, through team simulation training. The study included forty-eight social workers who attended nine sessions in the course of one year. The findings, which were analysed using a qualitative methodology, revealed that the dilemmas, rules of ethical conduct and the derived ethical codes ranged from flexible solutions to setting firm boundaries. It emerged that the ethical dilemmas were associated with interactions that take place on all layers of the socio-ecological model. The contribution of the study is in developing an ecological approach to coping with the multidimensional dilemmas that arise in the context of supported employment. The findings will help develop a systemic approach amongst social workers towards coping with the ethical challenges involved in this type of employment.


2022 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 717-726
Author(s):  
Dickson Machimbidza ◽  
Louis Nyahunda ◽  
Jabulani C. Makhubele

This study was aimed at exploring the efficacy of social work roles in disaster risk management in Zimbabwe in the face of climatic changes. It was carried out in Binga district, Matebeleland-North province using the qualitative methodology and a case study design. The study sample was comprised of 8 practicing social workers. Snowballing and purposive sampling techniques were used to select these participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. It was found that social workers play essential roles before, during and after disasters. On disaster preparedness, it was established that social workers assume roles of educators, community workers and disaster planners. Moreover, it was found that they play the roles of case managers, administrators of social protection and counselors during the disaster response phase of disaster risk management. Subsequently they also act as advocates, development facilitators as well as monitoring and evaluation personnel in the disaster recovery phase. As per the findings, the study recommends that social workers be recognized as essential in disaster risk management at both policy and practice level. Further, there is need to enhance social work training education for flexibility and contextual application of social work knowledge in the field of disaster risk management for quality realization of green social work in Zimbabwe.


Author(s):  
Sandra A. Lopez

Private independent practice (known historically as private practice) is a growing segment of the social work profession. Social workers entering this context are providing a range of services, including clinical and nonclinical. Major considerations for establishing, maintaining, and marketing a successful and ethical private independent practice will be discussed. Existing tensions and challenges in the social work profession and in the field of social work education will be briefly examined. Future directions for private independent practice of social work will be explored.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Novie Purnia Putri

Social work is as a help profession. It has a basic task in overcoming social problems, one of them is handling the beggars. The method used in this study was a qualitative method by describing the implementation of the value principles and ethics of social workers in handling the beggars through the Yogyakarta Society of Social Workers Association and the ethical dilemmas inside. The purpose of this study was expected to provide an overview of practices in the field as an effort to improve the quality of social work, increasingly to have adequate competence, both in terms of values and ethics in carrying out their profession. The results of this study indicated that in the implementation of the value principles and ethics of social workers with reviews of acceptance, individualization,  disclosure of feelings, non-judgmental attitudes, objectivity, self determination, confidentiality and accountability. The whole principles had been practiced. However, during practicing in the field, there were ethic dilemmas in the application of the principles. They were dilemmas in client confidentiality, policy laws, management care and scarce and limited resources.


2021 ◽  

Among the most challenging ethical dilemmas in social work is what has become known as moral injury. Moral injury is ordinarily defined as the sort of harm that results when someone has perpetrated, failed to prevent, or witnessed acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs. What these phenomena have in common are instances when social workers must decide how to handle work-related circumstances that are deeply troubling because they have caused, or have the potential to cause, harm. It is important for social workers to understand the nature of moral injury, the diverse causes of moral injury and the moral distress that often results, meaningful responses, and prevention strategies.


Social Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
George W Turner ◽  
Killian Derusha ◽  
Lisa Meyers ◽  
Ben Snyder ◽  
Amy Gray ◽  
...  

Abstract Many social workers go into private practice, providing crucial mental health services; however, there is a dearth in the scholarship outlining the social work student training for these career options. It may be argued that social work students receive little or no clinical training on how to run a private practice providing psychotherapy services. To mend this pedagogical shortcoming, a private practice field education placement is a legitimate teaching opportunity to prepare social work students to meet the mental health needs of individuals, families, and the public. Authors drew on borderlands theory described by Gloria Anzaldua as a contested space that focuses on “both and” thinking, which resonated with a sense of navigating a border filled with cultural tension between private practice and social work. Five social workers explore their unique experiences of a private practice field education placement using borderlands theory as a lens. Qualitative analysis of autoethnography narratives resulted in six themes: (1) benefits to private practice site, (2) preparation for social work, (3) private practice is social work, (4) balanced picture, (5) practicum landscape, and (6) learning opportunities. The article concludes with recommendations for social work education and research.


Author(s):  
Louis Nyahunda ◽  
Jabulani Calvin Makhubele ◽  
Vincent Mabvurira ◽  
Frans Koketso Matlakala

Abstract Women’s vulnerability to climate-induced shocks hinges on a high dependence on climate-sensitive livelihoods and a natural resource base aggravated by the acute inequalities that they experience due to patriarchal dominance. This article’s purpose is to unpack the vulnerabilities and inequalities that rural women experience in the climate change terrain which necessitates the involvement of the social work profession. This study adopted a qualitative methodology guided by a multi-case study design. A sample of twenty-five participants, including community members and social workers, participated in the study. These participants were selected through simple purposive and convenient sampling techniques. Data were collected using focus group discussions and individual interviews. The thematic content analysis was followed to analyse the findings. The study established that rural women are impacted by various vulnerabilities and inequalities in the climate change discourse, which serve as barriers to their effective adaptation. The vulnerabilities and inequalities manifest through lack of land and property rights, discrimination from decision-making processes, poverty and lack of adequate knowledge about climate change mitigation and adaptation. Social work involvement to address these catastrophes is scant in the Vhembe district in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study recommends that all climate change interventions should put an end to inequalities women experience in order for them to be effective and social workers should be at the frontline of such initiative.


10.18060/73 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic G. Reamer

Social workers' understanding of ethical issues has matured significantly. This article traces the evolution of the profession's approach to the values and ethics. During its history, social work has moved through four major periods-- the morality period, the values period, the ethical theories and decision-making period, and the ethical standards and risk-management (the prevention of ethics complaints and ethics related lawsuits) is diverting social workers from in-depth exploration of core professional and personal values, ethical dilemmas, and the nature of the profession's moral mission. The author encourages the profession to recalibrate its focus on values and ethics.


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