Imagine that you sit down with a client at your agency, and the client says, “Thanks so much for seeing me. I’m good friends with your brother.” Would treating the person be an ethical violation? What do you do next? While this may be a simple conflict of interest, it may not be. Where is the line between acceptable and unacceptable—could you treat a cousin’s friend, for example, or a friend of a friend?
Social workers may feel pressure to respond in the moment, but often a pause is needed to truly consider the implications. Thankfully, social work practitioners and those in related fields have developed decision-making models to help guide professionals through dilemmas like this, and even more complex ones.
In this Assignment, you apply Elaine Congress’s ETHIC Model to navigate an ethical scenario.
Read the following ethical scenarios and choose one to use for this Assignment:
Scenario 1:
You are treating a 15-year-old female client for an eating disorder. She reveals that she is pregnant and does not want you to share this information with her parents. What do you tell her?
Following the session, the client’s mother, who has been waiting in the lobby, asks how the session went. What do you say?
Consider how you would respond to the scenario using the ETHIC Model.
With this assignment use the sources given and you can use outside sources in addition to what is uploaded.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social WorkersLinks to an external site.. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Rubric
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSubmit a 1-page paper in which you use the ETHIC Model to respond to the chosen practice scenario.
18 to >16.2 pts
Exceeds Expectation
Response meets expectations and exceeds through insightful connection to social work practice and/or additional details and examples from the Learning Resources, peer-reviewed research, or other relevant sources.
2 to >1.8 pts
Exceeds Expectation
Paper meets length requirements, meets expectations, is generally error-free (two or fewer), and further exceeds by showcasing an exemplary scholarly voice to develop its message or communicate ideas
