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Ethical Decision Making in Social Work and Counselling, 1st Edition

By Pamela Miller
Instructional Resources
Digital teaching aids may be available for this title. All instructor requests are reviewed by our team before the files are made accessible.
Soft Cover
312 pages
ISBN-10: 0176415270
ISBN-13: 9780176415273
Publisher: Top Hat
Edition: 1st

The focus of this text on ethical decision-making reflects the reality of practice in human services where we are increasingly faced with complex and contentious issues that by definition do not lend themselves to simple solutions. Part of the complexity arises from the deepening seriousness and complexity of questions, concerns, and problems service users present to us along with the multiple roles we play with the requirement to engage in inter professional practice with colleagues from a variety of allied professions. This all occurs within a context of conflicting directives from codes of ethics, legal requirements, agency policies with often inadequate or limited resources and service user needs and expectations. To assist in learning how to respond in an ethically thoughtful manner to this context, we have provided in this text decision making models, core concepts related to ethical practice, value clarification exercises, practice situations with inquiry questions and tasks to assist the reader to think through and become engaged with the ethical dimensions of the situations.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Chapter 1 - The Ethical Dimensions of Practice
  • Chapter 2 - Legal and Ethical Dimensions to Practice
  • Chapter 3 - Values and Professional Ethics
  • Chapter 4 - Essential Professional Obligations and Duty to Clients
  • Chapter 5 - Confidentiality in the Professional Relationship: Protecting Client Privacy
  • Chapter 6 - Informed Consent
  • Chapter 7 - Responsibilities to Society: Social Justice as a Professional Ethical Responsibility
  • Chapter 8 - Responsibilities to the Profession: Accountability to Colleagues and Employers
  • Chapter 9 - Professional Relationships, Use of Power, and Boundaries
  • Chapter 10 - Self Care: Preventing Burnout and Covenant Model of Professional Relationships
  • Appendix A - Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics
  • Appendix B - National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics
  • Appendix C - The American Psychological Association''s Code of Conduct
  • Appendix D - Canadian Code of Conduct for Psychologists
  • Index

Author Information

Mark O. Dickerson

Mark O. Dickerson is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science at the University of Calgary.  His major field of study was Comparative Politics with emphasis on...