To acquire some clarity on how social workers should drib dead most managing ethical dilemmas, I spoke alongside Allan Barsky. You mightiness think Allan from Episodes 76, when I nosotros discussed Social Workers inwards the Court. You mightiness also recognize him from his ethics column inwards The New Social Worker online or y'all mightiness lead hold fifty-fifty heard him speak most Ethical Issues inwards End of Life Care inwards that other social piece of work podcast from the University of Buffalo, The inSocialWork Podcast. (It's a fabulous podcast, thus I would recommend that y'all cheque it out). Finally, y'all mightiness know Allan from his books, Clinicians inwards Court or the mass that nosotros are going to last talking most today, Ethics together with Values inwards Social Work.
Clearly, Allan is form of ubiquitous when it comes to ethics, thus I figured he's a goodness somebody to speak to. In today's interview, nosotros discussed Allan's relational 6-stage model of managing ethical issues. We also talked most dual relationships, role-played an ethical situation, together with analyzed the role play. We ended our conversation alongside a give-and-take of additional ethics resources for social workers.
If y'all desire to honour additional references together with resources, every bit good every bit a transcript of my conversation alongside Allan, delight drib dead to the Social Work Podcast website at socialworkpodcast.com. If y'all desire to bring together the conversation most clinicians inwards court, drib dead to our Facebook page at Facebook.com/swpodcast. If you’re on Twitter, y'all tin follow the podcast at twitter.com/socworkpodcast. And now, without farther ado, on to Episode 78 of the Social Work Podcast: Social Work Ethics: Interview alongside Allan Barsky.
Download MP3 [36:39]Bio
Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD is Professor of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton together with Chair of the NASW National Ethics Committee. He has a background inwards social work, law, together with mediation. His mass authorships include "Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions" (Brooks/Cole), "Ethics together with Values inwards Social Work" (Oxford University Press), together with "Clinicians inwards Court" (Guilford Press). MD Barsky is a Florida State Accredited Family Mediator together with has published articles inwards the Journal of Social Work Values together with Ethics, Family Court Review, together with Conflict Resolution Quarterly.TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
Jonathan Singer: Hey at that topographic point podcast listeners, Jonathan here. Today's episode is on social piece of work values together with ethics. You tin last inwards your get-go twenty-four hr menses of your undergrad social piece of work shape or y'all tin lead hold practiced for twoscore years inwards the profession together with y'all know together with that we've got these ethical values together with principles that are at the heart together with soul of our service to people (NASW, 1996/2008). In fact, service is i of those heart together with soul values. Social judge is some other one. Dignity together with worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity together with the – what's the 6th one?... Competence. Right. Classic. So I forgot that one. But competence is the in conclusion heart together with soul value.
You know, I just gave a workshop on ethics together with technology together with I started the workshop yesteryear saying: "Don't lead hold sexual practice with, create drugs alongside or pocket from your clients. That's it. Thanks a lot for coming. Goodbye." It was intended to last humorous, right, to form of loosen upwardly the crowd to say, “This is non going to last tiresome ethics,” but it was also intended to state "Look, those aren't genuinely ethical dilemmas. This is wrong. You shouldn't create them." And the thing that trips upwardly most social workers is when it's non clear. What is the right thing to do? I don't know. It's an ethical dilemma.
So, inwards social club to acquire some clarity on how social workers should drib dead most resolving these ethical dilemmas, I spoke alongside Allan Barsky. You mightiness think Allan from a span of episodes [76] agone when I talked alongside him about Social Workers inwards the Court or y'all mightiness recognize him from his ethics column in The New Social Worker online or y'all mightiness lead hold fifty-fifty heard him speak about Ethical Issues inwards End of Life Care inwards that other social piece of work podcast from the University of Buffalo, The inSocialWork Podcast. It's a fabulous podcast. If y'all don't know it, cheque it out. Or y'all mightiness know him from his books, Clinicians inwards Court or the mass that nosotros are going to last talking most today, Ethics together with Values inwards Social Work.
Clearly, Allan is form of ubiquitous when it comes to ethics, thus I figured he's a goodness somebody to speak to. So, nosotros started our conversation today talking most his model for resolving ethical dilemmas. He defined, gave some examples most what an ethical dilemma is together with nosotros talked most dual relationships together with nosotros talked most the departure betwixt boundary crossings together with boundary violations. Allan identified together with described the half-dozen stages of his ethical determination making model together with he clarified together with emphasized that his model, rather than beingness only this rational work solving model, was a relational approach to resolving ethical dilemmas. And together with then it got fun.
About xiii minutes into our discussion, Allan kindly agrees to create a role play alongside me thus that I tin acquire a ameliorate feel of how this thing industrial plant inwards practice, together with thus that y'all tin hear how Allan uses his model to resolve an ethical dilemma. And I picked form of a juicy ethical dilemma. I think you'll appreciate it. So together with then he dissects what nosotros just did inwards the role play together with nosotros talked most the role of powerfulness inwards ethical dilemmas inwards the provider-client every bit good every bit the supervisor-staff relationship. We ended our conversation alongside Allan providing some resources for social workers who desire to know more. And thus without farther ado onto episode 78 of the Social Work Podcast, Social Work Ethics: Interview alongside Allan Barsky.
Interview
Jonathan Singer: All right. Allan thank y'all thus much for beingness hither together with talking alongside us today on the Social Work Podcast most ethics together with my get-go inquiry for y'all is, what is an ethical dilemma?Allan Barsky: An ethical dilemma is a province of affairs where there's some sort of tension. It could last that at that topographic point are ii ethical standards or rules, together with they conflict. Or it mightiness lead hold a conflict betwixt our values together with our clients' values or our obligations to the way versus the obligations to the customer or maybe fifty-fifty to our ain religious or cultural beliefs. So some sort of tension, where at that topographic point isn't a perfect reply that satisfies all of our obligations together with all of our ethical together with legal directives.
Jonathan Singer: And thus it's a dilemma because there's no clear answer?
Allan Barsky: Right. There are a lot of ethical issues that aren't clearly dilemmas. If y'all aspect at, “What am I supposed to create if a customer is actively suicidal or threatens to wound their children,” together with there's pretty clear directives on what to create together with it may last hard to create those. But inwards a truthful dilemma, you're right, at that topographic point isn't a clear unmarried reply that satisfies all of the dissimilar ethical together with legal imperatives.
Jonathan Singer: So, I know that students oftentimes state well, “I can't come upwardly up alongside an ethical dilemma.” Do y'all lead hold an example?
Allan Barsky: Some of the classic ethical dilemmas are the things that are genuinely the hot clit issues inwards the public. So, at that topographic point are issues similar end-of-life determination making. If somebody is inwards halt of life stage, they lead hold a right to terminate their life or some people would state commit suicide. There's existent tension betwixt peoples' religious beliefs, professional person beliefs, together with what would a social worker create if they were either pro-life or pro-choice on that sort of issue, or on an number similar abortion. So, those are the ones that are easiest for people to understand.
Jonathan Singer: Social workers occasionally acquire dinged, right for violating the code of ethics together with thus what are the ethical issues that most oft come upwardly up?
Allan Barsky: I serve genuinely every bit the chair of the National Association National Ethics Committee together with i of the primary issues that come upwardly up is boundary issues, people who lead on dual roles. They are the social worker for the customer together with they create something similar lend them coin or offering them assist exterior of their professional person role, some people getting romantically involved, thus things that y'all wouldn't think are non ethical dilemmas. We lead hold clear boundaries most what nosotros should create or shouldn't create every bit social workers, but there's yet a number of people who create acquire involved inwards inappropriate relationships or cross boundaries that they shouldn't.
Jonathan Singer: It's i of these things where good maybe there's a therapeutic value to it or maybe there's some sort of create goodness to the customer that's higher upwardly together with beyond what I tin render every bit a professional person together with so, is that what y'all hateful whether that would last the dilemma?
Allan Barsky: So, those wouldn't last the classic definitions of dilemma because there's in all probability something that y'all tin create that would last a solution that genuinely satisfies the client's needs together with interests together with fulfills your ethical obligation. I was street outreach worker inwards Toronto together with nosotros had precisely the type of province of affairs that you're talking about. As I'm working alongside street youth, they mightiness demand a hot meal. They mightiness demand a seat to remain that night. They mightiness demand clothes together with nosotros genuinely literally gave some of our clients our clothes, but there's a way to create that inwards a way that's appropriate, ethically together with maintains your boundaries.
So, for instance, I lead hold a customer who needs to drib dead for a chore interview together with doesn't lead hold prissy clothes to have on together with nosotros genuinely don't lead hold fourth dimension to drib dead shopping or drib dead to some seat where he tin acquire the clothes. So, I talked to my supervisor together with nosotros state hey, I've got my gym clothes I tin alter into, I mean, I tin literally give the customer the clothes off my back, is it okay if nosotros create this? And so, I am entering a flake of a dual relationship. I'm lending clothes at the same fourth dimension that this is my social piece of work client, but I've got the consent of my agency.
They're non telling me that I'm breaching whatever boundaries together with y'all know, I've got a customer who understands that this isn't a normal component division of my function. So, I've crossed the boundary. I haven't necessarily breached the boundary. Now, some agencies may state that is totally inappropriate together with thus it does depend on the context including cultural context together with context of the agency.
Jonathan Singer: What the departure betwixt crossing a boundary together with breaching a boundary?
Allan Barsky: There's no Definition inwards our code of ethics or inwards the legal scheme on what's crossing a boundary. When nosotros state that we're breaching a boundary, we're crossing the delineate that would last against the code of ethics, thus crossing a boundary would last acting inwards a way that's exterior the green course of study of action, exterior the green professional person role of a social worker, but non necessarily inwards a high-risk situation. So, if nosotros breach a boundary, nosotros are acting inwards a way that is non inwards the green course of study of what a social worker does, but it's also putting the customer at hazard thus maybe because they're vulnerable.
We don't engagement our clients non because nosotros don't attention most them, but because they're inwards a vulnerable province of affairs together with if y'all start to acquire romantically involved inwards a client, they may endure from it. They are non gear upwardly emotionally to acquire into that sort of human relationship together with they may acquire genuinely confused most what sort of assist a social worker is providing.
Jonathan Singer: Yes. And I would imagine i would acquire romantically involved alongside a customer because y'all genuinely create attention a lot most the client.
Allan Barsky: And that's genuinely what I've seen inwards some of the cases that lead hold come upwardly up - together with non necessarily fifty-fifty romantically involved - but people who create things for their clients because they genuinely attention for them. They're doing it out of the goodness of their pump together with they think that, “You know, if I offering my customer a ride inwards a snowstorm, that's a goodness thing.” You know the customer is getting a prophylactic ride together with maybe 99.9% of the time, it’s non a problem.
But what happens if you're inwards an accident together with the customer gets severely injured. Who is responsible? What's the agency's responsibleness together with liability? This is going to come upwardly dorsum to haunt you. Whenever there's a boundary crossing, if it turns into a violation, y'all every bit the social worker lead hold to last gear upwardly to say, “Hey, I'm going to lead accountability for this.”
Jonathan Singer: So, y'all mentioned that when y'all were a social worker working alongside a homeless youth that talking alongside a supervisor most what was going on would last a way inwards which it wouldn't necessarily last unethical to render article of apparel or something together with that's speaks to your model, right which is sort of a relational model. Could y'all speak most your approach to addressing ethical dilemmas?
Allan Barsky: Sure. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of times what happens alongside ethical issues is nosotros lead hold an ethical determination making model, together with that's genuinely a cognitive process. “How create nosotros think through the issues of an ethical dilemma together with deconstruct them together with figure out what's the best response?” In social work, we're a exercise profession, thus at that topographic point has to last consideration of the relationship. The approach that I utilization is i that has half-dozen steps together with several steps genuinely aspect at how create nosotros bargain alongside it inwards price of relationships together with conversations alongside people.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of times, if y'all would only speak through the issues alongside your clients – when y'all lead hold an ethical conflict alongside them – y'all tin come upwardly up alongside a solution that satisfies both of you. If you're sitting inwards your business office together with endeavor to figure out, “What's the best thing inwards this situation? Do I demand to written report my customer or not?” You mightiness decide, “Hey, I demand to written report my client.” You haven't genuinely investigated all of the other options alongside the clients themselves, thus the get-go phase of the model that I utilization is similar to other ethical determination making models is identifying what the number is. And thus if you've got an ethical dilemma, y'all demand to aspect at, “What genuinely is inwards conflict: Is it our ethical code of ethics or is this our way policies or does it lead hold to create alongside customer expectations versus our religious beliefs?” So, what's the nature of the conflict? And dissimilar people mightiness aspect at the same fourth dimension fact province of affairs together with force out dissimilar ethical issues. It’s genuinely of import that nosotros aspect at what precisely are nosotros trying to solve.
The 2d phase is what y'all were talking most inwards price of reaching out for help. Step ii is, “Hey, who create I speak to most this inwards social club to acquire clarification, acquire support, acquire some legal advice, or acquire some ethical advice?” We could speak to supervisors, way administrators, legal advice, ethical advisors, or ethical committees, together with sometimes nosotros tin fifty-fifty speak to the clients because they may lead hold some data if nosotros demand to lead hold to a greater extent than of an thought of what their cultural values together with beliefs are. We mightiness genuinely acquire it from the clients themselves.
The adjacent phase of the procedure is that critical thinking: How create nosotros aspect at the ethical issues from the perspective of what are our obligations? What are the options that are available? Doing some self-reflection to see, “What are my values together with beliefs together with how create they impact the way that I think most it?” Then also doing some perspective taking, looking at it from the perspective of the agency, of the community, of the social piece of work profession together with whoever else mightiness last involved. Then nosotros mightiness aspect at if nosotros lead hold to brand a choice betwixt dissimilar perspectives, “Which of those perspectives genuinely helps us most alongside this exceptional scenario?”
Once nosotros lead hold an thought of what the options are together with the directions that nosotros mightiness go, or the factors that lead hold to last component division of the consideration, the quaternary phase is the conflict resolution stage. So, nosotros lead hold to aspect at how create nosotros lead hold conversations together with alongside whom. Now, a lot of times nosotros volition think, “Well, if it's an ethical dilemma together with then nosotros demand to lead hold a debate,” but a fighting has a winner together with loser. My preference is to aspect at well, how create nosotros lead hold a conversations, how create nosotros lead hold dialogues, how create nosotros create conflict resolution inwards a way that looks at people's underlying involvement together with endeavor to come upwardly up alongside consensus. We know that at that topographic point are lots of conflict resolution approaches out there, together with conflict resolution theory, thus why non convey that inwards together with brand utilization of that alongside the ethical dilemma that we're working with?
The 5th phase of the model is in i lawsuit we've got a resolution, how create nosotros implement it? So, nosotros demand to lead hold plans to brand sure that whatever nosotros decide, whether it's y'all together with your agency, y'all together with the client, or y'all together with the community, how are nosotros going to brand sure that it's going to lead hold every bit much lead chances every bit possible of succeeding? So, nosotros desire to last able to monitor it. We desire to determine who's responsible for doing what. How does it genuinely acquire implemented?
And together with then the 6th together with terminal phase is the evaluation together with follow up. So, what happens later you've implemented it? How create nosotros brand sure that our ethical goals were achieved? If they weren't achieved, what could nosotros lead hold done differently together with from a macro perspective? What create nosotros demand to create differently inside our agency, inside way policies or laws or community approaches to dealing alongside the issue? Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of things come upwardly up in i lawsuit to a greater extent than together with in i lawsuit to a greater extent than together with again, thus why drib dead on facing the same ethical issues together with dilemmas over together with over together with over in i lawsuit to a greater extent than when nosotros mightiness last able to create something that's corrective.
Jonathan Singer: So, it sounds a lot similar work solving inwards the feel that y'all seat the problem, y'all come upwardly up alongside some solutions, y'all evaluate – y'all implement them, y'all evaluate them. Am I hearing that correctly? Is at that topographic point a slice that is dissimilar that I'm missing?
Allan Barsky: Absolutely. It's for work solving, but it's also work solving non yesteryear y'all solitary but y'all alongside people around y'all who may include the clients together with others. We don't just lead responsibility, “Hey, I know the ethical code together with I know together with I'm the professional person thus I'm the i to brand decisions.” We empower our clients together with nosotros empower everyone that we're working alongside to resolve those issues together. It mightiness fifty-fifty last to a greater extent than solution-focused rather than work solving, because a lot of times when ethical issues come upwardly up nosotros aspect at all the bad things that tin happen. We should also aspect - just similar from the social piece of work strengths perspective - what are the possibilities? This is an chance for something wonderful. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of crises are genuinely opportunities for something positive.
Jonathan Singer: So, tin y'all recap the – tin y'all summarize those half-dozen stages again?
Allan Barsky: Absolutely. Stage 1: Identify what is the ethical number or dilemma. Number 2: What are the sources of assist that y'all tin utilization to assist y'all resolve the dilemma or think most the dilemma? Stage 3: Critical thinking: How create nosotros think about? How create nosotros analyze? How create nosotros endeavor to work solve around the dilemma? Step 4: Conflict resolution: Once nosotros know “what are the factors that nosotros demand to consider together with how it mightiness last analyzed together with resolved,” how create nosotros piece of work alongside our clients, our way together with others inwards social club to come upwardly up alongside some sort of consensus approach, if possible? Step 5: How create nosotros implement the decision? Who is responsible for doing what? How create nosotros implement the determination together with brand sure that everything gets done inwards the way that's probable to last most successful? And the 6th stride is evaluation together with follow up.
Jonathan Singer: So, I got to say, y'all know, if somebody who's listening I would imagine that that would last – it would brand sense, but it mightiness last a footling abstract. I'm wondering tin nosotros create a role play to sort of demonstrate how this would piece of work out inwards the existent world?
Allan Barsky: We're a exercise profession, thus let's create it.
ROLE PLAY
Jonathan Singer: Okay. All right. How most y'all are a social worker together with I'll last a supervisor together with our executive managing director is having sexual practice alongside a client? How most that? Will that sound similar a juicy ethical dilemma?
Allan Barsky: It's sure enough an interesting dilemma together with something that's y'all know inside the realm of possibility.
Jonathan Singer: Yeah, yeah absolutely, unfortunately. Okay, thus let's create it.
Allan Barsky: Jonathan, I needed to speak to y'all most our executive director, Don. Something has come upwardly to my attending together with it's sort of a sensitive issue. I'm genuinely concerned most clients, but I'm also concerned if I enhance this issue, y'all know, what's going to reach off to me, what's going to reach off to my job?
Jonathan Singer: Sure, absolutely. I'm glad that y'all came to me. I hateful normally nosotros speak most billing. What's going on? What's on your mind?
Allan Barsky: Well, I'm a footling flake reluctant to convey this upwardly because I don't know what the options are, how you'll react together with what nosotros tin create to brand sure that this is prophylactic for y'all together with for me. Basically I'm concerned that Don has been having sexual practice alongside i of my clients together with I know that from my customer that she's felt pressured into it. I don't think it's what someone would say, y'all know, every bit a sexual assail situation. She did consent, but genuinely it's just non appropriate together with I think that nosotros lead hold to create something most this.
Jonathan Singer: Okay. This is – wow, this is non – I was non expecting this.
Allan Barsky: And I was floored every bit well. I had never heard anything similar that before.
Jonathan Singer: Because Don has got a groovy reputation. I mean, y'all know, I know it's a huge way together with we've got – I don't know, in all probability 500 employees together with similar nosotros serve 10,000 clients. I've never in i lawsuit heard anybody state anything bad most him. Are y'all sure that this is going on?
Allan Barsky: You know I'm getting this 2d paw from the somebody who is maxim that this had occurred, but I've been working alongside her for a long time. I don't consider that she would lead hold whatever argue to brand upwardly information, thus she does come upwardly across every bit beingness honest most it together with I don't think nosotros tin just state we're going to drib it together with create nothing. She said that she was concerned most it. She wanted me to bargain alongside it together with thus that's why I thought, y'all know, let's convey it to your attention. Because if nosotros just convey it straight to the executive director, y'all know, I'm non sure how he'll react.
Jonathan Singer: Well, I'm rattling glad y'all didn't drib dead straight to Don. I think – wow, thus hold back has it – does anybody else know most this because this could be, this could last devastating? I hateful this could last huge for the way if it turns out to last non true. I don't fifty-fifty desire to think most them.
Allan Barsky: Whether it's truthful or non true, it tin lead hold an impact on the agency. So I don't know that my customer has told anybody else. I sure enough haven't told anybody else, but y'all know if i of the things that y'all don't desire me to speak most is talking alongside her most how to convey this upwardly without going straight to the news, together with then y'all know sure enough that's a possibility. We lead hold to aspect at what's the of import thing here, thus today is our give-and-take genuinely most keeping this serenity or what's genuinely the number nosotros demand to bargain alongside it?
Jonathan Singer: Yeah, no. I hateful patently our consumer, our clients' needs come upwardly first. So, I gauge I'm just concerned most liability. I'm concerned most what mightiness reach off to your chore together with my job. Of course, I hateful I'm also concerned most Don because I think he's done a groovy chore inwards general, together with I'm talking most this, is it – I mean, is it fifty-fifty clear that he knows that this adult woman is a customer of the agency? He doesn't create direct service, right? The adult woman is your client, non his client.
Allan Barsky: They met hither inwards the agency, thus he would know that she is a client.
Jonathan Singer: Okay. All right.
Allan Barsky: I think though y'all picked upwardly on a span of things, thus y'all know nosotros demand to last concerned most this exceptional client's security together with emotional well-being. We lead hold to last concerned most the way itself together with its reputation, the powerfulness to last trusted yesteryear clients, together with also yesteryear our funding sources. And nosotros also lead hold to last concerned that Don gets a fair hearing inwards this every bit well, that we're non just making accusations together with putting his reputation on the line. So, I think there's a number of dissimilar things that nosotros demand to last concerned most there. Are at that topographic point whatever other factors that nosotros demand to consider?
Jonathan Singer: You know I mean, I'm e'er – I loathe to state it but sort of y'all know every bit management I'm e'er thinking most the way together with I'm wondering if nosotros should acquire our legal counsel involved inwards this.
Allan Barsky: Okay, thus i possibility for additional assist is to convey inwards a legal counsel. Is it possible for us to consult alongside legal counsel without Don knowing or is it that every bit shortly every bit nosotros speak to legal counsel he's going to know what's going on together with that's going to impact things?
Jonathan Singer: That's a goodness question. Well, I could speak to my supervisor, the associate director. His married adult woman is a lawyer. I wonder if nosotros could speak to her.
Allan Barsky: Okay. So, it is possible for us to aspect at attorneys exterior of the agency, but maybe aside from the legal aspect of it nosotros tin just sort of think through, y'all know, what are our goals together with what are some of the options. We create lead hold an way policy that says that we're non allowed to lead hold personal relationships or sexual relationships alongside clients. I think that applies to Don every bit good every bit to frontline staff
Jonathan Singer: Yeah. Well, I hateful together with he is a social worker yesteryear preparation so.
Allan Barsky: Okay. So, it's component division of his code of ethics every bit well.
Jonathan Singer: Code of ethics, yeah.
Allan Barsky: Okay. But at the same fourth dimension y'all don't desire to create something that ruins somebody's reputation together with nosotros also desire to brand sure that the customer is on board alongside whatever nosotros do, thus maybe what nosotros tin aspect at is, y'all know, what are the dissimilar processes for bringing this number forward. You know, is it a affair of nosotros drib dead upwardly the chain of command together with y'all speak to the associate managing director together with he could convey it upwardly higher.
You know, create nosotros drib dead to the board of directors because they're the ones who are responsible at that higher degree or is at that topographic point some sort of grievance procedure that nosotros lead hold or should lead hold inside the way where these matters tin brought up? Or tin nosotros offering something that's to a greater extent than private province of affairs similar mediation or some sort of procedure where they tin last kept quiet? It doesn't lead hold to drib dead to the populace together with maybe non fifty-fifty lead hold to drib dead to the board of directors.
Jonathan Singer: I think component division of me wants to create it quietly alongside mediation together with y'all know I got to last honest, I'm yet reeling from this news. This is a lot to lead in, but y'all know nosotros create lead hold the client's – the, y'all know, consumer electrical charge subdivision together with I think that would – I don't know if this is ever – I tin telephone phone the officer. I tin telephone phone that officeholder together with just sort of hypothetically state is this something that y'all guys would typically bargain with?
Allan Barsky: So, nosotros don't genuinely lead hold to break which social worker, which customer is involved together with at to the lowest degree acquire some consultation on what are the options available for bringing this upwardly together with is at that topographic point something where nosotros tin convey it upwardly where, y'all know, the customer is prophylactic together with nosotros tin also give the managing director a fair chance to respond every bit well.
Jonathan Singer: Yeah. I think that would last the best way to drib dead most doing this. Yeah.
Allan Barsky: Okay. So, it sounds similar the adjacent stride is for y'all to speak to them most what the procedure is, how it would acquire initiated together with inwards a hypothetical province of affairs what mightiness last some of the challenges together with what mightiness last some of the opportunities every bit well.
Jonathan Singer: Mm-hmm. Now, thus y'all said y'all haven't talked to anybody else most this, right.
Allan Barsky: Nobody inside the agency.
Jonathan Singer: Okay.
Allan Barsky: Just the client.
Jonathan Singer: Okay. All right. I desire y'all to brand sure y'all don't state anything to anybody until I acquire dorsum to y'all on this. Okay?
Allan Barsky: Yeah. If nosotros can, y'all know, piece of work this out, if you're able to acquire me some data the adjacent twenty-four hr menses or two, I don't think the customer is pushing that quickly, but doesn't desire to – a resolution soon.
Jonathan Singer: No. I'll telephone phone every bit shortly every bit nosotros destination this coming together because this is important. Well, I appreciate y'all coming to me alongside this together with acquire retrospect. I create wishing it had been a billing issue. Those are genuinely boring, but at to the lowest degree I sympathize Medicaid thus – together with I'll acquire dorsum to y'all on this.
Allan Barsky: Okay. Thank you. Thanks for next up, too.
END ROLE PLAY
Jonathan Singer: And… Scene! Okay [laughs]. So, let's pretend that this is like, y'all know, Sports Center or whatever. Let's rewind the videotape. What just happened here? Talk us through this.
Allan Barsky: One of the things that sometimes happens is at that topographic point are powerfulness issues inwards relationships. Things tin last uncomfortable, thus when I'm playing the social worker together with I'm looking at well, “How create y'all convey upwardly an number against the executive director?” that somebody has the powerfulness to hire, burn together with y'all know, assign y'all to things that y'all similar or don't similar inside the agency. It's a component division of it is a powerfulness number every bit much every bit anything else… together with I'm non genuinely sure how my ain supervisor is going to respond.
Hopefully, I've got a goodness human relationship together with tin trust. We talked most whom create y'all reach out to for help. You desire to reach out to people who are knowledgeable together with lead hold decision-making authority, but also people that y'all tin trust. If I didn't trust you, I in all probability wouldn't lead hold come upwardly to y'all first. But that is a goodness way to approach most dilemmas inside the agency… is to drib dead upwardly inside the hierarchy.
Jonathan Singer: And thus inside your determination making model, if your customer had come upwardly to y'all together with said, y'all know, “Don together with I are having sexual practice together with it's – I experience genuinely uncomfortable most it.” And y'all had said, “All right, just drib dead on this to yourself.” Like if y'all had non fifty-fifty identified that every bit an number together with then that would lead hold been a work inwards together with of itself, but y'all did, right together with isn't that the get-go stride that–
Allan Barsky: Yeah. If nosotros can't recognize that there's an ethical issue, we're non going to bargain alongside it. We're going to ignore it. It could exacerbate or it could spin out of control. Sometimes it could disappear, but, to a greater extent than likely, things acquire worse. So, yes, y'all lead hold to last able to seat that there's an issue, articulate it for yourself… together with and then hither I had to start to articulate it, although I did it sort of jointly betwixt the supervisor together with myself.
Jonathan Singer: Oh, yesteryear the way, did nosotros create this sequentially? Like I gauge that's i of the other things, thus y'all had all those – y'all had the – there's a phase model similar y'all create these things together with y'all lead hold to create this other thing together with did our conversation follow that model?
Allan Barsky: When y'all aspect at the model, it doesn't lead hold to last done precisely sequentially. So to an extent nosotros didn't create it sequentially because I reached out for assist together with it was only when the ii of us speak together that nosotros genuinely articulated what the ethical number was. In my mind, I sort of knew what it was but it was genuinely only through talking alongside y'all that nosotros sort of figured out okay, good these are genuinely the conflicts. These are genuinely the interests that are competing. And I think that's natural. Sometimes individually you're non quite sure what the number is. You know at that topographic point is something together with to genuinely pose your hands on it, it's helpful to lead hold a conversation alongside someone else.
Jonathan Singer: Okay. So, i would non lead hold to drib dead stride yesteryear stride inwards social club to, y'all know, resolve an ethical dilemma.
Allan Barsky: Absolutely. There could last some situations where y'all aspect at just i stride inwards the procedure together with it sort of comes clear together with thus why drib dead through all of the other steps. It mightiness acquire to looking at, “What are the dissimilar options?” I mightiness last able to brainstorm some options together with they aspect genuinely goodness together with there's i that just sort of emerges every bit the best one, together with I don't fifty-fifty demand to consult alongside my supervisor or anybody else. I mightiness non fifty-fifty demand to create conflict resolution. I just demand to figure out okay, “How am I going to implement it together with runway how it's beingness implemented?”
Now normally nosotros create propose that social workers don't endure alone. If you've got an ethical number together with it's a tough one, reach out together with consult alongside other people. It's also a component division of our hazard management process. If y'all ever acquire held responsible for impairment that's done to your clients or to people inwards the community, they aspect at “Did y'all create what a reasonable professional person would do?” Social piece of work believes together with uses supervision, thus if y'all didn't contact the supervisor, people would wonder did y'all genuinely fulfill your duty of attention inwards resolving the ethical issue.
Jonathan Singer: Right. There's that the “reasonable person” standard.
Allan Barsky: Right. And inwards this case, the reasonable somebody is the reasonable social worker alongside your background.
Jonathan Singer: Right. Okay. So, I gauge something else that I noticed most this role-play was that fifty-fifty though I was the supervisor, inwards a lot of ways y'all were genuinely form of managing the conversation. You weren't saying, y'all know, "I think there's a problem, tell me what to do."
Allan Barsky: Right. We tried to acquire inwards aspect similar it was a conversation, a dialogue, thus each of us had input into it together with it maybe that the somebody who is lower on the hierarchy inwards price of chore descriptions mightiness last the i who tin genuinely lead the atomic number 82 inwards thinking through together with initiating the discussion. But if I'm non valuing together with showing y'all that I value the expertise together with input that y'all have, I'm going to lose y'all inwards the process. So, y'all create desire to lead a aspect at what the powerfulness together with the relationships are betwixt people who are having these conversations.
Now, it could lead hold been that y'all could lead hold been completely adamant that we're non going to create this. It's just besides risky, y'all know, this customer hasn't been harmed. She's non threatening to sue. We're just going to bury it. And thus together with then at that topographic point mightiness last a conflict because I would say, “You know what, I don't think that I tin alive alongside that. I've got a customer who has been inappropriately treated together with it may non last just her, it mightiness last others.” And y'all mightiness last rattling protective together with y'all mightiness lead hold goodness argue to be.
Maybe the way is struggling together with if nosotros lose whatever to a greater extent than funders, together with then the way could drib dead under. So, y'all mightiness lead hold a pragmatic concern. It may non be, “What I think is the most ethical,” but “How am I going to bargain alongside that when my ain supervisor is non supportive of me?” So, I'm trying to reach out together with last collaborative alongside y'all together with y'all we're collaborative dorsum alongside me. So, nosotros didn't lead hold a huge conflict there, but nosotros could have… together with I'd yet lead hold to figure out how create I bargain alongside that.
Jonathan Singer: Well, that was i of the things that I noticed most your affect, your presentation was that clearly I was anxious together with I form of did desire to bury it, but y'all were pretty... I mean–
Allan Barsky: Assertive.
Jonathan Singer: Yeah. You were assertive together with y'all were opened upwardly to my experience, y'all know, thus fifty-fifty though I'm the supervisor, y'all were similar "wow, y'all know, yeah, y'all know, I tin consider how that – you'd desire to create that together with I'm wondering if there's anything else that nosotros could create form of thing," thus because y'all knew – I gauge my bottom line, my basic point, is that it was helpful that y'all had a framework, right for addressing this dilemma because I didn't.
I wasn't thinking most resolving the dilemma. I was thinking about, y'all know, roofing my ain donkey together with maybe protecting your chore together with protecting Don, but also the customer – thus I was genuinely – I was a footling flake thrown, thus it was goodness that y'all thought most this together with we're able to create this.
Allan Barsky: And I think what y'all picked upwardly on is, if I would just tell y'all what I think is right, y'all mightiness lead hold said no to it. But I tin facilitate instead. We tin create collaborative work solving yesteryear bespeak questions. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of people don't think you're assertive yesteryear bespeak questions, but that genuinely is a way to non just last assertive, but also to last collaborative. We're thinking through this together together with thus I think we're less probable to knock heads.
Jonathan Singer: And I could consider every bit a supervisor bespeak questions, non just Socratic questioning, but just sort of genuinely thoughtful curiosity. It could last a groovy way of addressing ethical dilemmas or genuinely anything.
Allan Barsky: And I genuinely would say, including Socratic method. If nosotros learn our supervisors, “If y'all desire to empower people to brand their ain decisions together with to last able to larn critical thinking, y'all could model that Socratic inquiry.” And thus it becomes genuinely a learning conversation. We're non at that topographic point to fighting each other, but to just think most things from dissimilar perspectives. If I hadn't thought of it from the police force perspective or I hadn't thought most it from the client's perspective or the funding perspective, y'all could inquire me most those things. It just brings issues to low-cal together with it's non genuinely a threatening way. You're non telling me, “Hey, you're wrong.” You're just saying, “Hey, let's think most it inwards dissimilar ways together with and then let's determine what's right.”
Jonathan Singer: So Allan, get-go of all, give thank y'all you for talking alongside us most ethical determination making, most your collaborative model, for doing the role play. You lead hold a book, right through Oxford, Ethics together with Values inwards Social Work together with y'all lead hold other resources, could y'all speak most those briefly?
Allan Barsky: Sure. You know, there's a number of groovy scholars, Elaine Congress. Also for resources, just aspect to the NASW website. They've got “Legal Issue of the Month.” They've got “Law Notes.” They analyze a lot of the legal together with ethical issues that nosotros lead hold together with there's thus many things that are coming up. There are e'er issues together with novel technologies, reproduction technologies, utilization of Internet, social networking media, fifty-fifty utilization of cellphones. So, it's goodness to drib dead on abreast of what's the latest together with the greatest data together with back upwardly inwards those types of areas.
There's also an association called The Association of Practical together with Professional Ethics. They're interdisciplinary thus that's normally a prissy way for social workers to larn to think most things from dissimilar perspectives. And many communities lead hold universities that lead hold bio-ethics committees together with organizations. You mightiness fifty-fifty just aspect to your ain communities together with consider what bio-ethics organizations are inwards the universities or hospitals.
Jonathan Singer: I encourage folks to drib dead out together with acquire your mass because it goes into much to a greater extent than exceptional most all of this. So, thank y'all a lot.
Allan Barsky: Thank you... my pleasure.
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References together with Resources
- Anderson, S. K., & Handelsman, M. M. (2009). Ethics for psychotherapists together with counselors: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 proactive approach. New York: Wiley.
- Association for Advancement of Social Work alongside Groups (2006). Standards for social piece of work exercise alongside groups. Retrieved http://www.aaswg.org/standards-social-work-practice-with-groups
- Barsky, A. E. (2009). Ethics together with Values inwards Social Work: An Integrated Approach for a Comprehensive Curriculum. New York: Oxford University Press.
- Barsky, A. E. (2012). Clinicians inwards court: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 guide to subpoenas, depositions, testifying, together with everything else y'all demand to know. New York: Guilford Publications.
- Csikai, E. L., & Chaitin, E. (2006). Ethics inwards end-of-life decisions inwards social piece of work practice. Chicago: Lyceum.
- Dolgoff, R., Harrington, D., & Loewenberg, F. M. (2012). Ethical decisions for social piece of work exercise (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. (www.cengage.com)
- Gushwa, M., & Chance, T. (2008). Ethical dilemmas for mental wellness practitioners: Navigating mandated kid maltreatment reporting decisions. Families inwards Society, 89(1), 78–83.
- Gutheil, T. G., & Brodsky, A. (2008). Preventing boundary violations inwards clinical practice. New York: Guilford Press.
- McIlwain, J. (2012). Consent: Practical principles for clinicians. Oak Park, IL: Bentham Science. doi: 10.2174/9781608050932100ii
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (2008). Code of Ethics. Washington, DC: Author. Available Online: http://www.naswdc.org.
- Reamer, F. G. (2006). Social piece of work values together with ethics (3rd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
- Reamer, F. G. (2009). The social piece of work ethics casebook: Cases together with commentary. Washington, DC: CSWE Press. (Chapter 1 available at http://www.socialworkers.org/nasw/memberlink/2009/supportfiles/ethicsCasebookCh1.pdf).
- Scales, T. L., & Wolfer, T. A. (2006). Decision cases for generalist social piece of work practice: Thinking similar a social worker. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
- Strom-Gottfried, K. (2008). The ethics of exercise alongside minors: High stakes, hard choices. Chicago: Lyceum.
- Strom-Gottfried, K. (2007). Straight speak most professional person ethics. Chicago: Lyceum.
Ethics Websites
- American Society for Bioethics together with Humanities: http://www.asbh.org
- Association for Practical together with Professional Ethics: http://www.indiana.edu/ appe
- Association for Specialists inwards Group Work (Group Work Standards): http://www.asgw.org
- Foundations of Critical Thinking: http://www.criticalthinking.org
- Journal of Social Work Values together with Ethics: http://www.socialworker.com/jswve
APA (6th ed) citation for this podcast:
Singer, J. B. (Host). (2013, March 11). Social worker ethics: Interview alongside Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD [Episode 78]. Social Work Podcast. Podcast retrieved Month Day, Year, fromBuat lebih berguna, kongsi:
