Imagine how you would discuss the role of a social worker with friends or family.
Week 1: Welcome and Introductions
Part of a social work master’s program is developing your professional identity. Professional identity is built upon a solid foundation of core social work curriculum, the social work code of ethics, cultural competency, and evidence-based practice. Through the courses of the social work program and experience in the field, you will develop competencies related to professional and ethical behavior; diversity and inclusion; social justice; research; policy; and engaging, assessing, intervening, and evaluating individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations.
This week, you lay the foundation for this development by learning essential concepts related to professional identity. You learn how to develop cultural competency through the framework of cultural humility, and you review the NASW Code of Ethics and CSWE competency standards. Finally, you take a 10-question quiz to demonstrate your understanding and reinforce important concepts from this week’s assigned resources.
Note: You are required to attend the Skills Lab Intensive in Week 4. If you do not attend in accordance with the guidelines presented in the syllabus and elsewhere in the course, you will not be able to pass the course. Be sure you review and understand the requirements. You must attend all sessions and be fully engaged in learning at all times.
Discussion 2: Identifying as a Professional Social Worker, the Code of Ethics, and Your Field Placement
To be a professional social worker means embodying the knowledge and standards of the profession. The NASW Code of Ethics is considered one of the bedrocks on which our profession is based and serves as a guiding document for the everyday practice of social workers. In this Discussion, you will explore the Code of Ethics and discuss how it is relevant to you and to your field placement.
To Prepare
Review the NASW Code of Ethics.
Imagine how you would discuss the role of a social worker with friends or family.
Think ahead to your field experience and the types of scenarios you may encounter then.
By Day 4
Post a response to the following:
In your own words, describe the primary mission of the social work profession. For your response, imagine you are describing this to a friend or family member.
Define what constitutes an ethical dilemma.
Give an example of an ethical dilemma you might encounter in your field experience (i.e., internship). This could involve your own actions, the actions of a supervisor, or an agency policy.
Identify the Code of Ethics that applies to the ethical dilemma you described.
Describe what you would do to address the situation. Be specific in identifying your dilemma and in identifying what part of the Code of Ethics applies.
Required Readings.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Answer preview to imagine how you would discuss the role of a social worker with friends or family.
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