Ethics for Macro Practice

1
Ethics for Macro Practice

• Promoting Social Justice and Cultural Diversity
  through Advocacy

2
Ethical issues in formal organizations (as
specified in the NASW Code of Ethics) include

• Relationships between workers and clients.
• Relationships between administrators/supervisors
  and workers.
• Relationships among colleagues.
• Ethical issues in conducting research.
• Confidentiality (client records).
• Informed Consent
• Client self-determination.
• Responsibility to intervene when colleagues are
  unethical or incompetent.
• Payment for services/conflicts of interest.

3
The NASW Code of Ethics identifies important
principles including

• Relationships between workers and clients.
• Relationships between administrators/supervisors
  and workers.
• Relationships among colleagues.
• Ethical issues in conducting research.
• Confidentiality (client records).
• Client self-determination.
• Responsibility of individual social workers to
  advocate for improvements in policies, services,
  and resources for clients.
• Responsibilities of social workers to engage in
  and promote culturally competent service
  delivery.
• Responsibility to intervene when colleagues are
  unethical or incompetent.
• Payment for services/conflicts of interest.
• Advocacy (helping clients get the resources they
  need).

4
There are a number of ethical issues can be
especially problematic in organization practice

• Reporting unethical conduct or harassment.
• Sexual relationships with co-workers.
• Accepting goods and services from clients.
• Advocacy on behalf of clients when agency
  practices are oppressive or otherwise detrimental
  to clients.
• Internal or external advocacy on social issues
  when the workers position varies from the
  organization.

5
Social workers may seek consultation on ethical
issues from

• 1) Beneficiaries of Social Change Processes.
  
• 2) Peers.
• 3) Agency Supervisory Staff.
• 4) Board Members.
• 5) Mentors.
• 6) Professional Organizations.

6
Ethical issues faced by administrations that are
not covered by the code of ethics include

• Acceptance of funding from sources with who
  represent different values or who have different
  agendas from the organizations.
• Involvement in protest activities that are not
  sanctioned by the organization or by society.
• Hiring and firing staff.
• Providing services to clients who may be members
  of social stigmatized groups.

7
The decision to advocate is especially
problematic for many social workers. It may
involve risks to the social worker or the
intended beneficiaries.

• Lack of resources with which to advocate.
• Rigid or inadequate rules or policies limit ones
  ability to advocate.
• Losing ones job, a promotion, or benefits.
• Social ostracism/lack of support from co-workers
• Harassment.
• Harassment of or harm to intended beneficiaries.
• Burn-out or demoralization of advocate.
• Limited results

8
Benefits of Advocacy include

• Achieving positive change.
• Personal feelings of empowerment or competence.
• Achieving a sense of hopefulness
• Educating/empowering clients to advocate for
  themselves.
• Reducing burnout.

9
Types of advocacy practice include
10
Do you think it is ethical for social workers to
be involved in

• Lobbying for Legislation
• Political Campaigns
• Protests?

11
According to the NASW Code of Ethics

• Social workers should promote conditions that
  encourage respect for cultural and social
  diversity within the United States and globally.
  Social workers should promote policies and
  practices that demonstrate respect for
  difference, support the expansion of cultural
  knowledge and resources, advocate for programs
  and institutions that demonstrate cultural
  competence, and promote policies that safeguard
  the rights of and confirm equity and social
  justice for all people.

12
Involvement in Social Action can vary among
social workers

• Most organizations that employ social workers
  lobby government officials and agencies for
  funding and for changes in laws and policies.
• Many social workers work on political campaigns
  or donate money to candidates. Some social
  workers run for office. However, laws prohibit
  employees of public agencies from campaigning
  while on the job and also prohibit nonprofit
  organizations from donating money to political
  campaigns or candidates. (However, social workers
  may engage in these activities off-the job).

13
Protests

• Involvement in political groups and protests is a
  fundamental right.
• Some social workers engage in protest as part of
  their jobs if they are involved in an issue of
  concern to their organization.
• Many social service organizations do not permit
  workers to engage in protest on-the job. Federal
  regulations limit the amount of money most
  nonprofit organizations can spend in lobbying
  government for changes in policies and laws.

14
The achievement of social justice is why we
engage in social action.

• Social justice can be defined as equal access to
  resources such as jobs, education, services, and
  voting rights.
• Many groups in society have difficulties
  obtaining these resources, are denied their
  rights, or have limited political power.
• The purpose of community organization practice is
  to help people to gain access to resources,
  voting rights, or political power.

15
Ethical Conduct in Social Work also requires that
we promote diversity in our agency

• This means that we should do everything we can to
  make sure we promote diversity in terms of age,
  gender, social class, disability status, race,
  and ethnicity, and sexual orientation
• We need to make sure we promote fair practices in
  hiring, firing, promoting, and retaining staff.

16
Federal and State regulations also require this

• Affirmative Action
• Equal Pay Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Civil Rights Act
• Age Discrimination Act
• Vietnam-Era Veterans Readjustment Act
• California Fair Employment Act
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  Guidelines Prohibiting Sexual Harassment
• (Note California law also prohibits
  discrimination based on sexual orientation)

17
Affirmative Action

• Applies to organizations with Federal contracts
• Provides guidelines that prohibits employment
  practices that may result in discrimination.
• Does not require organizations to use hiring
  quotas.
• Does require that the employer recruit applicants
  from a diverse group of employees.
• Does require employers to hire a member of a
  protected group (women or people of color) but
  only in situations in which two employees are
  equally qualified.
• Requires some employers to file annual
  affirmative action plans.

18
Americans with Disabilities Act

• Prohibits employment discrimination against
  persons with disabilities.
• Requires employers to provide reasonable
  accommodation in some situations to disabled
  employees.

19
Sexual Harassment is

• Can be either quid pro quo harassment
  (employee/student) asked for sex in return for
  promotion, job, good grades, etc.
• Hostile Work Environment behaviors that create
  a work place that is so hostile that interferes
  with a persons ability to work or learn.
• Note Harassment based on race, ethnicity, age,
  disability, or religion are also strictly
  prohibited.

20
Some states including California

• Prohibit the use of affirmative action in state
  hiring and university admissions,
• However, Federal laws on Affirmative Action still
  cover nonprofit organizations that receive funds
  from the Federal government.

21
Problems with enforcement of Federal and State
anti-discrimination laws

• Harassment is considered a civil violation rather
  than a criminal act unless it involves violence.
• For the most part, harassment is addressed
  through either the EEOC or through the courts.
  Individuals or groups of people affected must
  bring complaints.
• Case (court) law often determines how the act is
  interpreted and changes constantly.
• Federal government does monitor federal
  contractors but primarily makes sure that
  contractors have workplace policies.
• Private employers basically have policies
  primarily to give them protection from lawsuits

22
In addition to staff hiring, services to clients
should be culturally competent.

• Cultural competency is the ability to work
  effectively with people who are culturally
  different from the social worker. Culture
  includes values and beliefs and lifestyle
  practices associated with ethnic and other
  marginalized groups
• A culturally competent social worker obtains
  knowledge about the various cultural groups that
  he or she works with, understands cultural
  identity, and can communicate effectively across
  cultural differences.
• An organization is culturally competent when its
  policies and practices help client/consumers feel
  comfortable when they request or obtain services
  for the organization.

23
Cross and Friesen (2005) identify 5
characteristics of organizations that engage in
culturally competent practice

• Value diversity and embrace culture as a
  resource.
• Be capable of cultural self-assessment.
• Be conscious of the dynamics, risks, and
  potential conflicts inherent when different
  cultures intersect.
• Have institutionalized knowledge about various
  cultures and cultural issues.
• Have services that can be adapted to fit the
  culture of the community served (p. 445).

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A number of actions that should be taken by
culturally competent organizations

• Develop written cultural competency plans.
• Establish boards with diverse members.
• Provide applications and other materials in
  different languages and Braille pre-test
  material to make sure its usable.
• Provide translation services (including sign
  language).
• Provide culturally acceptable treatments.
• Provide cultural competency training.
• Provide staff from a variety of cultural groups.

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These organizations should also

• Hire staff members that are competent in a
  variety of languages in response to client needs.
  
• Provide applications and forms in appropriate
  languages.
• Make sure service providers have specialized
  assessment and treatment skills needed to treat
  diverse clients (in terms of ethnicity, sexual
  orientation, ability, age, social class, and
  gender).
• Ensure accessibility for people with physical and
  mental disabilities.
• Examine the use of language and concepts in
  assessment tools and intervention plans.
• Engage in intervention on multiple systems levels
  (for example, with individuals, families, groups,
  communities, and the socio-political system).
• Display and disseminate agency materials (such as
  brochures, art work, toys, and games) that
  portray members of a variety of ethnic groups.
  These materials should not be racist, sexist, or
  heterosexist

26
Community Organization can be used to

• Increase political power.
• Change social policies that perpetuate social
  inequities between the haves and have nots.
• Conduct needs assessments to identify problems
  that people have in obtaining access to care.
• Develop new service agencies or programs.
• Advocate for change in existing services or
  service delivery systems.

27
In community organization, cultural competence
requires

• Conducting research to gain knowledge about other
  cultures.
• Acknowledging ones own biases and beliefs.
• The ability to communicate cross-culturally
• Participation in cultural events and the daily
  life of a community.
• Respect for cultural values and traditional
  leaders.
• Recognition of barriers to community
  participation that originate in institutional
  racism.

28
Culturally Competent Community Practice also
includes the following activities

• Identify community strengths that can be used to
  affect social change.
• Identify power holders and those people who
  influence policy decisions.
• Work with constituents to identify strategies and
  tactics that can be used to achieve power and
  change institutional arrangements that are not
  beneficial to communities of color.

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Successful Organizing Includes

• An understanding of the culture of beneficiaries
  and participants in the change process.
• An understanding of the power dynamics that
  support existing policies and sources of power
  that can be used to change policies.
• An intervention plan that includes goals,
  objectives, strategies, and tactics that can be
  used in the change process.

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Remember People Have the Power