CWEL Ethics and Professional Practice 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The NASW Code of Ethics identifies which value as the primary ethical obligation of social workers, including those in child welfare?
- Dignity and worth of the person
- Service to others and prioritizing client well-being (Correct answer)
- Social justice and equity
- Competence and professional development
Correct answer: Service to others and prioritizing client well-being
The primary ethical obligation of social workers is service—elevating clients' interests and well-being above personal gain, with child welfare workers holding this obligation toward children and families.
Question 2: A child welfare worker learns that a colleague is falsifying documentation in case files. What is the most appropriate ethical response?
- Confront the colleague directly and demand they stop
- Report the misconduct through appropriate channels such as the supervisor or ethics complaint process (Correct answer)
- Ignore the situation to avoid workplace conflict
- Discuss the concern with clients to warn them
Correct answer: Report the misconduct through appropriate channels such as the supervisor or ethics complaint process
The NASW Code requires social workers to take action when they have reason to believe a colleague is engaging in unethical conduct, using established reporting mechanisms.
Question 3: What is the ethical principle of 'self-determination' in child welfare practice?
- The worker's right to determine the best intervention for the family
- The client's right to make their own decisions, including decisions the worker disagrees with, within legal limits (Correct answer)
- The agency's right to determine service eligibility criteria
- The court's right to determine permanency outcomes for children
Correct answer: The client's right to make their own decisions, including decisions the worker disagrees with, within legal limits
Self-determination is the ethical principle that clients have the right to make their own choices and decisions; workers must respect this even when they disagree, except when choices create serious, foreseeable harm.
Question 4: Which ethical principle requires child welfare workers to maintain confidentiality of client information?
- Informed consent
- Fidelity and responsibility
- Privacy and confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Non-maleficence
Correct answer: Privacy and confidentiality
The ethical principle of privacy and confidentiality obligates workers to protect client information from unauthorized disclosure, with specific exceptions for mandated reporting and court processes.
Question 5: When a child welfare worker's personal values conflict with a client's beliefs or lifestyle, the ethically correct approach is to:
- Share their personal values with the client to help the client make better decisions
- Maintain professional objectivity by setting aside personal values and respecting the client's right to their own beliefs (Correct answer)
- Transfer the case to a worker who shares the client's values
- Refer the client to services that will change their lifestyle
Correct answer: Maintain professional objectivity by setting aside personal values and respecting the client's right to their own beliefs
Professional ethics require workers to separate their personal values from professional practice, maintaining objectivity and respecting client diversity without imposing their own values.
Question 6: What does 'dual relationship' mean in child welfare practice and why is it ethically problematic?
- Working with both a child and a parent simultaneously in the same case
- A professional relationship that overlaps with a personal, financial, or other relationship, creating a conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- A case requiring coordination between two different agencies
- Working in two different roles within the same agency
Correct answer: A professional relationship that overlaps with a personal, financial, or other relationship, creating a conflict of interest
A dual relationship exists when a worker has both a professional and personal/financial/social relationship with a client, creating conflicts of interest that compromise professional judgment and objectivity.
CWEL Ethics and Professional Practice 1
The NASW Code of Ethics identifies which value as the primary ethical obligation of social workers, including those in child welfare?