LMSW Social Work Ethics and Values Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker in private practice is asked by a close friend to provide therapy for their teenage son. The friend states that their pre-existing relationship will help the son build trust more quickly. What is the social worker's MOST ethical course of action?
- Agree to provide the therapy but establish firm professional boundaries from the outset.
- Decline to provide therapy and refer the friend to other qualified professionals. (Correct answer)
- Provide the therapy but refuse to accept payment to eliminate the financial conflict of interest.
- Suggest co-facilitating the therapy sessions with another therapist to manage the dual relationship.
Correct answer: Decline to provide therapy and refer the friend to other qualified professionals.
The NASW Code of Ethics, Standard 1.06(c), cautions social workers against engaging in dual or multiple relationships where there is a risk of exploitation or harm to the client. Providing therapy to a close friend's son creates a dual relationship that could impair the social worker's professional judgment and compromise the therapeutic process. The most ethical action is to avoid this conflict of interest by referring the friend to other qualified professionals to ensure the client's interests are primary.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT one of the six core values identified in the Preamble of the NASW Code of Ethics?
- Service
- Integrity
- Self-Determination (Correct answer)
- Social Justice
Correct answer: Self-Determination
The Preamble of the NASW Code of Ethics outlines six core values: Service, Social Justice, Dignity and Worth of the Person, Importance of Human Relationships, Integrity, and Competence. While Self-Determination is a fundamental ethical principle (Standard 1.02), it is not listed as one of the six core values.
Question 3: A social worker is providing services to a family, and the parents have given legal consent for their 12-year-old child to participate in counseling. During the first individual session, the social worker explains the purpose of therapy, confidentiality, and the child's role in the process using age-appropriate language. This process of securing the child's willing participation is best described as obtaining:
- Informed consent
- Parental permission
- Legal guardianship
- Assent (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Assent
While the parents provide legal informed consent, the social worker is ethically obligated to obtain the child's assent. Assent is the agreement of a minor, who is not able to give legal consent, to participate in services after being provided an age-appropriate explanation of the treatment. This respects the child's developing capacity for self-determination, as outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics (Standard 1.03).
Question 4: According to the NASW Code of Ethics, a social worker's primary responsibility is to:
- The social work profession
- Their employing agency
- Clients (Correct answer)
- Broader society
Correct answer: Clients
The NASW Code of Ethics, Standard 1.01 Commitment to Clients, explicitly states: "Social workers’ primary responsibility is to promote the well-being of clients." While social workers have ethical responsibilities to their agency, the profession, and society, their commitment to the client's interests is paramount.
Question 5: A social worker is meeting with a client who states, "I'm going to kill my former boss. I know where he lives, and I'm going to his house tonight to do it." The client has no history of violence but appears very agitated. What is the social worker's FIRST ethical and legal obligation?
- Immediately contact the police and warn the former boss of the threat.
- Maintain client confidentiality, as the threat is likely not credible given the lack of violent history.
- Perform a thorough risk assessment to determine the seriousness and imminence of the threat. (Correct answer)
- Explore the client's feelings of anger and discuss alternative coping mechanisms.
Correct answer: Perform a thorough risk assessment to determine the seriousness and imminence of the threat.
Before breaking confidentiality under the "duty to protect" principle (derived from the Tarasoff case), the social worker's immediate first step is to assess the risk. This involves evaluating the credibility, specificity, and imminence of the threat to determine if it meets the threshold for disclosure. Acting without a proper assessment could be a premature breach of confidentiality, while only exploring feelings without assessing risk ignores the potential danger.
Question 6: When a social worker is confronted with a complex ethical dilemma involving conflicting professional values, what is the MOST appropriate initial step in the ethical problem-solving process?
- Consult with a supervisor and document the consultation.
- Review the relevant sections of the NASW Code of Ethics.
- Develop and weigh several alternative courses of action.
- Identify the specific ethical issues, including the conflicting values and duties. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Identify the specific ethical issues, including the conflicting values and duties.
All the options are important steps in ethical decision-making, but the foundational first step is to clearly define the problem. This involves identifying the specific ethical standards and principles that are in conflict. Without a clear understanding of the dilemma itself, subsequent steps like consulting, reviewing the code, or developing action plans cannot be effectively implemented.
LMSW Social Work Ethics and Values Questions and Answers
A social worker in private practice is asked by a close friend to provide therapy for their teenage son.
The friend states that their pre-existing relationship will help the son build trust more quickly.
What is the social worker's MOST ethical course of action?