Social Work Ethics in a Diverse Society

Developed in collaboration with social worker Michael Reisch, Social Work Ethics in a Diverse Society helps participants navigate complex ethical principles and decisions that arise in practice.

About the Course

During this self-study training session, you will learn how to:

• Apply ethical principles and frameworks to issues of practice

• Differentiate between professional values and personal values and the implications of those differences for ethical practice

• Determine what constitutes “the client’s interest” and when to prioritize it

• Apply the ethics of care and the concepts of social justice to issues of practice

• Differentiate between the FERPA and HIPAA legal restrictions on confidentiality

• Apply the concept of paternalism to social work practice

• Better understand how cultural diversity affects the meaning and implications of boundary issues and dual relationships in practice

• Distinguish among the various third parties to whom social workers owe a duty

• Determine how to resolve conflicts of duty to different third parties

• Better understand the impact of human rights perspectives on ethical social work practice

• And much more!

You will earn 6 credits by completing this course.

Please note: Accreditation not available in New York, New Jersey, or West Virginia.

Faculty

Michael Reisch is the Daniel Thursz Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Social Justice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He has held leadership positions in multicultural national, state, and local advocacy, professional, political, and social change organizations. Dr. Reisch received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Social Work Education, Career Achievement Award from the Association for Community Organization and Social Action, and teaching awards from the National Association of Social Workers and four major universities.