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7-1-2000
The Social Work Ethics Audit: A RiskManagement Strategy
Frederic G. Reamer
Rhode Island College, freamer@ric.edu
Recommended Citation
Reamer, Frederic G., "The Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk-Management Strategy" (2000). Faculty Publications. Paper 173. http://digitalcommons.ric.edu/facultypublications/173
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The Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk-Management Strategy
Frederic G. Reamer In recent years, social work's knowledge base related to professional ethics has expanded significantly. However, most practicing social workers concluded their formal professional education at a time when comprehensive ethics education was not a critical or mandated component of the curriculum. This article integrates current knowledge on social work ethics and introduces the concept of a social work ethics audit to aid social workers in their efforts to identify pertinent ethical issues; review and assess the adequacy of their current ethics-related practices; modify their practices as needed; and monitor the implementation of these changes. Key words: ethical standards; ethics; malpractice; NASW Code of Ethics; risk management
specially since the early 1980s, social work's loiowledge base related to professional ethics has burgeoned. Social work's literature on the subject has expanded considerably in several key areas: the nature of social work's core values and conflicts between personal and professional values; conflicts among social workers' professional duties and obligations (ethical dilemmas); ethical decision making; ethical misconduct and social worker
References: Original manuscript received July 7, 1999 Final revision received October 19,1999 Accepted November 29,1999 Doctoral Education for Professionals in Clinical Social Work and Counseling