Ethics
SOCW6210-Discussion2 Drug Policies and Ethics
The NASW Code of Ethics provides social workers with guidelines
and standards for interacting with clients, colleagues,
communities, and society, as a whole. These standards govern
interactions and professional behavior of social work practitioners.
The NASW has also developed specific standards, which are
published in the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice With
Clients With Substance Use Disorders. These standards
emphasize the importance of the competence of social workers.
The standards indicate that social workers should be
knowledgeable of evidence-based interventions for substance
disorders. The confidentiality standard becomes essential as
social workers must be informed and comply with federal, state,
and local laws about substance use, as well as third-party payee
regulations.
For this Discussion, review this week’s resources, including the
case Working with Clients with Dual Diagnosis: The Case of
Joe,and consider how social policies affect Joe’s circumstances as
described in the case study. Then, think about any gaps in service
you found in Joe’s case. Finally, reflect on how you might address
these gaps or make changes to the policies that affect Joe.