Overview
    Preamble
    Purpose Of The Code Of Ethics
    Ethical Principles
    Ethical Standards
        Ethical Responsibilities To Clients
           Commitment To Clients
           Self-Determination
           Informed Consent
           Competence
           Cultural Competence And Social Diversity
           Conflicts Of Interest
           Privacy And Confidentiality
           Access To Records
           Sexual Relationships
           Physical Contact
           Sexual Harassment
           Derogatory Language
           Payment For Services
           Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity
           Interruption Of Service
           Termination Of Services
        Ethical Responsibilities To Colleagues
           Respect
           Confidentiality With Colleagues
           Interdisciplinary Collaboration
           Disputes Involving Colleagues
           Consultation
           Referral For Services
           Sexual Relations
           Sexual Harassment
           Impairment Of Colleagues
           Incompetence Of Colleagues
           Unethical Conduct Of Colleagues
        Ethical Responsibilities In Practice Settings
           Supervision And Consultation
           Education And Training
           Performance Evaluation
           Client Records
           Billing
           Client Transfer
           Administration
           Continuing Education and Staff Development
           Commitments To Employers
           Labor-Management Disputes
        Ethical Responsibilities As Professionals
           Competence
           Discrimination
           Private Conduct
           Dishonesty, Fraud And Deception
           Impairment
           Misrepresentation
           Solicitations
           Acknowledging Credit
        Ethical Responsibilities To The Social Work Profession
           Integrity Of The Profession
           Evaluation And Research
        Ethical Responsibilities To The Broader Society
           Social Welfare
           Public Participation
           Public Emergencies
           Social And Political Action

Social Workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. ‘Clients’ is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social Workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation, administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and implementation, education, and research and evaluation. Social Workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. Social Workers also seek to promote the responsiveness of organizations, communities, and other social institutions to individuals’ needs and social problems.

The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values. These core values, embraced by Social Workers throughout the profession’s history, are the foundation of Social Work’s unique purpose and perspective:

• Service

• Social Justice

• Dignity and worth of the person

• Importance of human relationships

• Integrity

• Competence

This NASW Code of Ethics serves six purposes:

• The Code identifies core values on which social work’s mission is based.

• The code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work practice.

• The code of ethics is designed to help social workers identify relevant considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.

• The code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work profession accountable.

• The code socializes practitioners new to the field to social work’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards.

• The code articulate standards that the social work profession itself can use to assess whether social workers have engaged in unethical conduct. NASW has formal procedures to adjudicate ethics complaints filed against its members. In subscribing to this code, social workers are required to cooperate in its implementation, participate in NASW adjudication proceedings, and abide by any NASW disciplinary rulings or sanctions based on it.

Further, the code of ethics does not specify which values, principles, and standards are most important and ought to outweigh others in instances when they conflict. Ethical decision making in a given situation must apply the informed judgment of the individual social worker and should also consider how the issues would be judged in a peer review process where the ethical standards of the professional would be applied.

Ethical decision making is a process. There are many instances in social work where simple answers are not available to resolve complex ethical issues. Social workers should take into consideration all the values, principles, and standards in this code that are relevant to any situation in which ethical judgment is warranted. Social workers’ decisions and actions should be consistent with the spirit as well as the letter of this code.

In addition to this code, there are many other sources of information about ethical thinking that may be useful. Social workers should consider ethical theory and principles generally, social work theory and research, laws, regulations, agency policies, and other relevant codes of ethics, recognizing that among codes of ethics social workers should consider the NASW Code of Ethics as their primary source. Social workers also should be aware of the impact on ethical decision making of their clients’ and their own personal values, cultural and religious beliefs, and practices. They should be aware of any conflicts between personal and professional values and deal with them responsibly. For additional guidance social workers should consult relevant literature on professional ethics and ethical decision making, and seek appropriate consultation when faced with ethical dilemmas. This may involve consultation with an agency-based or social work organization’s ethics committee, regulatory body, knowledgeable colleagues, supervisors, or legal counsel.

Instances may arise where social workers’ ethical obligations conflict with agency policies, relevant laws or regulations. When such conflicts occur, social workers must make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles, and standards expressed in this code. If a reasonable resolution of the conflict does not appear possible, social workers should seek proper consultation before making a decision.

This code of ethics is to be used by NASW and by other individuals, agencies, organizations, and bodies (such as licensing and regulatory boards, professional liability insurance providers, courts of law, agency boards of directors, government agencies, and other professional groups) that choose to adopt it or use it as a frame of reference. Violation of standards in this code does not automatically imply legal liability or violation of the law. Such determination can only be made in the context of legal and judicial proceedings. Alleged violations of the code would be subject to a peer review process. Such processes are generally separate from legal or administrative procedures and insulated from legal review or proceedings in order to allow the profession to counsel and/or discipline its own members.

A code of ethics cannot guarantee ethical behavior. Moreover, a code of ethics cannot resolve all ethical issues or disputes, or capture the richness and complexity involved in striving to make responsible choices within a moral community. Rather a code of ethics sets forth values, ethical principles and ethical standards to which professionals aspire and by which their actions can be judged. Social workers’ ethical behavior should result from their personal commitment to engage in ethical practice. This code reflects the commitment of all social workers to uphold the profession’s values and to act ethically. Principles and standards must be applied by individuals of good character who discern moral questions and, in good faith, seek to make reliable ethical judgments.

VALUE: Service

Ethical Principle: Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.

Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant financial return (pro bono service).

VALUE: Social Justice

Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.

Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression, and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure equality of opportunity, access to needed information, services, resources, and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

VALUE: Dignity and Worth of the Person

Ethnic Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.

Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients’ socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients’ and the broader society’s interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession.

VALUES: Importance of Human Relationships

Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.

Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities.

VALUES: Integrity

Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.

Social workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards, and practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.

VALUE: Competence

Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.

Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.

Some of the standards that follow are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct and some are more aspirational in nature. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards.

1. Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Clients

1. Social workers should provide services to clients only in the context of a professional relationship based, when appropriate, on valid informed consent. Social workers should use clear and understandable language to inform clients of the purpose of the service, risks related to the service, limits to service because of the requirements of a third-party payer relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, clients’ right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the consent. Social workers should provide clients with an opportunity to ask questions.
2. In instances where clients are not literate or have difficulty understanding the primary language used in the practice setting, social workers should take steps to ensure clients’ comprehension. This may include providing clients with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter and/or translator whenever possible.
3. In instances where clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, social workers should protect clients’ interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with their level of understanding. In such instances social workers should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients’ wishes and interests. Social workers should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients’ ability to give informed consent.
4. In instances where clients are receiving services involuntarily, social workers should provide information about the nature and extent of services, and of the extend of clients’ right to refuse service.
5. Social workers who provide services via electronic mediums (such as computers, telephone, radio, and television) should inform recipients of the limitations and risk associated with such services.
6. Social workers should obtain clients’ informed consent before audio-taping or videotaping clients, or permitting third party observation of clients who are receiving services.

1. Social workers should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.
2. Social workers should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and/or supervision from persons who are competent in those interventions or techniques.
3. When generally recognized standards do not exist with respect to an emerging area or practice, social worker should exercise careful judgment and take responsible steps –including appropriate education, research, training, consultation, and supervision – to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients from harm.

1. Social workers should understand culture and function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
2. Social workers should have a knowledge base of their clients’ cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients’ culture and to differences among people and cultural groups.
3. Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion and mental or physical disability.

1. Social workers should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. Social workers should inform clients when a real or potential conflict of interest arises and take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes the clients’ interests primary and protects clients’ interests to the greatest extent possible. In some cases, protecting clients’ interests may require termination of the professional relationship with proper referral of the client.
2. Social workers should not take unfair advantage of any professional relationship or exploit others to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.
3. Social workers should not engage in dual or multiple relationships with clients or former clients in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. In instances when dual or multiple relationships are unavoidable, social workers should take steps to protect clients and are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries. (Dual or multiple relationships occur when social workers relate to clients in more than one relationship, whether professional, social, or business. Dual or multiple relationships can occur simultaneously or consecutively.)
4. When social workers provide services to two or more persons who have a relationship with each other (for example, couples, family member), social workers should clarify with all parties which individuals will be considered clients and the nature of social workers’ professional obligations to the various individuals who are receiving services. Social workers who anticipate a conflict of interest among the individuals who are receiving services, or who anticipate having to perform in potentially conflicting roles (for example, when a social worker is asked to testify in a child custody dispute or divorce proceedings involving clients), should clarify their role with the parties involved and take appropriate action to minimize any conflict of interest.

1. Social workers should respect clients’ right to privacy. Social workers should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential to providing service or conducting social work evaluation or research. Once private information is shared, standards of confidentiality apply.
2. Social workers may disclose confidential information when appropriate with a valid consent from a client, or a person legally authorized to consent on behalf of a client.
3. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons. The general expectation that social workers will keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or other identifiable person or when laws or regulations require disclosure without a client’s consent (Revised by National Association of Social Workers (Washington, DC) Delegate Assembly August 1999). In all instances, social workers should disclose the least amount of confidential information necessary to achieve the desired purpose; only information that is directly relevant to the purpose for which the disclosure is made should be revealed.
4. Social workers should inform clients, to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences and, when feasible, before the disclosure is made. This applies whether social workers disclose confidential information as a result of a legal requirement or based on client consent.
5. Social workers should discuss with clients and other interested parties the nature of confidentiality and limitations of clients’ right to confidentiality. Social workers should review with clients circumstances where confidential information may be requested and where disclosure of confidential information may be legally required. This discussion should occur as soon as possible in the social worker-client relationship and as needed throughout the course of the relationship.
6. When social workers provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups, social workers should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual’s right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information shared by others. Social workers should inform participants in family, couples, or group counseling that social workers cannot guarantee that all participants will honor such agreements.
7. Social workers should inform clients involved in family, couples, marital, or group counseling of the social worker’s, employer’s, and/or agency’s policy concerning the social worker’s disclosure of confidential information among the parties involved in the counseling.
8. Social workers should not disclose confidential information to third party payers, unless clients have authorized such disclosure.
9. Social workers should not discuss confidential information in any setting unless privacy can be assured. Social workers should not discuss confidential information in public or semi-public areas (such as hallways, waiting rooms, elevators, and restaurants).
10. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. When a court of law or other legally authorized body orders social workers to disclose confidential or privileged information without a client’s consent and such disclosure could cause harm to the client, social workers should request that the court withdraw or limit the order as narrowly as possible and/or maintain the records under seal, unavailable for public inspection.
11. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients when responding to requests from members of the media.
12. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of clients’ written and electronic records and other sensitive information. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients’ records are stored in a secure location and that clients’ records are not available to others who are not authorized to have access.
13. Social workers should take precautions to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted to other parties through the use of computer, electronic mail, facsimile machines, telephones and telephone answering machines, and other electronic or computer technology. Disclosure of identifying information should be avoided whenever possible.
14. Social workers should transfer or dispose of clients’ records in a manner that protects clients’ confidentiality and is consistent with state statues governing records and social work licensure.
15. Social workers should take reasonable precautions to protect client confidentiality in the event of the social worker’s termination of practice, incapacitation, or death.
16. Social workers should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients for teaching or training purposes, unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information.
17. Social workers should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients with consultants, unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information or there is a compelling need for such disclosure.
18. Social workers should protect the confidentiality of deceased clients consistent with the preceding standards.

1. Social workers should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning them. Social workers who are concerned that clients’ access to their records could cause serious misunderstanding or harm to the client should provide assistance in interpreting the records and consultation with the client regarding the records. Social workers should limit client access to social work records, or portions of clients’ records, only in exceptional circumstances when there is compelling evidence that such access would cause serious harm to the client. Both the client’s request and the rationale for withholding some or all of the record should be documented in the client’s file.
2. When providing clients with access to their records, social workers should take steps to protect the confidentiality of other individuals identified or discussed in such records.

1. Social workers should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced.
2. Social workers should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with clients’ relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a close, personal relationship where there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. Sexual activity or sexual contact with clients’ relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a personal relationship has the potential to be harmful to the client and may make it difficult for the social worker and client to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Social workers – not their clients, their clients’ relatives or other individuals with whom the client maintains a personal relationship – assume the full burden for setting clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive boundaries.
3. Social workers should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with former clients because of the potential for harm to the client. If social workers engage in conduct contrary to this prohibition or claim that an exception to this prohibition is warranted due to extraordinary circumstances, it is social workers – not their clients – who assume the full burden of demonstrating that the former client has not been exploited, coerced, or manipulated, intentionally or unintentionally.
4. Social workers should not provide clinical services to individuals with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. Providing clinical services to a former sexual partner has the potential to be harmful to the individual and is likely to make it difficult for the social worker and individual to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

1. When setting fees, social workers should ensure that the fees are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the service performed. Consideration should be given to the client’s ability to pay
2. Social workers should avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements, particularly involving services, create the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in social workers’ relationships with clients. Social worker should explore and may participate in bartering only in very limited circumstances where it can be demonstrated that such arrangements are an accepted practice among professionals in the local community, considered to be essential for the provision of service, negotiated without coercion and entered into at the client’s initiative and with the client’s informed consent. Social workers who accept goods or services from clients as payment for professional services assume the full burden of demonstrating that this arrangement will not be detrimental to the client or the professional relationship.
3. Social workers should not solicit a private fee or other remuneration for providing services to clients who are entitled to such available services through the social workers’ employer or agency.

1. Social workers should terminate services to clients, and professional relationships with them, when such services and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients’ needs or interests.
2. Social workers should take reasonable steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services. Social worker should withdraw services precipitously only under unusual circumstances, giving careful consideration to all factors in the situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects. Social workers should assist in making appropriate arrangements for continuation of services when necessary.
3. Social workers in fee-for-service settings may terminate services to clients who are not paying an overdue balance if the financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to the client, if the client does not pose an imminent danger to self or others, and if the clinical and other consequences of the current non-payment have been addressed and discussed with the client.
4. Social workers should not terminate services to pursue a social, financial, or sexual relationship with a client.
5. Social workers who anticipate the termination or interruption of services to clients should notify clients promptly and seek the transfer, referral, or continuation of services in relation to the clients’ needs and preferences.
6. Social workers who are leaving an employment setting should inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of service and their benefits and risks.

1. Social workers should treat colleagues with respect, and represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues.
2. Social workers should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues’ level of competence or to individuals’ attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, mental or physical disability, or any other preference, personal characteristic, or status.
3. Social workers should cooperate with social work colleagues and with colleagues of other professions when it serves the well-being of clients.

1. Social workers who are members of an interdisciplinary team should participate in and contribute to decisions that affect the well-being of clients by drawing on the perspectives, values, and experiences of the social work profession. Professional and ethical obligations of the interdisciplinary team as a whole and of its individual members should be clearly established.
2. Social workers for whom a team decision raises ethical concerns should attempt to resolve the disagreement through appropriate channels. If the disagreement cannot be resolved social workers should pursue other avenues to address their concerns, consistent with clients well-being.

1. Social workers should not take advantage of a dispute between a colleague and employer to obtain a position or otherwise advance the social worker’s own interest.
2. Social worker should not exploit clients in a dispute with a colleague or engage clients in any inappropriate discussion of a social worker’s conflict with a colleague.

1. Social workers should seek advice and counsel of colleagues whenever such consultation is in the best interest of clients.
2. Social workers should keep informed of colleagues’ areas of expertise and competencies. Social workers should seek consultation only from colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise and competence related to the subject of consultation.
3. When consulting with colleagues about clients, social workers should disclose the least amount of information necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation.

1. Social worker should refer clients to other professionals when other professionals’ specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully, or when social workers believe they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and additional service is required.
2. Social workers who refer clients to other professionals should take appropriate steps to facilitate an orderly transfer of responsibility. Social workers who refer clients to other professionals should disclose, with clients’ consent, all pertinent information to the new service providers.
3. Social workers are prohibited from giving or receiving payment for a referral when no professional service is provided by the referring social worker.

1. Social workers who function as supervisors or educators should not engage in sexual activities or contact with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over whom they exercise professional authority.
2. Social workers should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues where there is potential for a conflict of interest. Social workers who become involved in, or anticipate becoming involved in, a sexual relationship with a colleague have a duty to transfer professional responsibilities, when necessary, in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

1. Social workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleague’s impairment which is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties, and which interferes with practice effectiveness, should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
2. Social workers who believe that a social work colleague’s impairment interferes with practice effectiveness and that the colleague has not taken adequate steps to address the impairment should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.

1. Social workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleague’s incompetence should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
2. Social workers who believe that a social work colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.

1. Social workers should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.
2. Social workers should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues’ unethical behavior. Social workers should be familiar with national, state, and local procedures for handling ethics complaints. These include policies and procedures created by NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, employers, agencies, and other professional organizations.
3. Social workers who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive.
4. When necessary, social worker who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should take action through appropriate formal channels (such as contacting a state licensing board or regulatory body, NASW committee on inquiry, or other professional ethics committees).
5. Social workers should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct.

1. Social workers who provide supervision or consultation should have the necessary knowledge and skill to supervise or consult appropriately and should do so only within their areas of knowledge and competence.
2. Social workers who provide supervision or consultation are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.
3. Social workers should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with supervisees in which there is a risk or exploitation of or potential harm to the supervisee.
4. Social workers who provide supervision should evaluate supervisees’ performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.

1. Social workers who function as educators, Field Instructors for students, or trainers should provide instruction only within their areas of knowledge and competence, and should provide instruction based on the most current information and knowledge available in the profession.
2. Social workers who function as educators or Field Instructors for students should evaluate students’ performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.
3. Social workers who function as educators or Field Instructors for students should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are routinely informed when services are being provided by students.
4. Social workers who function as educators or Field Instructors for students should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with students in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the student. Social work educators and Field Instructors are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.

1. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflective of the services provided.
2. Social workers should include sufficient and timely documentation in records to facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services provided to clients in the future.
3. Social workers’ documentation should protect clients’ privacy to the extent that is possible and appropriate, and should include only that information that is directly relevant to the delivery of services.
4. Social workers should store records following the termination of services to ensure reasonable future access. Records should be maintained for the number of years required by state statutes or relevant contracts.

1. When an individual who is receiving services from another agency or colleague contacts a social worker for services, the social worker should carefully consider the client’s needs before agreeing to provide services. In order to minimize possible confusion and conflict, social workers should discuss with potential clients the nature of their current relationship with other service providers and the implications, including possible benefits or risks, of entering into a relationship with a new service provider.
2. If a new client has been served by another agency or colleague, social workers should discuss with the client whether consultation with the previous service provider is in the client’s best interest.

1. Social work administrators should advocate within and outside of their agencies for adequate resources to meet clients’ needs.
2. Social workers should advocate for resources allocation procedures that are open and fair. When not all clients’ needs can be met, an allocation procedure should be developed that is non-discriminatory and based on appropriate and consistently applied principles.
3. Social workers who are administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that adequate agency or organizational resources are available to provide appropriate staff supervision.
4. Social work administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment for which they are responsible is consistent with and encourages compliance with the NASW Code of Ethics. Social work administrators should take reasonable step to eliminate any conditions in their organizations that violate, interfere with, or discourage compliance with the Code of Ethics.

1. Social workers generally should adhere to commitments made to employers and employing organizations.
2. Social workers should work to improve employing agencies’ policies and procedures, and the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.
3. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that employers are aware of social workers’ ethical obligations as set forth in the NASW Code of Ethics and their implications for social work practice.
4. Social workers should not allow an employing organization’s policies, procedures, regulations, or administrative orders to interfere with their ethical practice of social work. Social workers should take reasonable steps to ensure that their employing organizations’ practices are consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics.
5. Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the employing organization’s work assignments and in its employment policies and practices.
6. Social workers should accept employment or arrange student field placements only in organizations where fair personnel practices are exercised.
7. Social workers should be diligent stewards of the resources of their employing organizations, wisely conserving funds where appropriate, and never misappropriating funds or using them for unintended purposes.

1. Social workers may engage in organized action, including the formation of and participation in labor unions, to improve services to clients and working conditions.
2. The actions of social workers who are involved in labor-management disputes, job actions, or labor strikes should be guided by the profession’s values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. Reasonable differences of opinion exist among social workers concerning their primary obligation as professionals during an actual or threatened labor strike or job action. Social workers should carefully examine relevant issues and their possible impact on clients before deciding on a course of action.

1. Social workers should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.
2. Social workers should strive to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions. Social workers should critically examine, and keep current with, emerging knowledge relevant to social work. Social workers should routinely review professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to social work practice and social work ethics.
3. Social workers should base practice on recognized knowledge, including empirically-based knowledge, relevant to social work and social work ethics.

1. Social workers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or jeopardize the best interests of those for whom they have a professional responsibility.
2. Social workers whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others.

1. Social workers should make clear distinctions between statements made and actions engaged in as a private individual and as a representative of the social work profession, a professional social work organization, or of the social worker’s employing agency.
2. Social workers who speak on behalf of professional social work organizations should accurately represent the official and authorized positions of the organizations.
3. Social workers should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, education, competence, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. Social workers should claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others.

1. Social workers should not engage in uninvited solicitation of potential clients who, because of their circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence, manipulation, or coercion.
2. Social workers should not engage in solicitation of testimonial endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client’s prior statement as a testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other persons who, because of their particular circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence.

1. Social workers should take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed and to which they have contributed.
2. Social workers should honestly acknowledge the work of and the contributions made by others.

1. Social workers should work toward the maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice.
2. Social workers should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. Social workers should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.
3. Social workers should contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the social work profession. These activities may include teaching, research, consultation, service, legislative testimony, presentations in the community and participation in their professional organizations.
4. Social workers should contribute to the knowledge base of social work and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics. Social workers should seek to contribute to the profession’s literature and to share their knowledge at professional meetings and conferences.
5. Social workers should act to prevent the unauthorized and unqualified practice of social work.

1. Social workers should monitor and evaluate policies, the implementation of programs, and practice interventions.
2. Social workers should promote and facilitate evaluation and research in order to contribute to the development of knowledge.
3. Social workers should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to social work and fully utilize evaluation and research evidence in their professional practice.
4. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should consider carefully possible consequences and should follow guidelines developed for the protection of evaluation and research participants. Appropriate institutional review boards should be consulted.
5. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should obtain voluntary and written informed consent from participants, when appropriate, without any implied or actual deprivation or penalty for refusal to participate, without undue inducement to participate, and with due regard for participants’ well-being, privacy and dignity. Informed consent should include information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation requested and disclosure of the risks and benefits of participation in the research.
6. When evaluation or research participants are incapable of giving informed consent, social workers should provide an appropriate explanation to them, obtain the participant’s assent, and obtain consent from an appropriate proxy.
7. Social workers should never design or conduct evaluation or research that does not use consent procedures, such as certain forms of naturalistic observation and/or archival research, unless rigorous and responsible review of the research has found it to be justified because of its prospective scientific yield, educational, or applied value and unless equally effective alternative procedures that do not involve waiver of consent are not feasible.
8. Social workers should inform participants of their rights to withdraw from evaluation and research at any time without penalty.
9. Social workers should take appropriate steps to ensure that participants in evaluation and research have access to appropriate supportive services.
10. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should protect participants from unwarranted physical or mental distress, harm, danger or deprivation.
11. Social workers engaged in the evaluation of services should discuss collected information only for professional purposes and only with persons professionally concerned with this information.
12. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should ensure the anonymity or confidentiality of participants and the data obtained from them. Social workers should inform participants of any limits of confidentiality, the measures that will be taken to ensure confidentiality, and when any records containing research data will be destroyed.
13. Social workers who report evaluation and research results should protect participants’ confidentiality by omitting identifying information unless proper consent has been obtained authorizing disclosures.
14. Social worker should report evaluation and research findings accurately. They should not fabricate or falsify results and should take steps to correct any errors later found in published data using standard publication methods.
15. Social workers engaged in evaluation or research should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with participants, should inform participants when a real or potential conflict of interest arises, and should take steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes participants’ interests primary.
16. Social workers should educate themselves, their students, and colleagues about responsible research practices.

1. Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all persons have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities that they require in order to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice, and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.
2. Social workers should act to expand choice and opportunity for all persons, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited persons and groups.
3. Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for the diversity of cultures and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.
4. Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination, exploitation, and discrimination against any person, group or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, mental or physical disability, or any other preference, personal characteristic, or status.

 
 

Created By: Matthew Bokoles
Last Updated: 10/22/07
Please Send Questions and Comments to mdbutler@puc.edu