Question 1

Child welfare practice is impacted by changes in laws or regulations and updated practice models. It is the social worker's dual responsibility to keep current on these topics and be able to explain them to clientele in a competent manner. Which resources should the social worker use to accomplish this feat?

Accepted Answer

Child welfare organizations are responsible for sharing new information pertaining to laws and requirements with staff in a timely manner. Social workers must stay on top of local, state and federal changes that have an impact on children and families.

Question 2

Mallory is providing child welfare services to the family of a 15 year old. The adolescent states she was sexually assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. Both parents report their daughter being sexually active for the last twoyears. The ex-boyfriend reports the two were dating and sex was consensual. Mallory knows the adolescent is currently safe and in no imminent danger. Her next move is to determine whether the teen was of age to consent. What should Mallory do next?

Accepted Answer

Social workers should consult with other professionals when it is in the best interest of a client. Professionals should seek colleagues who have demonstrated expertise and competence in a specific area. Only the least amount of information necessary should be disclosed.

Question 3

When working with children, a social worker must be able to recognize imminent danger and ensure that the child receives appropriate protection. The role of the professional is to report and document the risk to the proper authorities and then explain the rationale to the family in a manner conducive to their understanding. What rules should a risk assessment based on imminent danger follow?

Accepted Answer

The above rules govern child protection and take into account the best interest of children. The social worker is required to utilize the legal process, and documentation of evidence is very important. A family should be given the opportunity to vent their feelings, obtain information pertaining to rights and obtain legal counsel.

Question 4

The principles of human rights are fundamental to all social work practices. The profession is based on beliefs that social workers will respect the worth and dignity of all individuals. Ethics has an important place in a person's affairs, and the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights declares that everyone has the right to:

Accepted Answer

All individuals have the basic right to self-determination. This allows for participation in development and control over what happens. Everyone should be viewed as capable of self-determination and its basis for human commonalities.

Question 5

Madeline is at a school function with her son when she recognizes a young boy involved in one of her social work cases. The child appears to be one of her son's close friends and immediately remembers Madeline. Before the social worker can avoid the conversation, the child says, "You're the lady that comes to my house all the time." This immediately brings up questions from Madeline's son. What should she do?

Accepted Answer

The social worker recognizes this situation as a conflict of interest under the NASW Code of Ethics. Instead of alienating her son's friendship with the child, she should acknowledge the child and redirect the conversation to a less sensitive topic. Madeline needs to make her administrator aware of the problem and transition the family to another qualified professional.

Question 6

Alex is having lunch with other social work colleagues when one of them says he is late for a family assessment. Without much thought, the other professional states his clients live in a poor neighborhood and probably can't even tell time. What problem should be addressed?

Accepted Answer

Stereotyping is a preconceived notion pertaining to a group of individuals. In the situation with Alex, a fellow colleague appears to believe all poverty-level people are lacking in intelligence. This is a category the social worker has organized in his thinking to save time when predicting a social environment.

Question 7

Jonathan has been practicing social work for 28 years. He is looking forward to retirement and feels it is well deserved. Due to his many years of experience, Jonathan does not see the need to attend trainings and seminars anymore. The social worker is confident in his practice and does not mind transitioning cases to newer workers when problems arise. What responsibility is Jonathanviolating?

Accepted Answer

Social work practice is greatly impacted by changes in regulations and laws. It is the responsibility of the professional to be updated on practice models. Staying current on these topics also requires the ability to explain changes in a competent manner to clientele.

Question 8

An administrator for a child welfare agency has taken a leave of absence due to medical problems. A supervisor from another department has been asked to oversee the daily functioning and ensure employees continue to work up to their expected standards. A social worker approaches the acting supervisor with an imminent danger situation and waits for specific directions. What should occur?

Accepted Answer

Any administrator acting in the role of supervisor should be competent in his/her area of expertise. If a problem arises outside of this subject matter, collaboration with knowledgeable professionals is a must.

Question 9

Samantha's week has been extremely hectic. She worked with fivedifferent families that placed children at risk, although not intentionally. The social worker fell behind in her documentation to address other more serious problems. Samantha receives a phone call from one of the clients stating they have been evicted. The social worker was supposed to connect the family with an agency who could have prevented this and helped them relocate. Which of the following chores is time sensitive?

Accepted Answer

If documentation is not handled correctly, it can become detrimental to the well-being of a client. When urgency arises in regards to a referral, only pertinent information should be delivered. There are many necessary functions of a social worker, but documentation should be time sensitive.

Question 10

A professional social worker tapes a therapy session with one of his clients to use at a seminar he will be conducting next month. The client asks why they are being recorded and the social worker's response leads her to believe it is for documentation purposes. What ethical standard has been violated?

Accepted Answer

A social worker is required by the NASW Code of Ethics to request informed consent before any video or audio taping can take place. The client needs to clearly understand the reason for such action and feel comfortable with the decision. Professional relationships are based on this trust.

Question 11

A social worker overhears two administrators discussing the promotion of a fellow colleague. One of the administrators admits that Gary, an African American, had more expertise and educational experience. However, Richard was hired to maintain the large number of white clientele. The social worker knows this hiring decision is and example of:

Accepted Answer

Racism is the practice of prejudice and discrimination based on classification. Under the NASW Code of Ethics, racism is not to be tolerated and social workers should acknowledge any form of this problem within an institution.

Question 12

The NASW Code of Ethics is providescore values, broad ethical principles, relevant considerations, ethical standards and guidelines for socialization of new social workers. Which of the following describes a sixth purpose?

Accepted Answer

NASW follows formal procedures when adjudicating ethics complaints on its members. The Code articulates all standards utilized by the profession to determine if social workers have participated in unethical conduct. Professionals are required to abide by any rulings or sanctions.

Question 13

The NASW Code of Ethics does not provide a prescribed set of rules that determines how social workers should respond in every situation. Many of the applications must take context into account. What else does the Code not clearly specify?

Accepted Answer

There is no specific arrangement of importance with the Code's values, principles and standards. Social workers demonstrate reasonable differences of opinion when applying informed judgment. This is also accurate should the ethical standards come before a peer review process.

Question 14

Child Protective Service administrators provide clinical oversight that assures compliance with local, state, federal and court guidelines. What other duty would a person in this position be responsible for?

Accepted Answer

Child Protective Service administrators have the important role of making critical decisions pertaining to abuse and neglect referrals. They also provide feedback regarding improvements, accomplishments and needs. Another duty may involve quality control coordination to verify proper application of the CPSA system.

Question 15

A social worker contacts her administrator to discuss an emergency problem with a family receiving services. Due to cutbacks, the father of the familyhas been let go from his job and has not been successful in finding new work. The fuel oil has run out that provides this family with heat, and they have no current method to pay for more. The weather forecast is calling for dangerously cold temperatures within the next 48 hours, and there are twosmall children in the home. Since the human service office does not currently have the funding to provide assistance, what should an administrator do next?

Accepted Answer

Administrators should be knowledgeable of resources through other agencies based on referrals and partnerships. Once an available source is found, the social worker can assist the client in obtaining the necessary funding. Administrators work as advocates in and out of their agencies to secure resources meeting client's needs.

Question 16

The NASW Code of Ethics provides guidelines to ensure social workers demonstrate responsibility towards clients, colleagues, practice settings, and to the social work profession.Administrators within this setting are accountable for staff and their ability to follow the codes set forth for ethical behavior. Which of the following would be considered a violation?

Accepted Answer

There should be no research or evaluation completed without a capable client's written consent. The only exception to this rule is when researchprevents imminent danger. Social Work Administrators need to be knowledgeable of client confidentiality and consent for services.

Question 17

A social worker becomes involved in a family conflict during a routine home visit. A domestic dispute turns violent, and the social worker is injured while trying to calm the situation. What is the role of the administrator?

Accepted Answer

The social work administrator should secure police records and get consent for medical records. The administrator will need to rule out any conflict brought forth by the employee. If the social worker is found at fault, there will need to be immediate action taken to rectify the situation.

Question 18

Robert is a social work administrator in a Children's Service agency. Recently, he began an intimate relationship with one of his staff. Other employees have complained and made comments about the relationship. The NASW Code of Ethics clearly states this type of relationship should be avoided. Robert needs to take responsibility and do what?

Accepted Answer

Social workers who fill the role of supervisor should never engage in sexual activities with supervisees or colleagues. This also includes trainees, students and other professionals. There is potential for conflicts of interest to damage a successful working environment.

Question 19

A referral comes into the local human service office alleging elder abuse and anAdult Protective Service worker is assigned to investigate. During the initial assessment with family members, it is discovered that abuse may have also occurred with a three-year-old child in the home. The social worker interviews the child and takes the information back to the administrator. What ethical rule did this social worker violate?

Accepted Answer

Consultation should be sought from colleagues that have demonstrated knowledge related to the subject. The social work administrator needs to stress the importance of employees only working within their realm of competency. Professionals should seek the advice of colleagues whenever the consultation is in the best interest of the client and maintain knowledge of other colleagues' areas of expertise.

Question 20

Within the NASW Code of Ethics, pay discrimination is not tolerated. The Equal Pay Act states that men and women in the same workplace must be given equal pay for equal work. This includes bonuses, overtime pay, salary, stock options, vacation pay, and reimbursement for travel. Howdoes NASW define equality in this context?

Accepted Answer

The Equal Pay Act states that job content, not job title, determines whether individuals are considered equal. Professionals need to be aware of the consequences if they alter from this definition. It is against the law for men and women to have an inequality in pay based on their gender. An individual alleging a violation of this act may go directly to court without first contacting a supervisor.

Quiz 4: Professionalism: Ethical Issues in Social Work

Alex is having lunch with other social work colleagues when one of them says he is late for a family assessment. Without much thought, the other professional states his clients live in a poor neighborhood and probably can't even tell time. What problem should be addressed?

The NASW Code of Ethics is providescore values, broad ethical principles, relevant considerations, ethical standards and guidelines for socialization of new social workers. Which of the following describes a sixth purpose?

The NASW Code of Ethics does not provide a prescribed set of rules that determines how social workers should respond in every situation. Many of the applications must take context into account. What else does the Code not clearly specify?

Child Protective Service administrators provide clinical oversight that assures compliance with local, state, federal and court guidelines. What other duty would a person in this position be responsible for?

A social worker becomes involved in a family conflict during a routine home visit. A domestic dispute turns violent, and the social worker is injured while trying to calm the situation. What is the role of the administrator?