Social work is a values-driven profession. Though social workers may vary in personal values and styles of practice, the field of social work maintains a set of core values to guide the profession and set a standard for practitioners. These core values, which the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) includes in their Code of Ethics, are service, social justice, dignity & worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. The NASW corresponds each of these values to broader ethical principles that contextualize and further describe these values.
-
Service - “Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021).
The field of social work originated in the 19th century through efforts to address social problems in society following the Industrial Revolution such as urban poverty, which disproportionally impacted particular groups such as immigrants and children.
-
Social justice - “Social workers challenge social injustice” (NASW, 2021).
The ethical principle behind the value of service suggests social workers must focus on addressing social problems and people’s unmet needs. However, the value of social justice suggests that social workers must go further and evaluate power and oppression within the grander context of social problems and unmet needs.
-
Dignity and worth of the person - “Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person” (NASW, 2021).
Social workers should value the dignity and worth of each person, guiding social worker’s efforts toward improving human rights, access to resources, and quality of life with clients.
-
Importance of human relationships - “Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships” (NASW, 2021).
The value of human relationships in social work leads social workers to apply interventions and engage with clients at a variety of levels, including with individuals, families, groups, and communities. Social workers also should work to establish rapport and a trusting, compassionate relationship with their clients.
-
Integrity - “Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner” (NASW, 2021).
Social workers must not only behave in a trustworthy manner, but they should also maintain integrity for their professional ethics within social work practice.
-
Competence - “Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise” (NASW, 2021).
The value of competence encourages social workers to operate within their area of training/scope, ensuring clients receive quality, accurate care. The core value of competence also means social workers must engage in life-long learning to enhance their professional development, facilitate greater self-awareness and self-reflection skills, and expand their knowledge.
When looking into various programs, I particularly resonated with social work’s focus on social justice and how Seattle U’s MSW program was intentionally designed to center social justice in its curriculum. Social work’s value for social justice allows social workers to work within a variety of levels and settings and to maintain a person-in-environment perspective when working with clients.
References
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. NASW.