Assume that you are the supervisor of a social worker who is responsible for overseeing the welfare of
abused and neglected children placed in foster care. You discover that the social worker fraudulently reported that
he visits each child twice a week when the truth is that he visits most children about once every two or three months.
What would you do in this situation? How would your decision be affected if (a) the children are all safe and healthy
and (b) one of the children has died as a result of abuse by members of the foster family?
What will be an ideal response?
ANS: Students' answers will vary. Social workers affect people in profound ways, often for the better, but
sometimes for the worse. Given the large number of social workers and the nature and scope of the services we
provide, the importance of professionalism cannot be overemphasized. When social workers are competent and
trustworthy, our clients feel satisfied and society as a whole benefits. The overall reputation of social workers and
our profession improves. However, when social workers lack professionalism, many people suffer. Clients or others
affected by our policies, programs, and practices may be harmed. Indeed, lives can, and sometimes are, lost due to
social workers' negligence or incompetence. When some social workers lack professionalism, employers may
become reluctant to hire others. The stature of the profession may decline, and funding sources may become less
inclined to support social services in general.
The stakes are so high that social workers are obligated—personally, morally, ethically, and legally—to
reflect high standards of professionalism in all aspects of our service activities. Fortunately, most of us are
committed to providing ethical and effective services to our clients and promoting a better quality of life for all
people.
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Direct observation of clients' _____ (emotionality) usually reveals valuable information about their emotional functioning
A) ?affect B) ?memory C) ?concentration D) ?judgment
Michelle Stump is an honor student and wants to investigate how "love" was portrayed in 1970s disco music. Ms. Stump analyzed the lyrics of all disco music in the Billboard Top 100 from January 1976-December 1981. What kind of research is Ms. Stump conducting?
A) experiment B) content analysis C) existing statistics D) field research
Health promotion programs should attempt to improve the general environment as well as individual health practices
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
What volume is this article published in?
A) 4 B) 2003 C) 21 D) 359