Week 2: Dignity and Worth of the Person

Many professions have a code of ethics that establishes standards and guides practitioners in conduct and decision making, including lawyers, physicians, educators, and social workers, among others. Being a social worker, then, means following the code formalized by the National Association of Social Workers, a professional organization. This code is grounded in six core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These values reflect social work’s commitment to the social good and to professional accountability.

In this Discussion, you explore social work’s core values and the ethical standards that connect with those values.

• Review the Learning Resources on the NASW Code of Ethics, as well as the core values of social work.
• Select one core value (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence). Consider how social workers might demonstrate that value in their work with clients.
• For this Discussion, you must write an original scenario that demonstrates how a social worker would uphold your chosen core value when working with a client. Review the following example scenario. Use it as a model for the types of information to include; however, your scenario need not be this lengthy.
• Post a response to the following:
  • Choose one of the six core values in the NASW Code of Ethics (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, competence).
  • Create and describe a specific and detailed scenario that demonstrates how a social worker would uphold that value when working with a client.

Tutorial for Dignity and Worth of the Person