When working with clients, it is important to maintain professional boundaries to safeguard both you and your clients. Legislation such as HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics are specific in how you as a social worker should protect client information and safeguard confidentiality. Responding ethically in a professional situation may be clear in most situations, but not necessarily in all situations. Even though you have established laws and code of ethics to guide your decision-making process, you may still face ethical conflicts.
For this Discussion, review the media of the Bradley case and consider how the case relates to social work professional ethics.
Post(2 to 3 pages) the strategy you would use to address the Teen First director’s request if you were the social worker in the Bradley case. Then, describe a hypothetical situation in which an organization’s decision conflicts with your personal/professional ethics but remains within the law. Explain how you would respond to this situation, and why.
Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Required Readings
Northouse, P. G. (2021). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.
Chapter 12, “Addressing Ethics in Leadership” (pp. 308- 335)
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Chapter 16, “Leadership Ethics” (pp. 423–449)
Stephenson, M. O., Jr. (2011). Considering the relationships among social conflict, social imaginaries, resilience, and community-based organization leadership. Ecology and Society, 16(1). Retrieved from http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss1/art34/
National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English.aspx
Bradley Family Episode 5
Bradley Family Episode 5
Program Transcript
FEMALE SPEAKER: Sandy, listen. I wanted to follow up with you about
something. Our client, Tiffany Bradley–
SANDY: Uh-huh.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, we’d like to use her photo in some of the materials
that we’re putting together for our Teen First program, promoting who we are and
the services we offer. She’d be great, don’t you think?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SANDY: She’s trying to get on with her life. Having her picture used that way,
she’d be like the poster child for human trafficking. We’d be making her a victim
all over again.
FEMALE SPEAKER: That’s a little over the top. Why don’t you ask her and get
her opinion? Come on, don’t you think she should make up her own mind? It
might make her feel empowered– show what a real survivor she is.
SANDY: It feels too soon. I mean, she’s one phone call away from going back to
her pimp.
FEMALE SPEAKER: [SIGHS] Sandy, you cannot hold her hand forever. She
should at least be given the chance to make up her own mind.
SANDY: I really don’t want to do this. Besides, can you imagine what would
happen if you put her on all your posters and she actually does go back to her
old life on the streets? Teens First would look ridiculous.
Bradley Family Episode 5
Additional Content Attribution
MUSIC:
Music by Clean Cuts
Original Art and Photography Provided By:
Brian Kline and Nico Danks
©2013 Laureate Education, Inc. 1
