From the Front Lines: Student Cases in Social Work Ethics - Softcover

Rothman, Juliet C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0205274501 ISBN 13: 9780205274505

Publisher: Pearson, 1997

Synopsis

This text can be used as a supplement in any course that includes consideration of social work ethics, whether in social work practice courses, introduction to social work courses, or courses or seminars on social work ethics. The author, Juliet Rothman, found that case material in current ethics texts is too brief to permit a thoughtful evaluation and decision-making process. Available ethics casebooks are from the medical field, and do not reflect many situations encountered by social workers. The text presents the elements of ethical decision-making, to provide students with a clear guide to ethical problem recognition and definition. It stresses the importance of gathering necessary information and presents three alternative, frequently-used systems of theories and principles (Gewirth's Ethical Principles Hierarchy, Loewenberg and Dolgoff's Ethical Principles Screen, and Beauchamp and Childress' Bioethics Model). The second part of the text includes 30 cases contributed by students from situations actually experienced during their field work practice. Students themselves had asked for a casebook that related directly to situations they were encountering in the field. Useful and practical examples of ethical problems, information necessary to their proper resolution, and the students' thought processes were edited, revised, and arranged to support and reflect the six Ethical Standards in the new NASW Code of Ethics, enacted in August of 1996. Clear and readable cases present examples drawn from child welfare, work with families, medical social work, social justice, and others. Each case is followed by five questions for thought and class discussion to stimulate ethical thinking. Two separate Tables of Contents allow instructors and students to find appropriate cases based on the Ethical Standards of the Code, or upon a field of practice.

About this title

About the Author

Juliet Rothman received her MSW from Hunter College (CUNY) and her PhD. (in philosophy) from American University in Washington DC. She specialized in ethics, focusing especially on professional ethics.  She taught at National Catholic School of Social Service (CUA) in Washington DC. At UC Berkeley, she teaches social work practice, diversity, disability, death and bereavement, aging, and law and ethics in gerontology in the School of Social Welfare, aging, health and diversity in the School of Public Health, and interdisciplinary teams in the UCB/UCSF Medical School program.  Her professional publications include: From the Front Lines: Student Cases in Social Work Ethics, The Self-Awareness Workbook for Social Workers, Contracting in Clinical Social Work, Stepping Out into the Field: A Field Work Manual for Social Work Students,  Social Work Practice Across Disability, and  Cultural Competence in Process and Practice: Building Bridges. She authored the Social Work Desk Reference’s article on Therapeutic Contracting with Clients. Recent journal articles include Teaching Spirituality: What We Can Teach and How We Can Teach It, and The Challenge of Disability and Access: Reconceptualizing the Role of the Medical Model. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work and the Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation. In the field of bereavement, she has written a child’s bibliotherapy book, A Birthday Present for Daniel, and a book for bereaved parents, The Bereaved Parents’ Survival Guide. 

From the Back Cover

HIGHLIGHTS

• Uses the NASW Code of Ethics as a framework for each case.
• Develops a simple, easy to use process for making ethical decisions.
• Helps students develop confidence in their ability to make ethical decisions within the context of practice.
• Discusses ethical issues at all levels of practice, from individual to communities.

“The idea of illustrating the Code of Ethics with the cases and analysis of how a decision is reached is excellent. The content is very interesting and will be helpful to students.”
Professor Jean Granger, California State University, Long Beach

“I think this is an excellent text. Students often begin my class believing they understand what an ethical dilemma is when in fact they have just been exposed to the code of ethics. This book helps them analyze ethical dilemmas and think through ways to resolve them.”
Valerie Chang, Indiana University

Meet the Author

Juliet C. Rothman holds a doctorate in philosophy, specializing in professional ethics, and has practiced as a professional social worker for 25 years. She currently teaches in the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley in the fields of social work practice, diversity, aging, disability and ethics. She is also the author of The Self-Awareness Workbook for Social Workers, Stepping Out into the Field: A Field Work Manual for Social Work Students, and Social Work Practice Across Disability, all published by Allyn & Bacon.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pearson
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0205274501
• ISBN 13: 9780205274505
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 318