ethical considerations in working with homeless youth and families
TRANSCRIPT
Ethical Considerations in Working with Homeless Youth & Families
AGENDA
• Identify the what and why of ethics
• Identify common ethical standards in working with homeless youth & families
• Identify common ethical issues when working with homeless youth & families
• Identify possible solutions
What Are Professional Ethics?
While the law establishes a minimum standard proscribing policy and practice, ethics defines the ideal
intellectual approach to moral issues
“Professional ethics is not synonymous with personal morality or governmental
regulation; it is the organized and systematic articulation of child and youth care values and their application to the
issues encountered in practice.” Martha A. Mattingly, University of Pittsburg
What Are Professional Ethics?
What Are Professional Ethics?
Professional ethics include:
•Core values – those absorbed from our family and culture, and those developed from life experiences
What Are Professional Ethics?
Professional ethics include:
•Core values - those absorbed from our family and culture, and those developed from life experiences
•Ideals towards which the profession strives – i.e. safety and well-being of children and youth
What Are Professional Ethics?
Professional ethics include:
•Core values - those absorbed from our family and culture, and those developed from life experiences•Ideals towards which the profession strives – for example safety and well-being of children and youth
•Standards of professional conduct – for example to never intentionally do harm
What Are the Benefits of Adherence to Professional Ethics?
•Protection of a vulnerable clientele
•Protection of the professional who no longer stands alone in the face of difficulty, but stands with the profession
•Protection for the agency, organization or practice group
Why should programs serving youth be interested in ethical considerations?
Professional ethics can be thought of as representing the values of child and youth care to which the field holds a common commitment. When working with youth this is a commitment to protect, nurture, and enhance the well-being of children and youth. Thus we must………
Why should programs be interested in ethical standards when working with youth?
Professional ethics can be thought of as representing the values of child and youth care to which the field holds a common commitment. When working with youth this is a commitment to protect, nurture, and enhance the well-being of children and youth. Thus we must………
• understand their vulnerability
Why should programs be interested in ethical standards when working with youth?
Professional ethics can be thought of as representing the values of child and youth care to which the field holds a common commitment. When working with youth this is a commitment to protect, nurture, and enhance the well-being of children and youth. Thus we must………
• understand their vulnerability• understand whether current practices “do no
harm”
Why should programs be interested in ethical standards when working with youth?
Professional ethics can be thought of as representing the values of child and youth care to which the field holds a common commitment. When working with youth this is a commitment to protect, nurture, and enhance the well-being of children and youth. Thus we must………
• understand their vulnerability• understand whether current practices “do no harm”• understand the impact of staff attitudes and behavior,
agency policy and governmental policy and regulation
Why should programs be interested in ethical standards when working with youth?
Professional ethics can be thought of as representing the values of child and youth care to which the field holds a common commitment. When working with youth this is a commitment to protect, nurture, and enhance the well-being of children and youth. Thus we must………
• understand their vulnerability• understand whether current practices “do no harm”• understand the impact of staff attitudes and behavior,
agency policy and governmental policy and regulation• understand challenging conflicts in the core values and
standards of care
Common Ethical Principles
Beneficence: provide for the good of the client with at the least doing ‘no harm’, doing what is in the best interests of the client• Appropriate Boundaries• No dual relationships• No personal gain
Common Ethical Principles
Autonomy: Self Determination
Justice: Fairness, impartiality, cultural competence
Competence: provide only those services the professional is competent to provide
Common Ethical Principles
Fidelity: faithful to the client- confidentiality and trust - limitations,
Ethical Practices & Concerns
Allowing youth self determination
Addressing unsafe behavior
Contacting parent or guardian
Ethical Practices & Concerns
Sharing information with schools, CPS, other service providers
Maintaining boundaries and trust building
Non-traditional settings
Runaway, pushed out,and unaccompanied youthare a growing proportion of
children in homeless situationsThey often know what they are
running from, but have no realistic idea of what they
are running to.
Applying Ethics to work with unaccompanied youth
Ethical Considerations for Working with Homeless Youth & Families
AGENDA
• Identify the what and why of ethics
• Identify common ethical standards in working with homeless youth & families
• Identify common ethical issues when working with homeless youth & families
• Assess ethical practices and concerns in your work setting when working with homeless youth and families
What are some of the ethical considerations you might
encounter when working with the youth in this video?
Common situations that have ethical implications when working with youth
Meeting with youth in “non-traditional” settings
Mistaking friendship for appropriate trust building
Keeping Confidentiality – to whom to tell what? When the youth says “Don’t tell anyone.”
Reporting abuse and neglect – concerns for youth safety
Reporting runaway – concerns for youth safety
Addressing risky behaviors – if you do, will they leave?
Giving Money, taking kids home, leaving youth in unsafe setting
Failing to report or to act on information shared
Dealing with “I only trust you” with certain information
When are laws and regulations in conflict with professional ethics and/or
agency policy and procedures?
Know Pertinent Federal and State Laws and Regulations
State Family Code
State Health and Safety Code
Federal: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Federal: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Know Professional Ethical Codes
Social Work
Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor
Choosing an Ethical Decision Making Model
Law and Minimum Standards under
the Law
Professional Code of Ethics
And Standards
Agency Policy and Procedures
What are the legal
considerations?
Are professional ethics and
agency policy in conflict?
Ethical Decision Making Model
Does the model used
take all these factors into
consideration?
Do my own personal values
conflict with legal, agency or
professional standards?
Using a Model
Without a model: A model: No uniformity – each
decision stands on it’s own and is less defensible
Is uniformly applied to all situations
May or may not be a logical and articulated decision making process
Provides for a logical and articulated decision-making process
May feel on your own in making a decision
Provides guidance in the process
Documentation may be haphazard
Provides a structure for documentation
Using structure is important
Example of an Ethical Decision-Making Model
Essential Steps for Ethical Problem – Solving
1. Determine – whether there is an ethical issue and/or dilemma. Is there a conflict of values or rights or professional responsibilities? For instance there may be an issue of self-determination of an adolescent vs the well being of the family.
2. Identify – the key values and principles involved. What meanings and limitations are typically attached to these competing values? For example, rarely is confidential information held in absolute secrecy, however, typically decisions about access by third parties to sensitive content should be contracted with clients.
Essential Steps for Ethical Problem – Solving
3. Rank – the values or ethical principles, which – in your professional judgment – are most relevant to the issue or dilemma. What reasons can you provide for prioritizing one competing value/principle over another? For example, your client’s right to choose a beneficial course of action could bring hardship or harm to others who would be affected.
4. Develop – an action plan that is consistent with the ethical priorities that have been determined as central to the dilemma. Confer with colleagues and supervisors about potential risks and consequences of alternative courses of action. Can you support or justify your action plan with values/principles on which the plan is based?
Essential Steps for Ethical Problem – Solving
5. Implement – your plan, utilizing the most appropriate practice skills and competencies. How will you use core skills such as sensitive communication, skillful negotiation, and cultural competence? For example, skillful colleague or supervisory communication and negotiation may enable an impaired colleague to see her/his impact on clients and to take appropriate action.
6. Reflect – on the outcome of this ethical decision making process. How would you evaluate the consequences of this process for those involved: Clients, professionals, agencies? Increasingly, professionals have begun to seek support, further professional training and consultation through the development of Ethics Review Committees or Ethics Consultation processes.
Ranking ethical principles* – a higher level principle is more compelling than one based on a lower ranked principle:
1.The principle of protection of life2.The principle of equality and inequality3.The principle of autonomy and freedom4.The principle of least harm5.The principle of quality of life6.The principle of privacy and confidentiality7.The principle of truthfulness and full disclosure
*Lowenberg, F.M. & Dolgoff, R. (1992) Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice, 4th ed., Itasca, Ill: F.E. Peacock Publishers, Inc.
Contact Information
• Hotline: 1-800 446-3142
• Jeanne Stamp: 512-475-6898 [email protected]•www.utdanacenter.org/theo