What happens when we are faced in a situation or problem that we are unsure how to navigate? Who can we turn to for advice or solutions for problems that may not have a clear-cut answer?

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The Ethical Decision-Making model is an eight-step process to help guide SSW’s closer to answering those questions. It is always essential for the professional to consult their regulatory body’s code of ethics and standards of practice, their agency’s policies and procedures, and their supervisory or colleagues.

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Types of Dilemmas

Each Dilemma will involve certain aspects that you must keep in mind.  Every Dilemma will be one of the following or a combination of the following:

• Ethical Dilemma One that involves an issue or adherence to ethical code of conduct.

• Legal Dilemma One that involves an issue or adherence to law and legislation.

• Clinical Dilemma One that involves an issue related to the assessment, treatment and therapeutic relationship in the counselling setting.

• Personal Dilemma One that involves an issue related to yourself, your morals, your values as a counsellor and as an individual.

 

Order of Things to Consider when Making Ethical Decision

 

LAW: 

Always takes FIRST priority. What you legally need to do as it pertains to SSW. ie self-harm who do we need to involve, abuse/CAS

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ETHICAL CODE(S):

If there is no law that governs action, then you must adhere to Ethical Code(s) of Conduct (i.e., OCSWSSW Handbook).

 

AGENCY/ORGANIZATION POLICY & PROCEDURES: 

Generally, agencies will have a Policy and Procedures Handbook that will outline the policies and procedures. Know what the agency is asking ssw to do, what and why ssw is doing what they are doing, philosophy of organization. Ie procedure for someone who is planning to take life

 

SUPERVISOR/PROGRAM DIRECTOR/COLLEAGUE

Consult!!!

 

CLIENT & PERSONAL VALUES: 

These are specific to the individuals who are involved.Depending on the situation, there may be no law or ethical code or Agency Policy to direct your decision making. One must then examine clients/counsellors own personal values.

 

Step 1 Identify the problem

• Describe the presenting problem.

• Consider the participants:  Who is involved?  What is their involvement? How are they related?  Whose problem is it?  Who has the right and/or responsibility to make the decision?  Who bears the highest risk from the decision?  Is it the human service professional’s issue?  Is it the client’s issue?  Is it the agency’s issue?  Is it a shared issue?  If the possible, the person who is make the decision should be the person whose issue it is.

• What is involved?  What is at risk?

• What are the relevant situational features? (agency, family, job community)? 

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Step 2 Identify the potential issues involved

• What type of issue is it (ethical, legal, personal, clinical, or a combination of these)?

• What personal values, basic moral principles or guidelines should be considered?

• What relevant societal or community values should be considered?

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Step 3 Review the relevant ethical codes

• Identify relevant professional standards that could be applied to the identified issues in step 2

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Step 4 Know the applicable laws and regulations

• Identify relevant laws, regulations, agency policies and procedures

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Step 5 Obtain Consultation

• Identify the conflicts you are experiencing internally – inside yourself (competition and conflict in any combination of personal values, societal values, professional guidelines, legal mandates, personal preferences and well-being, and other practical considerations).

• Identify the conflicts you are experiencing that are external (yourself, colleagues, clients, supervisors, the profession, the community, society, agency, or any combination of these).

• Identify who (colleagues, faculty, supervisors, professional organizations/committees, professional literature, etc.) you would seek assistance from around these internal/external conflicts.

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Step 6 Consider possible and probably courses of actions

• Generate all possible courses of action.

• Consider ethical and legal implications

• Discuss options with clients

• Be thorough

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Step 7 Enumerate the consequences of the various courses of actions

• Consider the client’s and all other participants’ preferences based on a full understanding of their values and ethical beliefs.

• Eliminate alternatives that are inconsistent with the client’s and significant others’ values and beliefs.

• Eliminate alternatives that are inconsistent with other relevant guidelines.

• Eliminate alternatives for which there are no resources or support.

• Eliminate remaining action alternatives that don’t pass tests based on the basic moral principles (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, and fidelity).

• Predict the possible consequences of the remaining acceptable action alternatives.

• Prioritize (rank) the remaining acceptable action alternatives.

 

Step 8 Decide on the best course of action

• Select the best course of action.

• Develop an action plan to implement the action.

• Identify how you will evaluate the action taken and the outcome.

• Examine the implications of your action.  What have you learned from the process?  What implications are there for future ethical decision making?

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The goal of any ethical decision-making process is to help you take into account all relevant facts, use any resources available to you, and reason through the dilemma in a way that points to the best possible course of action.