Summary

This study examines\ perceptions of\ the social work profession among those who employ social workers.\ It investigates whether organizational or workplace\ perceptions\ of social work practice align with the profession’s articulated\ perception of itself, as\ stated by the code of ethics and standards of practice. Individuals receiving services from social workers\ expect fair and\ equitable access and delivery of services;\ yet organizations that employ social workers do not\ frequently acknowledge or value\ the social justice\ mandate of professional social work practice.\ Under investigation are\ perceptions and\ potential (in)congruency between organizational\ aims or\ outcomes and\ the\ professions ethical aims for social justice.  Critical inquiry and constructivist grounded theory\ are used to locate and interrogate historical,\ social, and situational contexts to make visible power dynamics and discourses that may otherwise remain undetected. We\ employ situational maps in the analysis\ to clarify and elucidate relationships among concepts, dominant or marginalized discourses, and\ to contextualize complex practice environments that give rise to\ perceptions of social work professionalism in the workplace. \ This study\ identifies discrepancies or gaps in understanding of the value base, role,\ and scope of practice of professional social work among those who employ social workers. These discrepancies\ impact the ability of social workers to work to their full skill set and may hamper job satisfaction.\ The central social work value, the pursuit of social justice, does not appear in most social work job postings nor is it a job requirement\ identified by employers.\ This is of critical importance to the future development of the social work profession and for the relevance of their social justice mission. It is also critical to those clients who rely on social workers to advocate for their individual and collective needs.\ Vulnerable social work clients\ require professionals whose commitments to justice are clear and supported.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

workforce, advocacy, code of ethics, employers, social justice

Summary

Background/Rationale: In the last 2 decades, domestic and global service-learning have flourished in higher education. Although positive academic and personal outcomes have been demonstrated (Choo et al., 2018), critics point to evidence of negative outcomes that perpetuate existing systems of class, privilege, & norms of harmful disparities (Augustine et al., 2017). Experiential learning can reinforce deficit-based views of marginalized groups, stereotypes, and privileged perspectives. For example, global service-learning has a long history of volunteering in residential care institutions (“orphanages), primarily in lower resourced, developing countries, perpetuating inequitable and harmful systems of care (Rotabi et al., 2017). Sigmon’s (1970) reciprocal service-learning approach between student learner and host community and the influences of Paulo Freire (1973) aim to “overcome the usual power differentials established in the donor/recipient relationship” (Tapia, 2003, p. 145). As a pedagogical method, students develop solidarity through service to the real needs of the community, improve academic learning, and encourage the formation of personal values and responsible citizenship (Tapia, 2003). Fair Trade Learning’s reciprocity in goals and relationships (Prado et al., 2014) and justice-oriented service-learning’s community nurturing practices (Augustine et al., 2017) further inform decolonized global service-learning approaches. Methods/Methodology: Using a case study approach, this presentation identifies approaches to global service-learning applied to field education that integrates reciprocity (Tapia, 2003) and liberatory consciousness (Love, 2018) aimed to increase awareness and actions that challenge inequitable educational practices. Reflective practices, defined as the “intentional consideration of an experience in light of particular learning objectives,” are key for fostering moral development and strengthening critical thinking in service-learning. Results/Conclusions: Reflective practices that are regular, use multiple modalities, and structured toward student goals (engagement, empathy, communication, research-informed practice), critical for identifying discrepancies and barriers to justice-oriented learning goals (Hatcher et al., 2004; Clayton and Ash, 2009), will be explored.

Keywords (separate with commas)

field education, decolonizing global service-learning

Summary

Recent calls have challenged us to critically examine our profession’s ethics (Koh, 2023; O’Leary & Tsui, 2023). Drawing a parallel to prison abolition, Stovall (2018) proposed a “radical imaginary” that challenged “us to think about the world as it is while committing to a process that systemically changes it” (p. 53). Invoking this “radical imaginary” paradigm, this presentation calls upon our moral imagination to radically reimagine the institution of social work ethics; this reimagination will be a movement toward ethical emancipation. The proposition to define social work ethics as an institution is supported by Foucault who made this prescient observation in a 1972 roundtable discussion: “…social work has become programmatic and institutionalized” (Chambon, Irving, & Epstein, 1999, p. 91).This presentation will consider one vision of a “radical imaginary” to incrementally build an epistemically just and emancipatory ethics infrastructure in the coming decade; this vision will center race, ethnicity, and culture. This centering seeks to align one’s moral lived experience of race, ethnicity, and culture with our ethical mandates. Existing barriers to including the dominance of moral absolutes and Eurocentric ethics curriculum will be discussed. Three change processes (i.e., praxis per Freire, 1970) will be proposed to help build a futuristic infrastructure for ethics praxis with a thicker, more equitable, and more inclusive moral social fabric. First, decentering ethnocentric and Eurocentric ethics curriculum. Second, integrating the neuroscience of bias in ethical deliberation. Third, utilizing heuristics informed by intersectionality (e.g., Koh, 2022) to conduct power analyses that invite probing, discovery, and critical reflection in deliberative processes.Collectively we must call upon our moral imaginations to envision this proposed “radical imaginary” that has the potential to transform (Johnson-Bailey, 2012) and liberate (Freire, 1970) social work ethics education within the next decade. This presentation presents an opportunity for long overdue action.

Keywords (separate with commas)

ethics, justice, social work education, liberation

Summary

The marginalisation of minoritised theories, ways of knowing, being and doing and racially driven human rights violations have fuelled the campaign to decolonise social work education in the UK and internationally. However, whilst much have been written about decolonising the social work curriculum, limited research exists on decolonising social work practice. The paper reports the findings of an empirical study undertaken in England which explored stakeholders’ perspectives on decolonising social work curriculum and practice identifying challenges and opportunities. The study is situated in the qualitative research tradition consisting of semi-structured interviews with post-graduate social work students (n=5), undergraduate social work students (n=5) practice educators (n=5) and social work academics (n=5). The interview data were analysed focusing on identification of salient repeated themes relating to the research question and issues similar to those located in the literature review, drawing from the interfacing strengths of yarning, an Indigenous research method approach (Bessarab and Ng’andu, 2010), and the practical iterative framework developed by Srivastava and Hopwood (2018). Fricker’s (2007) concept of epistemic injustice and the concept of cultural humility (Foronda, 2020) were used to examine the data.Findings identified the silencing of other ways of knowing, being and doing and the centring of Eurocentric White middle-class values and ways of doing in social work practice. The paper concludes by arguing that the concepts of epistemic injustices and cultural humility are especially relevant for understanding why and how social work education might be decolonised.Although social work practice is underpinned by anti-oppressive practice theories, ways of knowing, being and doing are predominately shaped by Western White middle class epistemology. Decolonising social work practice offer a unique opportunity to explore other ways of knowing, being and doing.    

Keywords (separate with commas)

decolonising the curriculum, decolonisation, social work, yarning, epistemic injustice, cultural humility

Summary

Social work would not hold such status without an ethical framework and code to practice our purpose and functions. On the surface this all seems clear but social work ethics are a contested and dynamic area of scholarship and practice. The complexity of these issues has only increased in recent years both due to crises, as well as the rapid changes in factors such as digital and information technologies, climate change, health care, migration, displacement, and economic disparities. Critical thinkers and activists have challenged both structures and taken for granted positions that have been prefaced on the foundations of powerful constructs such as colonialism, patriarchy, racism, managerialism, and homophobia. This has disrupted established ethical practice. This challenges taken for granted concepts and contribute to the evolution of social work so that it can meet the challenges of a rapidly changing and diverse world. In this presentation we ask fundamental questions regarding whose interests are being served and what are the implicit biases in ethical assertions. We explore how social work operates within some of these very structures it clashes with. How do we keep a delicate balance of not being complicit but collaborating enough with systems to enable change? Social work cannot avoid these dilemmas as it attempts to respond to pressing issues such as gendered violence, discrimination, and inequality. What is clear is that we cannot do it alone, we cannot only rely on consensus but more on the collective courage of diversity and inclusion where no one can be left behind. This presentation by the two Co-Chief Editors of International Social Work asks these questions while exploring some of the challenges facing international social work. It places these issues within a ethical framework in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the future of social work.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Ethics, Disruption, Sustainable Development Goals, Critical Practice, International Social Work, Violence, Discrimination, Oppression

Summary

This presentation will detail the crucial need for data privacy standards in social work services. The United States of America, with no national guidelines similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), serves as the backdrop for this discussion. With the rapid advancement of technology and the increasing reliance on digital platforms and data science in the field of social work, protecting clients' personal information and ensuring data privacy has become a pressing concern. Data breaches, unauthorized access, and unethical data sharing can have far-reaching consequences, jeopardizing the trust and well-being of individuals in need - or - unfairly eliminate the choice to share data among marginalized populations with limited resource options. To address these challenges, it is crucial for the social work profession to adopt comprehensive data privacy standards that protect the confidentiality of personal information and preserve the integrity of social and human services. This presentation will explore the potential risks associated with inadequate data privacy measures for vulnerable populations and will emphasize the significance of implementing robust standards to safeguard sensitive information. We will further discuss the ethical and legal considerations relevant to data privacy in social work and emphasize the importance of upholding clients' confidentiality and trust. Recommendations for developing and implementing effective data privacy standards will be provided.

Keywords (separate with commas)

data privacy, digital equity, technology, data science, data ethics

Summary

This workshop explores guiding principles, values and ethics of social work practice, their commonalities and uniqueness from an international perspective and the current political ideologies that impede ethical practice. The capacity to adhere to ethics and values in light of societal discourse and divisiveness across the globe challenges social workers in teaching and practice settings. Often adverse to the current political ideologies, social work ethics remain the foundation of our profession. However, social workers face divergent political and cultural views that can conflict with our capacity to fully engage in practice and education reflective of our ethical guidelines. Political ideology, legislation and policies that dictate content and delivery of curricula threaten the capacity of social work educators to teach from a diversity and equity lens. With social justice as a foundational principle of social work practice, it is imperative that we facilitate learning from a justice perspective. This includes curriculum that embraces antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and reflects our values and ethics. The workshop explores conceptual considerations on how social workers stay true to our ethics in the wake of restrictions to academic and professional freedom within the context of education and practice. \ \ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

ethics, values, political ideology, culture

Summary

The National Association of Social Workers in the U.S. states as part of its mission that “the social work profession is to enhance human well-being.” Thus, using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored student well-being in relationship to the social work field practicum requirement to determine if this educational practice aligned with the ethics of the profession. The project was conducted by faculty at a medium sized university in the United States. Social work educators and field practicum instructors participated in interviews. Students and former students completed surveys on the topic. The data analyses revealed emotional burdens as well as threats to student well-being in association with the fieldwork required for those in pursuit of a social work degree. The study includes recommendations of anti-oppressive approaches for academic programs and implications for further research.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Emotional wellbeing, field practicum, mixed-methods, social justice, ethics, social work education

Summary

In recent times, a growing recognition of ethical conflicts faced by social workers has highlighted the barriers impeding their adherence to moral and professional duties towards clients. These challenges can arise from rigid organizational policies, corporate interests within organizations, or the existence of unethical and discriminatory policies. The term 'moral distress', drawn from nursing literature, encompasses these ethical conflicts and their associated emotional distress. Despite an expanding discourse on moral distress within social work, uncertainties persist regarding the scope of conflicts it encompasses and the intricate interplay between personal and environmental factors. Furthermore, while theoretical models underscore connections between moral distress and subsequent moral action, empirical research on these relationships remains limited.This presentation seeks to chart the existing research landscape concerning ethical conflicts, moral action, and moral distress in social work. It also proposes novel qualitative and quantitative research trajectories aimed at deepening scholarly insights into these components and their intricate interrelationships. The advancement of research knowledge concerning ethical conduct within the realm of social work holds potential for interventions at both organizational and personal levels. These interventions might involve enhancing oversight mechanisms for welfare organizations and providing effective coping strategies. Feasible measures encompass the establishment of support groups, specialized training initiatives, and avenues for expert consultation. Moreover, the acquired insights could wield influence over the formulation of social work policies, particularly in the face of challenges such as neoliberalism. Ultimately, these collective efforts converge towards safeguarding the well-being of social workers, while upholding the safety and rights of their clients.

Keywords (separate with commas)

ethical conflicts; moral action; moral distress

Summary

Graduate students from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work participated in a 2023 travel study program with the University of Puerto Rico where they explored themes of social work practice, theory, and social justice through Latin American and Puerto Rican (PR) lenses. This presentation will include reflections and analyses from two students whose social work practice were profoundly impacted by this experience; since returning from PR, the two have engaged in critical reflections and discussions to explore if it is possible for United States (US) social workers to participate in equitable and intentional joint action given the colonial relationship between the US and PR.The authors will expand on the ethics of US social work practice by discussing core concepts covered during the travel study–such as the ethical-political purpose of social work found in Brazilian frameworks and\ acompañamiento–and how incorporating them into their own practice may better support postcolonial and emancipatory efforts domestically and abroad. These and other learnings from their experience gave the authors new perspective on the differences in social work practice, which highlighted how US social workers often align themselves with a status quo that perpetuates harm and oppression; the authors propose a call to action by encouraging US social workers–and others in imperial/colonial countries–to shift the professional practice into one that more directly confronts oppressive systems. More intentional attempts at dismantling oppressive systems will have resounding effects considering the socio-economic and political influence the US has on PR and other countries. Lastly, the authors emphasize how Puerto Ricans expressed the importance of including their voices and perspectives in any efforts involving them, and the authors want to honor this by incorporating it into their practice and acknowledging that joint social action should always include those that are most impacted.

Keywords (separate with commas)

emancipatory social work, transformative travel study, critical reflections on social work practice, ethical social work practice

Summary

Social workers frequently encounter moral choices that involve ethical conflicts, particularly those related to their dual obligations to their clients and employing organizations. This study investigates how such ethical conflicts impact the psychological distress of social workers. It also examines the mediating effects of their perceptions of social and economic exchange on this association, and the moderating influence of burnout on the association between ethical conflicts and perceptions of economic and social exchange. The sample comprised 568 Israeli social workers, of whom 83.7% were women, with a mean age of 40 (SD=10.09). A moderated mediation model was tested using Model 7 of the PROCESS v4.0 macro for SPSS.Results indicate that ethical conflicts are positively associated with increased psychological distress, and negatively related to social exchange. Moreover, an increase in economic exchange intensifies this association. Burnout was found to moderate the association between ethical conflicts and social and economic exchange. Specifically, the negative effect of ethical conflicts on social exchange was more pronounced at higher levels of burnout, while the positive effect of ethical conflicts on economic exchange was also more pronounced at higher levels of burnout.The study recommends to policymakers and welfare organization managers to allocate resources to reduce burnout and ethical dilemmas through quality supervision, training programs, promoting teamwork and self-care activities and creating an ethical climate. The findings offer valuable insights into the intricate processes that social workers encounter when confronted with ethical conflicts, highlighting the importance of addressing burnout and promoting supportive organizational mechanisms.

Keywords (separate with commas)

burnout, ethical conflicts, psychological distress, economic and social exchange\ \ 

Summary

Ally work involves transforming systems of oppression and challenging \ the status quo. Recent world events have called into question claims to allyship that are performative and do little to advance the pursuit of social justice (Ekpe \& Toutant, 2022; Gates et al., 2021). In this challenging time of division and global human rights violations, we must ask what is required of allyship? For the social work profession to move forward in respecting diversity through social action, it is necessary to prioritize research that informs allyship practice and aids \ in dismantling systemic injustice.The Canadian Association of Social Work Education (CASWE) standards for accreditation expect students to develop values and skills to advance social justice for all people. According to the profession’s code of ethics social workers have an ethical responsibility to be engaged in allyship (CASW, 2005). The pandemic exposed continuing \ injustice which exists within social service delivery systems around the world. Situated within these systems, social work as a profession must examine our complicity and be accountable for change (Gates et al., 2021).\ In collaboration with Indigenous Elder Mae Louise Campbell, Hedges and Milliken developed a framework for social work allyship that involves: heart, honesty, humility, and healing. Presenters will explore how allyship is defined and practiced by social workers and how social work education can prepare social work students to engage in allyship in practice. Preliminary findings from a qualitative research project exploring how participants understand allyship in their social work context and what this means at this moment in time will be discussed. Findings will describe the process of learning allyship skills and engaging in allyship practices.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Allyship, Social Work Education, Social Justice, Indigenous Knowledges

Summary

Social work practice is extremely demanding on the practitioner. Social workers, especially in the public domain, handle high caseloads whilst simultaneously conducting group and community work amidst the demands of administration associated with their jobs. The ever-changing landscapes of social contexts, political contexts, local governments, and health aspects of countries brought forth by globalisation and technological ties exerts increased challenges on social work practice. To deal with these challenges, the profession has commissioned supportive social work supervision to help social workers deal with work-related pressure and stress coupled with their emotional, psychological, and familial problems. Consequently, the study was intended to explore and describe the nature and the extent of supportive supervision amongst social workers in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. A mixed methods research approach, i.e. the QUAN-qual sequential dominant status-design was adopted. To collect quantitative data a self-developed questionnaire was administered to social workers. Within the qualitative section of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with social work supervisors. The data was then analysed by means of univariate data analysis as well as thematically respectively. From the findings, it was established that although some social workers are supported, there are pockets of social workers who were not supported. It was also evident in this regard that of those social workers who were supported, the support was inadequate. The supervisors revealed that their most critical challenge was inadequate support for social workers principally because they are over worked. The study was significant because supervision has implications for social work practice. \ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social Work, Social work supervisor, social work supervisee, social work supervision, supportive supervision

Summary

Background: Framed by the persistence of colonial epistemologies perpetuated in social work education which resulted in the trauma, dispossession and genocide of First Nation, Black, Asian and minority ethnic peoples, decolonisation scholar activists have called to decolonise social work education including practice learning placement. Yet whilst much has been written about decolonising the social work curriculum, limited research exists on decolonising social work practice learning placement. This paper reports on an ongoing international research study that explores the literature on decolonising social work practice learning placement.  Methods: A scoping review of international published papers on decolonising social work practice learning (n=403) were imported for screening and (n=312) studies were screened. This included non-English language publications and hand searches from local countries such as Australia, England, Finland, India, Israel and Sweden. Scopus, PsycINFO (OVID), CINAHL (via EBSCO), Informit: Indigenous collections, Web of Science, ProQuest ERIC and ProQuest Central were searched for articles published prior to November 2022. Results:  The emerging findings suggest social work practice learning placement is not immune to the centring of a dominant Eurocentric White epistemology and needs to change to embrace other ways of knowing, being and doing. Recommendations on decolonisation include creating safe spaces for students and practice educators (field instructors) to reflect on potential value conflicts, including Indigenous epistemology in practice learning. Examples include embedding cultural safety training as well as using Indigenous approaches such as yarning, storytelling, collaboration and respecting different perspectives.  Implications for Social Work: Although social work practice learning placement is underpinned by anti-oppressive practice theories, ways of knowing, being and doing are predominately shaped by Eurocentric White epistemology. Decolonising social work practice learning placement provides a unique opportunity to explore other epistemologies. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Decolonisation, social work, practice learning, field education, conflict zones

Summary

Church and local faith-based social work practices are often first responders to emerging social needs in local communities. They are primarily motivated by faith ethics, such as love and relational attitudes rather than social work principles. As a result, these practices exist in a tension between a faith-based and professional ethos. Empirical findings from a doctoral project, “Soap-Soup-Salvation, he role of faith for practice development in a secular context”, Salvation Army (TSA) congregational practices in Norway is used as a case to describe knowledge and methods used in congregational social practices. The project also identified a need for increased competence and professionality. The case study reveals how practitioners navigate the tension between a faith-based and professional ethos by developing social practices with faith inspired methods similar to methods in professional social work, such as empowerment, inquiry-based methods and an asset-based approach but they still experience that they are not always recognised by the surrounding secular context. The parallel structures between faith-based concepts and professional social work key components and ethics, has motivated an exploration of professional development in congregational –based social practices.Combining faith and professional ethos's, “Vocatio” is translated as motivation and a divine calling and as a parallel to a professional vocation. “Advocatio” is connected to the Biblical concept of justice and the diaconal core value of working for the most marginalised in society and is related to advocacy and working towards structural change. “Provoactio” is reflecting how Jesus exposed situations of injustice and presented solutions based on faith ethics, similar to human rights. This paper proposes the diaconal “Vocatio- Advocatio- Provocatio", VAP framework as a way for informal and local faith-based social work practices to enhance professionality as they support people in vulnerable situations.   

Keywords (separate with commas)

faithbased, diaconia, ethics, salvationarmy

Summary

In this presentation, I critically examine the procedural and relational ethics of conducting social justice-oriented, social work and development research in El Salvador, Central America during the country’s state of exception. As a partnership between academics and civil sector organizations, the purpose of the research was to explore the “resilience to trauma” of Salvadorans living in El Salvador, and of those living as members of the diaspora in Canada as a framework for addressing interpersonal and community violence, gender inequities, crisis-driven migration, and social and economic development.\ The “state of exception” was a declaration made by the Salvadoran government in March 2022 that suspended the constitutional rights of its citizens, including freedom of speech, protest rights, and the freedom of association and movement. I begin by describing the complexities and conditions of our work, next moving to an exploration of the unique relational and procedural ethics that had to be mitigated.\ As an active reassertion of my commitment to human rights and social justice, I conclude with “lessons learned” in an effort to support the work of others sharing similar commitments.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social work, community-based participatory action research, ethics, human rights, international research, peace-building,\