Institutional Authority and Communication in Social Work

             

                Giovanni Habakkuk finally knew what he wanted in life, and it wasn't dentistry.  But he wasn't at the light at the end of the tunnel yet.  He outlined his dilemma to his academic adviser,

                "There are so many degrees that would allow me to become a therapist, but most of them seem to care about research more than actually helping people."

                Mr. Zephaniah set a pamphlet down on the desk between them.

                "How about this one?"  He read from the pamphlet:  " Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest...Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant financial return."

                Giovanni was surprised.  "Where is that from?"

                "It's a document for social workers called the Code of Ethics.  The NASW uses this to keep all the therapists in line [2. Regulating Standard]."

                "The NASW?"

                "The National Association of Social Workers.  They train social workers, maintain a professional standard, and try to make large-scale change in the country [ 1. Authoritative Organization]."

                "And how exactly do they do all of that?  They can't watch every social worker all the time."

                Mr. Zephaniah nodded.  "I think one of their biggest achievements has been using the Code of Ethics to create a culture of altruism within the field.  They also have a newspaper, NASW News, which proliferates changes in policy [4. Authoritative Publication].  It also includes information on research and new legislation.  Every year they hold a NASW National Conference for professional development and continuing education [3. Influential Event].

                Giovanni was impressed, but it was still a little too good to be true.  "That wouldn't work for everyone, though, right?  There are always a few bad apples wherever you go."

                Mr. Zephaniah nodded.  "They have a process called professional review to evaluate the status of social workers who violate the Code of Ethics [5. Challenging Authority].  It works a little like a court hearing, but instead of sentencing people to jail, they order corrective action, such as retraining or restitution, or sanctions, such as revoking NASW membership and credentials."

                "I see.  that makes sense."  Giovanni smiled softly to himself.  Perhaps he had found the field he was looking for.

"Families Matter," no changes made, by joelle t. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode