Values clashing.

This week I read a journal article about how ethics content taught as a part of field instruction is a vital component of social work education. The article titled Essential Ethics Education in Social Work Field Instruction: A Blueprint for Field Educators was written by Frederic G. Reamer who is a professor in the School of Social Work at Rhode Island College. The article appeared in the journal Field Educator.

Ethical standards and knowledge have expanded in the last 50 years and so should the instruction given to social work students related to ethics. This article gives a brief history of how ethics and values have been included in social work education in the past. Most importantly however, the author provides a comprehensive overview of basic ethics content that should be incorporated into social work internships and highlights essential themes that should be tackled. This content includes core social work values, students' personal and professional values, ethical dilemmas in field placements and social work practice, ethical decision-making frameworks, and strategies to manage ethics risks.

The article noted that in recent years a great deal of social work education particularly related to field education has explicitly focused on students’ decision making skills and strategies. Reamer suggests the field instruction given to social work students should focus on four themes: (1) the value base of the social work profession and its relationship to student’s values; (2) ethical dilemmas in social work; (3) ethical decision making; and (4) ethics risk management.

I’ve chosen to look more closely at the first one of those themes.

It is important for social work students to consider the relationship between their values and the profession’s values. Without taking the time to consider what the values of social work as a field include AND the time for self-reflection to see what is really important to them as an individual – the student may be surprised when the values collide. The article listed several examples of social work students filing law suits against schools or other field placements when their personal values were threatened or in conflict with school or agency policy. I looked up the stories and found one to be interesting because it happened in my home state and relates to an issue that is important to me.

You can read and hear the story here: http://abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-student-sues-university-lgbt-sensitivity-training/story?id=11261490

But basically a counseling student at Augusta State University filed suit against her school after school officials threatened to dismiss her from its counseling program when she refused to participate in a “remediation” plan. She says after she made it known that she believed homosexuality was a personal choice the school created this plan aimed at increasing her tolerance of gays and lesbians.  The remediation plan, according to court documents, included attending three workshops on diversity, a monthly two-page reflection on what she has learned from research into LGBT counseling issues, and increased exposure to gay populations. The latter action came with the suggestion that she attend Augusta's gay pride parade. The article goes on to say that the plan also included action aimed at improving the student’s writing skills.

You can read the article and learn more if you’re interested in the story – but this is a perfect example of an instance where values clash.

Who is right and what is right in this instance?

Does a school have the right to say that the student has to believe a particular way about an issue to graduate from the school?

What if the tables were turned? What if the school was a bible college and the student took the opposite stance on homosexuality?

What other issues can you imagine coming up when values clash?

Going back to the article, the author offers a plan of action. When these conflicts arise in educational programs for social work students it is important that professors and field instructors help students examine their values and conduct in light of the core values of social work as a profession. Instructors should also help students consider the values particularly expressed in the NASW Code of Ethics and assist students in their efforts to reconcile these conflicts in a manner consistent with social work’s values and ethical standards. Finally, the author does suggest that in instances when students’ values and conduct continue to violate the core values and ethical standards of the profession, the NASW code of ethics does require field instructors to share the concerns with the appropriate authorities and determine what action should be taken.