How have you incorporated social work values in your human service experiences and interactions with others? What significant relationships and life experiences have you had that motivated you to enter the field of social work?
How have you incorporated social work values in your human service experiences and interactions with others?
What significant relationships and life experiences have you had that motivated you to enter the field of social work?
What type of societal concerns interest you in the social work profession? What type of barriers or successes have you witnessed in your area of interest?
Please discuss your career goals and include why the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is a good fit for your goals.
Five double-spaced pages in length, with 1-inch margins, and 12-point Times New Roman font.
The first version of the NASW code of ethics, published in 1960, states that social workers are “dedicated to service for the welfare of mankind” and should “promote the well-being of all without discrimination.”
These basic tenants hold true today, but the code has since evolved from a one-page document into a robust guide of professional conduct that outlines core values, ethical principles and ethical standards to guide social workers and the social work profession.
The most recent revisions to the code of ethics were published in early 2018. These changes primarily address advances in technology that have occurred over the past 20 years and their implications for ethical practice, including new forms of communication and relationship building.
The following is an outline of the six core values on which the code of ethics is based and associated broad ethical principles social workers should use as a guide in their work. It is paraphrased from the NASW Code of Ethics. You can find this and the current full code of ethics on the NASW website.
Ethical principle: Serve people in need and work to address social problems.
Ethical principle: Challenge social injustice and work for social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed people.
Ethical principle: Be respectful of every person and mindful of cultural and ethnic diversity.
Ethical principle: Recognize and value the importance of human relationships, and work to strengthen these relationships in order to enhance the well-being of individuals and communities.
Ethical principle: Be trustworthy and uphold the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles and ethical standards.
Ethical principle: Practice within areas of competence, continuously develop professional knowledge and expertise, and contribute to the knowledge of the profession.
Social work is a profession in which trained professionals are devoted to helping vulnerable people and communities work through challenges they face in everyday life. Social workers practice in a wide variety of settings, united in their commitment to advocating for and improving the lives of individuals, families, groups and societies.
While there is a diverse array of settings in which social workers practice, together social workers share the commitment to:
Social workers work directly with, and on behalf of, a wide variety of populations. Some examples are: