Quick Quiz: Social Workers Ethical Responsibilities

We've posted a bunch of DSM-based quizzes lately. Let's try something different. Here's a quiz based upon the other text that shows up again and again on the ASWB exam, the NASW Code of Ethics.

A section that--for some reason!--keeps coming to mind lately is the one titled "Social Workers Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society." Here's some of the text, with some crucial words pulled out. Your job: fill in the blanks.

Social workers __________ (should/should not) promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of people, their communities, and their environments. Social workers ____________ (should/should not) advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and __________ (should/should not) promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.

Social workers __________ (should/should not) engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers __________ (should/should not) be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.

What do you think? Hint: All the answers are the same.

This is, of course, not what the licensing exam really looks like. Expect vignettes portraying complicated front-line social work situations. Some of those questions will involve a question about how much a social worker should get involved in advocating for clients. You've studied the relevant section here. You're going to know the answer. You're even readier than you were a moment ago.

Good luck on the exam. Now, about that social action...