Quick Quiz: Ethics Fill-in-the-Blanks V

One more fill-in-the-blanks quiz from the NASW Code of Ethics. You don't have to have the Code memorized--not even close. But it's ideal to understand the gist of what each section of the Code is getting at. That's where these quizzes come in. How well do you understand social work ethics?

Give this a try. The Payment for Services section. Fill in the blanks.


(a) When setting fees, social workers should ensure that the fees are _________________ and commensurate with the services performed. Consideration should be given to clients' ability _________.

(b) Social workers should ____________ accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements, particularly involving services, create the potential ______________________________________ in social workers' relationships with clients. Social workers should explore and may participate in bartering only in very limited circumstances when it can be demonstrated that such arrangements are _____________________________________________________________________________ [5 conditions for bartering] . Social workers who accept goods or services from clients as payment for professional services assume the full burden of demonstrating that this arrangement will not be _______________ to the client or the professional relationship.

(c) Social workers should not solicit a private fee or other remuneration for providing services to clients who are entitled to such available services through _______________________________.

How'd you do?

These aren't easy! How many of those conditions for bartering were you able to think up from memory and common sense? If you got three, that's amazing--hope you'll give yourself a pat on the back or some other show of "nice job" to yourself.

On the real ASWB exam, there are no fill-in-the-blanks questions. Most questions are fairly complicated vignettes. But remember that lots of them lean on the Code of Ethics. Knowing this section and other will help you speed through ethics questions on the exam. That leaves more time for other test questions. Or maybe you can just get out early and start celebrating your new license.

Good luck.

Answers? They're below. Scroll down...………….

a1) fair, reasonable,

a2) to pay

b1) avoid 

b2) for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries

b3) an accepted practice among professionals in the local community, considered to be essential for the provision of services, negotiated without coercion, and entered into at the client's initiative and with the client's informed consent

b4) detrimental

c) the social workers' employer or agency