Running Head: VALUES PAPER

Values Paper
Shena Poma
SW 3010 Methods 1
11/13/13

Values Paper

Values Paper
The purpose of this paper is to examine my own personal values, and relate them to
various areas of the social work field. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) has
developed a set of values and ethical standards to which social workers across the nation are
expected to adhere. The specific set of social work standards are collectively referred to as the
NASW Code of Ethics. Throughout this paper I will dissect my past experiences in attempt to
better understand the development of my values. In addition to discussing my values, this paper
will focus on a particular population that I am concerned about working with, and creating a
potential plan of action to prepare for the possibility of having no other choice than to assist
clients that fall under that population. Values are defined as an individuals moral standards and
their belief on what is truly important in life (Merriam-Webster). For the most part, social
workers share similar values; however, it is my opinion, that certain values and characteristics
hold more significance than others in the effectiveness of social workers. In the field of social
work, the positive affect your assist has on the client is the way you measure successfulness. The
National Association of Social Work created the NASW Code of Ethics for professionals to refer
to when in need of immediate assistance, and to affect the successfulness of willing social
workers across the nation.
The social work field is one of the few career paths that tend to come to people as a
calling. This career is unique in many ways, and the qualities the individuals pursuing it
generally possess are one of those ways. The NASW Code of Ethics names six core values for
which an ideal social worker would work hard to aspire. The six values mentioned include:
service, social justice, dignity and worth of a person, importance of human relationships,
integrity, and finally, competence (NASW). For each of the six values, there is a corresponding

Values Paper

ethical principle to provide more specific details on how it is suggested for a social worker to
operate within that value. The NASW Code of Ethics also includes numerous codes by which all
social workers are expected to abide. A large portion of the codes require only a minimal amount
of common sense, and many of the codes are what almost any human being, regardless of their
career path, gender, economic status, marital status, etc., would be able to confidently guess as
being included. However, the codes that seem to be a given, often times are the ones
employees have the most difficult time constantly obeying. For example, in the NASW Code of
Ethics, like almost every employee handbook, includes a nice area discussing the importance of
the code 2.07 Sexual Relationships, that banishes sexual relationships with the managerial staff
or other co-workers, yet that code is one that is continuously broken, regardless of the
consequences (NASW). While reading the NASW Code of Ethics in class, and again at home,
there were a few values or codes that I found to be more relevant than others when pertaining to
my own view of a successful social worker. Most of the personal ethical standards by which I
hold myself accountable, directly correspond with those discussed in the NASW Code of Ethics.
The codes that I think may be either unnecessary or going a bit overboard include the code 1.12
Derogatory Language, and the area under 1.04 Competence, that states that social workers
should not use new techniques (NASW). Please reread it does not say new techniques cannot be
used. These two codes may be a good general rule of thumb, but I can see a wide array of
scenarios where breaking these codes may be helpful in the clients treatment. How would it help
a client if you spoke down to him/her? You have not explained specifically why you do not
agree with them so I am free to speculate that you would like to swear at your clients and that
you would be willing to try anything new that came along. The compatible principles I believe to
be the most valuable include the value of understanding dignity and worth of a person. This

Values Paper

principle shines light on the significance of the code 2.01 Respect towards your clients,
colleagues, and any other person whom you may come in contact with during your lifetime.
According to the NASW Code of Ethics, the 4.02 Discrimination code is newly added as of 2008,
and in my opinion, absolutely critical in the ethical standards by which social workers are to live
(NASW). To truly respect an individual, you must take a non-judgmental approach, believe in
equality for all, and acknowledge any differences, such as culture, that make each person unique.
Personally, I place this specific principle as the most crucial of them all, and not just for
practicing social workers, but life in general. Social justice ranks as a close second on my list of
personal values. The list of my personal values carries on with: appreciation, approachability,
attentiveness, compassion, dependability, determination, empathy, encouragement, enthusiasm,
expressiveness, fairness, generosity, helpfulness, honesty, humor, humility, individuality,
kindness, leadership, love, loyalty, open mindedness, optimism, passion, perseverance,
playfulness, serenity, self-respect, selflessness, strength, supportive, sympathy, thankful,
trustworthiness, understanding, uniqueness, and warmth. I make a conscious effort each morning
to strive to live up to each of these values.wow
I have had several life experiences where others had treated me unkindly, and I was
shown very little compassion towards me or my situation. I find compassion to be an extremely
valuable quality for an effective social worker and as a human being in general. I have a theory
regarding my own emotions, and the strengths and weakness that came with the territory. I am a
recovering heroin addict, and I have struggled with almost every type of commonly known
addiction other than drugs and alcohol as well. I was born into a family full of addicts, and it was
obvious at a very young age that I too was an addict, through and through. My theory was
formed after not only acknowledging my own emotions, but after discussing this very subject

Values Paper

with hundreds of other addicts too. It appeared to me that we had a lot more in common than our
love for escaping reality. Every addict I spoke to regarding their emotions or feelings, including
my own recollection, emphasized the overwhelming chaos of intense feelings, false selfperceptions, and over the top emotional thoughts that are constantly whirling through their mind.
Through my own experiences, and my observation of other addicts words or actions, we tend to
be overly sensitive, easily cry, or become defensive much faster than the non-addicts I have
observed. My theory is that addicts are born with some different wiring within the brain than
non-addicts that cause addicts to feel feelings much more quickly, and much more intensely. The
continuous swirling of emotional chaos that occurs within our mind at a million miles per hour is
exhausting, and so is overthinking and over feeling. Addicts are predisposed to addiction not
only because of the abnormal brain wiring, but because it is nearly impossible to cope with the
abundance, and intensity, of the never ending flow of feelings and thoughts. Escaping reality
meant something much more than escaping the external stressors in an individuals life, escaping
reality for an addict is attempting to save their sanity, and escape the internal stressors as well.
The thought of my mind shutting down, or being quiet for any length of time, sounds wondrous.
Another critical factor in the development of my personal values was because of the
parenting style of my mother, the values she implemented upon me, and the way she raised me.
My mother is my biggest hero, and she showed me the importance of strength, independence,
compassion, and selflessness. From the time I was a small child she took me places to volunteer
my time and effort for those less fortunate. She emphasized how important being open-minded
was, and that it was not my place to judge others. She told me that humans should be treated
equal regardless of areas of difference, and that I was no better than anyone else. My mother is

Values Paper

the kindest, most loving and supportive human being I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,
and luckily she passed down many of her strong values onto me.
I hold values such as social justice, dignity, integrity, compassion, respect,
trustworthiness, and loyalty so highly because of the things I have learned through word of
mouth or personal experiences throughout my journey of life. I struggled with mental disorders
for as long as I remember, and I was prescribed medication for my anxiety and depression. It
turned out that some of those pills were narcotics, which started the seven year downward spiral
of self-destruction. During those years, I hurt a lot of people, and a lot of people hurt me. When
life started to get tough, and I reached out for love and support, I discovered that very few people
were left in my life. The extreme circumstances for which I found myself tangled, imposed
important life lessons, and were a leading force to the evolution of my personal values. The fact
that I survived drug addiction, harsh judgments, parental negligence (father), emotional and
sexual childhood abuse, financial instability, eating disorders, and other mental disorders,
heightened my ability to empathize with other people facing almost any issue. However, due to
the sexual abuse I endured for years as a child, there is one specific population that I fear
assisting as a social worker.
Individuals who abuse innocent children, especially sexually, are bewildering to
me. Although I find their actions to be appalling, and impossible to justify, I do recognize
pedophilia is a severe mental disorder. Please be aware that not all people who abuse children
sexually have pedophilia. Pedophilia includes an overwhelming obsession about things that the
individual does not decide, and I can relate to having continuous obsessions about things I did
not choose, and wishing I could stop them. Many convicted sexual predators state that they
fought the constant obsessions for as long as they could, and that they desperately wish they

Values Paper

were able to stop the sick thoughts that engulfed their mind. The world would surely be a better
place if our brain came with an off switch, and I can understand having a mental sickness that is
uncontrollable. However, the fact that I was the victim of long term sexual abuse, I can imagine
my ability to effectively assist sexual predators has deteriorated. The thought of sitting in a room
with someone from this population causes a mix of emotions consisting mostly of rage, fear, and
sadness. I am concerned about what I will do if I am in the position of having to serve this
population. I know my motives will not be pure. However, I find the rehabilitation of this
population to be extremely important in the wellbeing of our entire nation to reduce the amount
of future victims. I deeply want this population to receive the best possible help so other children
are not left with the same permanent emotional scars as I am, and because I do feel so strongly
about the effectiveness of their treatment, I realize that my tainted judgments towards the whole
population would only hinder their treatment. I would be doing the clients from this population a
great injustice.
I may encounter a time that denying a client from this population is not an option.
Sometimes you have a client who comes in for another reason and then reveals that he/she is an
abuser. It is not always easy to then say I cant work with you. If, and when, I face this type of
situation, I imagine that constantly reminding me of the values and codes listed in NASW Code
of Ethics will be necessary. The one code that I may need to recite in my mind during the session
the most often is the 1.06 Conflicts of Interest (NASW). This code specifies things that a social
worker should or should not do when strong beliefs between the social worker and client
conflict. As a social worker, you are considered to be the professional, and expected to act
accordingly. Social workers are mandated to avoid conflict, where did you get that idea. If you
are quoting ethical codes you need to include the number and the exact wording of the code.

Values Paper

Social workers are often in conflict because they are mandated to try and change the world which
cant happen without conflict. Which means that social workers have the responsibility of
controlling personal opinions, and not allowing emotions to dictate the effectiveness of the
treatment the client is receiving. I am aware that this code may be difficult for me to abide, but
abiding by this code is an absolute necessity to be a successful social worker. Luckily I do
recognize that my feelings can be a detrimental factor in a clients care, that way I can actively
work on changing the way my emotions will weaken the clients treatment, and strengthen the
ways my emotions will enhance it. A second code that I envision as being substantially helpful in
increasing my ability to serve populations I find concerning, such as sexual predators, would be
the 4.02 Discrimination code (NASW). This code lists numerous areas that are commonly
discriminated against, with one of the areas being mental disorders. Earlier in this paper I stated
that I believe pedophilia to be a mental disorder, and if I had to assist people with a diagnosis of
pedophilia I must do anything in my power to ensure I take a non-judgmental and nondiscriminatory approach to their care. The third code that relates to improving my service to this
population would be 4.03 Private Conduct (NASW). The private conduct code clearly states that
social workers are mandated to never allow personal conduct to interfere with the service
provided to the client. Although there are times I may be forced to face this population as a social
worker who is expected to assist this population, I would much rather prefer for clients that fall
under this particular population to be transferred elsewhere. I am not saying this because of
personal preference, but because I know I am likely to be biased towards this issue, and that will
lower the service the client will receive. I am most definitely keeping the clients best interest in
mind. If I had to provide an explanation to the client for the reasons why I recommend them to
be transferred to a different worker, I would make sure to respond carefully and respectfully. This

Values Paper

population does anger me, but I know they are humans who have feelings too, which I will work
hard not to hurt in the process. Other than being respectful, I will keep the NASW Code of Ethics
4.04 Honesty code and 1.16 Termination of Services code in the forefront of my mind during the
conversation (NASW). I would speak kindly to them, and explain that I am worried I may be
hindering their treatment, and know of another colleague or agency that I am confident would be
much more effective in your treatment. The conversation would include several sincere
apologizes, as well as explaining that I am looking out for the clients best interest, and I think
they deserve a professional who is better suited to improve the effectiveness of their treatment.
This paper included a section that required examining yourself in areas that may be
uncomfortable to think about and speak about. It requested to discuss a certain population of
possible clientele that would be the most difficult for you, as a social worker, to assist. I found
myself becoming emotional while writing this part of the paper that teetered from sadness to
anger. However, this section of the paper was the one that helped me to become more aware of
my own feelings regarding this population, and then ponder a plan of action in case I do ever
find myself in the presence of a sexual predator that sought out my services as a social worker. I
suppose I was trying to repress the painful memories from my childhood, but this paper helped
me not only just think about this population, but dissect my feelings towards them, and why I felt
that way. I did my best to stay away from talking about pedophiles whenever possible, but once I
started to look into the way I felt about pedophilia, I jumped some personal hurdles. As a matter
of fact, I was able to make the connection between my own mental disorders and theirs, and I
discovered that I related to people with a diagnosis of pedophilia in some ways that I never
thought about before this paper. I can relate to uncontrollable obsessions that focus on things I
wish I could change. As a result of my new discovery, I started to feel some empathy towards

Values Paper

this population, which was a great accomplishment for me. However, I am still a long ways away
from confidently, and comfortably, serving this population.
In summary, the NASW Code of Ethics is a critical tool for social workers to refer to
during their career. The values and codes listed are there to inform social workers on ways to
interact with clients, colleagues, and the social worker profession as a whole. The individuals
that seek out the social work profession generally possess similar values included in the NASW
Code of Ethics. Social workers are a unique breed of people that find values such as compassion,
respect, empathy, and non-discriminatory behaviors as attributes that come naturally. However,
there is one population I am concerned about working with in the future. Life experiences have
morphed my view of this population, and the biases I hold are strong and emotionally invested.
The population I am referring to is sexual predators, especially those who victimize children.
Although this paper has forced me to examine my own thoughts regarding pedophiles, and
allowed me to find minor connections I have with this population. The NASW Code of Ethics
discusses the importance of remaining professional, and keeping a non-judgmental view towards
clients that may have conflicting values. Social workers are still human, so remaining nonjudgmental can be a difficult task at times. I will definitely keep an extra copy of the NASW
Code of Ethics near my desk so I can easily reach for it when I find myself in a situation that I
am struggling with reacting as a human being, rather than a professional social worker.

Values Paper

REFERENCES:
NASW. (2013.). Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp
Value. (2013). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/value