Ethical Decision-Making and Child Welfare Practice in Social Work
This paper examines four interconnected areas of social work practice. It begins with a reflective account of applying ethical decision-making in a clinical situation involving a client's undisclosed drug use, then describes the components of a competency-based assessment report and the supplemental sources needed to support it. The paper next identifies Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) as the most likely diagnosis for a child client named Mark, explaining the diagnostic criteria and additional information required. Finally, it analyzes the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 and applies the core child welfare practice of teamwork and coordinated care to each component of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) mission.
- Ethical Decision-Making in Clinical Practice: Steps taken and outcome of clinical ethical dilemma
- Competency-Based Assessment: Report Content and Information Sources: Report components and supplemental information sources
- Diagnosing Mark: Oppositional Defiant Disorder: ODD diagnosis rationale and additional information needed
- The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980: Federal law supporting family preservation and adoption
- Core Child Welfare Practice: Teamwork and Coordinated Care: Applying coordinated care to each DCFS mission component
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds each section in specific legislative, diagnostic, or ethical frameworks, giving claims credible academic support rather than relying solely on personal reflection.
- The reflective section on ethical decision-making is particularly strong because it moves step-by-step through the process and connects those steps to a concrete, nuanced clinical scenario with competing interests.
- The ODD diagnosis section demonstrates rigorous use of DSM-5 criteria, explicitly matching observed behaviors to diagnostic requirements and identifying the gaps that still need additional information.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper consistently applies criterion-based reasoning: for each topic, it identifies relevant standards (ethical codes, DSM-5 criteria, AACWA provisions, DCFS mission statements) and evaluates the evidence against those standards. This technique shows readers how practitioners move from abstract frameworks to concrete professional decisions.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into four discrete parts that mirror a social work practicum portfolio. Part 1 is a personal reflection on ethical practice. Part 2 shifts to clinical assessment methodology. Part 3 applies diagnostic reasoning to a case vignette. Part 4 analyzes federal child welfare legislation and links a core practice principle to an agency mission. Each section is self-contained yet collectively demonstrates a broad range of entry-level social work competencies.
Ethical Decision-Making in Clinical Practice
The first step in ethical decision-making is identifying the ethical issue present in the clinical situation. It is important to determine whether a moral issue exists before making any decision. Based on the identified ethical issues, one can then proceed with decision-making while ensuring no ethical codes are violated. The next step involves identifying the individuals, groups, and organizations affected by the moral decision. Determining who is impacted ensures the social worker understands how decisions affect each party. The third step is identifying possible courses of action along with the potential benefits and risks of each. For every action considered, the social worker must assess its impact on the client and whether it helps or poses risks.
Before implementing a decision, the social worker should consider relevant ethical theories, codes of ethics, and social work practice principles. If the worker determines they cannot arrive at a clearly ethical decision alone, they should consult with colleagues. The following step is making and documenting the decision, including how it was reached. Documentation allows the worker to reference their reasoning later or share it with others should questions arise. Finally, the decision should be monitored and evaluated to ensure follow-up occurs and that no negative consequences emerge.
The situation resolved satisfactorily. The ethical dilemma centered on whether to use information indirectly acquired about a client's drug use without direct evidence to support a report. Another social worker had shared details about a client — changing the name and identifying information — but enough similarities existed that the worker suspected the client in question was their own. Reporting the client would have resulted in her children being separated from their mother and the family being broken apart. The agency supported the worker by outlining the consequences of reporting the mother's drug use versus helping her stop. Informing the client that the worker was aware of her drug use prompted a change in behavior, and mandating occasional drug tests proved effective. For further context on navigating such dilemmas, see the National Association of Social Workers code of ethics guidelines.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 (Vol. 5). American Psychiatric Association.
Burke, J. D., & Romano-Verthelyi, A. M. (2018). Oppositional defiant disorder. In Developmental Pathways to Disruptive, Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders (pp. 21–52). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811323-3.00002-X
Eskander, N. (2020). The psychosocial outcome of conduct and oppositional defiant disorder in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Cureus, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.9521
Gray, S. W., & Zide, M. R. (2016). Empowerment series: Psychopathology: A competency-based assessment model for social workers (4th ed.). Cengage Learning.
LAW, P. (1980). Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. Public Law, 96, 272.
Palacios, J., Adroher, S., Brodzinsky, D. M., Grotevant, H. D., Johnson, D. E., Juffer, F., Martínez-Mora, L., Muhamedrahimov, R. J., Selwyn, J., & Simmonds, J. (2019). Adoption in the service of child protection: An international interdisciplinary perspective. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 25(2), 57. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000192
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