Assume that you have concerns about the ethicality of the conduct of another social worker. For instance, a colleague is engaged in a dual relationship (providing counseling to a family member) or a co-worker is providing substandard services attributable to a substance use disorder. What are your ethical obligations to address these concerns, and what is the best way to proceed? This article provides a brief overview of the options for redressing ethical concerns, followed by a more in-depth description of when and how to initiate the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) professional review process. This article provides a relatively brief overview. If you are actually involved in a professional review process, please refer to the specific provisions of the NASW (2012) Procedures for Professional Review manual and instructions for how to file a complaint.

 

    Under the NASW (2018) Code of Ethics, social workers have a number of obligations to redress concerns about other social workers. Under Standard 2.08(a), for instance, when social workers “have direct knowledge of a social work colleague’s impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness,” they should consult with that colleague and assist him/her in taking remedial action. If the colleague does not take adequate steps to address the impairment, Standard 2.08(b) guides social workers to “take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NASW, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.”

 

    The appropriate channel offered by the NASW for redressing ethical issues (including impairment) is the professional review process. Standards 2.09 and 2.10 have similar provisions for responding to social work colleagues who are acting in an incompetent manner or who have acted in an unethical manner. Thus, when a social worker becomes aware of a colleague’s impairment, incompetence, or unethical behavior, the social worker should first try to address the issue with the colleague. If addressing the issue directly with the colleague is not sufficient, the social worker should consider reporting the situation to the colleague’s employer, licensing body, the NASW, or other professional association. The Code of Ethics provides social workers with discretion in determining the appropriate channel for redressing the concern.

 

 

 

 

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