Please read the following case scenario and then complete the task described below.

TASK

Please read the following case scenario and then complete the task described below.

Case Scenario

You work as a mental health/drug and alcohol social worker in a small community centre which offers a range of services to the local community. Other services include child and family counselling and sexual assault/domestic violence counselling.

You have been providing services to Paul Jones, a local farmer aged 63 years, for the last 3 months. Paul presented with acute suicidal ideation, which has now resolved. At the time of referral, he had recently commenced anti-depressant medication and was subsequently diagnosed with depression by a visiting psychiatrist. Triggers for his low mood were identified as the prolonged drought and the recent death of his elderly father with whom he reported having a close relationship. You believe you have developed a good therapeutic alliance and Paul has disclosed a problem with gambling and with your support and that of his GP has been able to dramatically reduce his gambling over the past 6 weeks. Paul would like to continue counselling but due to issues with recruitment and funding, your service can only offer a limited number of sessions. There are few options for ongoing psychological support in the local community. At the last two sessions you and Paul have discussed completing counselling in a few weeks.

Today you have been approached by Miranda Smith, the sexual assault/domestic violence counsellor who informs you that she commenced counselling with Louise Jones, Pauls wife approximately 6 weeks ago. Louise is aged 59 years and was a victim of sexual assault when she was a child. The recent Royal Commission has triggered her memories of the assault and she sought counselling in relation to the abuse. She has not told anyone else about the abuse and has not told her husband she is seeking support. Louise is aware that he has sought help from the community centre for depression.

In the last session, Louise disclosed to her counsellor that she is a victim of ongoing domestic violence by her husband Paul. The violence is psychological, physical and very occasionally, sexual. She has never sought medical help for her injuries, although she has threatened Paul that she could do this. Louise has stated clearly that she will not leave her marriage, she has too much invested in the property, having used her family inheritance to build a house on Pauls land. She states, after all, I have put up with it for this long. Due to the drought the couple have very limited savings and are struggling financially.

Miranda is very worried for Louises safety because Paul has access to weapons on the property and they continue to argue about Pauls gambling. Louise reports that things have been a fair bit better since Paul started going to counselling. She is adamant that the violence is Pauls problem, which he needs to address. Miranda pleads with you to continue providing a counselling service to Paul.

Paul and Louise live on a farm near a small rural community. The town has very few services and, in fact, these are confined to those offered by the community health centre. However, the various services have separate managers and are operated very much as stand-alone services, maintaining their own records and other data.

Services at the centre do share a common code of ethics in which confidentiality and the importance of duty of care are paramount.

Task

Analyse and discuss the ethical dilemmas in this scenario.

Include in your discussion the following:

the impact of the professional and organisational environment on this situation,

identify which principles and sections from the AASWCode of Ethicsare most relevant to the situation,

discuss how you would approach this situation using your own values, the values of the organisation and the AASWCode of Ethics. How might the code of ethics be used to resolve the dilemmas in this situation?

discuss how your personal values relate to the professional values expressed in the code in relation to this situation. What differences exist between your own values and those of the code? Which did you act on?

having reflected on the situation, would you have acted differently before undertaking studies in ethics? Do you think the situation would have had a different outcome? Justify your answer with reference to the AASWCode of Ethics.

NOTES

Your assignment must be well presented and appropriately researched. A reference list must be included and both the citations and reference list must be formatted following APA 7. Please submit your assignment as a Word document (our experience is that this facilitates the provision of marker feedback).

Reliable sources for the purposes of this assignment include:

academic books and journal articles, including the SWK423 prescribed readings

Must including text book for referencing : the SWK423 textbooks and learning modules -- Ethical practice in social work : an applied approach (Author: Bowles, W., Collingridge, M., Curry, S., & Valentine, B.)

government websites

professional publications e.g. AASWCode of Ethics.

Otherwise, a good general rule is: if you arein doubtabout whether something is a reliable source,leave it out'

Assignment Structure

Title: Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice: A Case Study Analysis

Introduction

Brief overview of the case scenario

Introduction to Paul and Louise Jones.

Paul

Summary of the key issues: Paul's mental health and gambling problem, Louise's history of sexual assault and ongoing domestic violence.

Purpose of the assignment

To analyze and discuss the ethical dilemmas presented in the case.

To explore the impact of professional and organizational environments on the situation.

To apply the AASW Code of Ethics in addressing the dilemmas.

Section 1: Ethical Dilemmas in the Case

Identification of ethical dilemmas

Confidentiality vs. duty of care.

The challenge of limited resources and session availability.

Inter-professional collaboration and sharing of sensitive information.

Managing conflicting responsibilities to Paul and Louise.

Section 2: Impact of Professional and Organisational Environment

Organisational constraints and resources

Limited number of counselling sessions.

Separate management and record-keeping in the community centre.

Impact of rural setting on availability of services.

Professional environment

Collaboration between different counsellors.

Ethical guidelines and duty of care.

Confidentiality policies and their implications.

Section 3: Relevant Principles from the AASW Code of Ethics

Identification of relevant principles

Principle of respect for human dignity and worth.

Principle of social justice.

Principle of professional integrity.

Specific sections of the AASW Code of Ethics

Confidentiality and informed consent.

Managing conflicts of interest.

Duty to protect clients from harm.

Section 4: Approaching the Situation

Application of personal values

Discuss your own values in relation to the case.

How your values align or conflict with professional values.

Application of organizational values

Values upheld by the community centre.

Ensuring alignment with the AASW Code of Ethics.

Utilizing the AASW Code of Ethics

Applying ethical principles to resolve dilemmas.

Balancing confidentiality with duty of care.

Ensuring client safety while respecting their autonomy.

Section 5: Reflection on Personal and Professional Values

Comparison of personal and professional values

Identify similarities and differences.

Discuss which values you prioritized and why.

Changes in perspective after studying ethics

Reflect on how your approach might differ after ethical training.

Potential impact on the case outcome with enhanced ethical awareness.

Conclusion

Summary of key points

Recap of the ethical dilemmas and their implications.

Importance of adhering to professional ethics in complex cases.

Final reflections

Importance of ongoing ethical education for social workers.

The role of ethics in ensuring the well-being of clients and maintaining professional integrity.

References

List all references, including the AASW Code of Ethics, relevant literature on ethical dilemmas in social work, and any other sources cited in your discussion.