Social Work Role and Values in Working with Adults within Mental Health Services - Essay Example

?Social Work Role and Values in Working with Adults within Mental Health Services Social work values and ethics The mission of the social work occupation in mental health services is based on key values. These values are accepted by social workers in general as they act as a yardstick for purpose and perspective in their line of work (Bisman, 2004:110). These can be divided into three broad categories which are human rights, social justice and integrity. Human rights The profession is founded on respect for the inherent dignity of all people as stipulated in the United Nations (UN) stipulations. i) Safeguarding and promoting dignity and well- being They should safeguard, respect and defend the patients’ physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual well being (Bowles et al., 2006:50). They should perform their duties by promoting the best interest of individuals and society as a whole (Parrot, 2006:35). ii) Upholding the right to participation Social workers should encourage the inclusion of the society, other medical practitioners and the family of patients (Wilson, Lymbery and Cooper, 2011:93). This is important for mentally ill adults and their families as it empowers them in making decisions concerning their lives (Adams, 2003:55). iii) Identifying and promoting strengths Social workers should identify the strengths of the patients and the society as a whole in an effort to empower them (Reamer, 2006:59). Social justice Social workers have a responsibility to promote justice in their work environment and in society at large (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 1998:55). i) Fighting against discrimination They have the responsibility to challenge discrimination on the basis of culture, gender, spiritual beliefs and socio economic status (Davies, Finlay and Bullman, 2000:94). Additionally, they should recognise diversity in the societies where they practise and take individual, family and community differences into consideration. ii) Resource distribution They should see to it that all the resources that are at their disposal are distribution on a fair basis and according to the needs of the individuals. iii) Confront unfair policies and practices They have the responsibility to blow the whistle in cases of resource inadequacy and where the distribution of resources is unfair. Furthermore, they should notify the relevant authorities concerning oppressive, unfair and harmful policies and practices. Integrity They have a duty to respect and uphold the values and principle of the occupation (Higham, 2006:85). They are required to act in an honest, trustworthy and reliable way. i) Professional accountability They should be prepared to account and justify for their actions and decisions to the authorities, employers, patients and the public in general (Becket and Maynard, 2005:115). ii) Uphold reputation of the profession They should act in accordance with the ethics of the profession to ensure that their behaviour safeguards the reputation of the profession (Banks, 2006:130) iii) Trust The social workers should perform their duties in an open, honest and reliable way (Adams, Dominelli and Payne, 2002:72). They are required to explain their interventions and decisions to the relevant authorities. Examples of dilemmas and conflicts that can occur in practice Social workers are constantly faced by ethical dilemmas and conflicts when dealing with mentally ill adults. That explains why they are required to adhere to the ethics and values to handle this eventuality. Ethical principles guide the social workers to recognise and manage dilemmas and conflicts in the medical practice (Crabtree, Husain and Spalek, 2008:92). Examples of dilemmas that are common in the profession arise from conflict of interest, inadequate resources and poor institutional policies in society (Postle, 2007:54). Ethical dilemmas and conflicts occur in the following situations. Shared decision making The decision making process concerning the patient’s well being involves a process where the social worker and the client share information concerning resulting to a resolution concerning the patient’s health care. This process should be based on respect, trust and truth. Ethical issues may arise when handling sensitive matters including their religious and cultural beliefs, finances and their individual values (Smith, 2005:38). Furthermore, the social workers are required to maintain confidentiality with regards to the information shared by the patients and their mental status. As earlier explained in the code of ethics, social workers should encourage inclusion in the decision making process (Fook, 2002:15). This may turn out to be a disadvantage as the decision making process is compromised when the family members are involved. Allocation of scarce resources The mental health sector is said to have scarce human and financial resources. This poses a real challenge to the social workers as they work towards ensuring improved mental health of their clients. A social worker in the mental health practice for the elderly is advised to allocate the available resources in terms of need and this promotes fairness and justice (Harris, 2003:67). If they fail to follow this criterion in allocating resources an ethical conflict is likely to occur. They are advised to set their priorities when it comes to resource allocation according to the code of ethics that governs the profession. Stigma associated with mental illness There is some level of stigma that is linked to mental illness in society. The social workers working with mentally ill patients may be accorded the same kind of stigma as their patients and this may impact on their work negatively. Social workers are required to carry out their duties efficiently in spite of the challenges they face in the mental health practice. Dilemmas and conflict of interest are inherent in any profession and they can be dealt with by following the code of ethics in the particular occupation. In a nutshell, it is important for social workers to apply the principles of ethics discussed in the above section while handling dilemmas and conflicts in the practice. It is important for them to establish whether a dilemma is personal or profession, approximate or absolute. This will enable them to identify the correct moral, legal and ethical approach to take while handling the situation. Discrimination, disadvantage, inequality and injustice relating to mental health care services It has been noted with great concern that matters relating to mental health care have been neglected all over the world. Additionally, structural factors such as inequality, poverty, homelessness and discrimination increase the prevalence of mental illness. Recent studies reveal that occurrence of mental illnesses varies in according to the social and economic differences in society. Mental illnesses among the population are affected by factors including income inequality, homelessness, unemployment, social class and the environment which one lives in (Moss, 2005:87). There is unequal access to mental services due to the structural differences among various regions (Moss, 2007:70). For instance, individuals with a high income can easily access mental health care while people with a low income cannot. This is a form of inequality as patients access mental health services based on their income level. There is unequal access to mental health care based on one’s gender, race and ethnicity. This is among the leading causes of discrimination in the provision of mental health care services. Ethnic and racial minorities are discriminated against while accessing treatment and other services (Crabtree, Husain and Spalek, 2008:102). Recent studies have shown that there is a level of discrimination that occurs in the access of mental health care services. The diagnosis of the mental disability itself results to discrimination against the patients. Prejudice against the mentally ill is viewed to be a potential barrier to access of mental health. It has been observed that the mental ill receive unequal treatment as compared to their mentally well counterparts. This has led to increasing discrimination against the mental patients and the social workers have a duty to accord them equal and just treatment. The funding and resource allocation directed towards mental health is insufficient in comparison to other health sectors (Malin, Wilmot and Manthorpe, 2002:102). This goes ahead the level of discrimination that is faced by mental patients. It is important for the government to review its policies with regards to mental health in order to fight against discrimination, injustice and disadvantage in the mental health provision. Several efforts have been made to change the current situation through reviewing the code of ethics and strategies governing the social work profession. Legal reforms should be instituted to abolish all forms of inequality, discrimination and injustice in mental health care. Legislation and legal Acts that address the above concerns The main laws that guide social workers include the Mental Health Act of 1983, Community Care Act 1993 meant for older people and those with mental incapacity and Code of Practice for the proposed AMHPs (The Approved Mental Health). The Code of Ethics for Social Work also plays a key role in addressing the concerns discussed above (Walker, 2008:55). The human rights law is the basic legislation addressing discrimination against mental patients. This is because it calls for the respect and dignity of all individuals. These legislation and legal acts are a guideline to social workers and society at large. Several amendments have been made on the legislation over the years owing to increased awareness of mental illness and changes in the roles played by social workers over the years. The legislation on mental health ensures that all patients have equal access to mental health care regardless of their income or social background. It also ensures that members of community are included in treatment and rehabilitation of mental patients thereby minimising the level of discrimination against them (Hugman, 2005:73). The Mental Act aims at removing barriers that result to stigmatised view of the mentally ill. In addition to, it cautions the citizens against discrimination of the mental patients. The legislation enhances equal distribution of resources and funding. This will promote efficiency in mental health care provision. Discrimination against that is linked to mental health is not only retrogressive but also outdated. Society is encouraged to embrace mentally ill individual and give the social workers the necessary support to fight against it. References Adams, R. (2003) Social work and empowerment, Basingstoke: Macmillan, pp. 45-98. Adams, R., Dominelli, L. & Payne, M. (2002) Critical practice in social work, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp. 67-98. Adams, R., Dominelli, L. and Payne, M. (1998) Social work themes, issues and critical debates, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp. 34-70. Banks, S. (2006) Ethics and values in social work, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp. 121-150. Becket, C. & Maynard, A. (2005) Values and ethics in social work: an introduction, London, Sage, pp. 110-135. Bisman C. (2004) ‘Social work values: the moral core of the profession,’ British Journal of Social Work, vol. 34, pp. 109-123. Bowles,W.,Collingridge,M., Curry,S. & Valentine, B. (2006) Ethical practice in social work, Buckingham, OU/McGraw Hill, pp. 46-87. Crabtree, S., Husain, F. & Spalek, B. (2008) Islam and social work: debating values, transforming practice, Bristol, Policy Press, pp. 89-130. Davies, C. Finlay, L. & Bullman, A. (2000) Changing practice in health and social care, London, Sage, pp. 89-156. Fook, J. (2002) Social work: critical theory and practice, London: Sage, pp. 7-30. Harris, J. (2003) The social work business, London, Routledge, pp. 47- 70. Higham, P. (2006) Social work: introducing professional practice, London, Sage, pp. 80-110. Hugman, R. (2005) New approaches in ethics for the caring professions, Basingstoke, Palgrave/Macmillan, pp. 67- 90. Malin, N., Wilmot, S. and Manthorpe, J. (2002) Key concepts and debates in health and social policy, Buckingham, Open University, pp. 98- 120. Moss, B. (2005) Religion and spirituality, Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing, pp. 67-90. Moss, B. (2007) Values Lyne Regis, Russell House Publishing, pp. 67- 89. Parrott, L. (2006) Values and ethics in social work practice, Exeter, Learning Matters, pp. 20-47. Postle, K. (2007) Value conflicts in practice, Learning, London, Sage, pp. 45-70. Reamer, F.G. (2006) Social work values and ethics, New York, Columbia University Press. Smith, R. (2005) Values and practice in children’s services, Basingstoke, Palgrave, pp. 15-48. Walker, H. (2008) Studying for your social work degree, Exeter, Learning Matters, pp. 45-78. Wilson, K., Ruch, G., Lymbery, M. & Cooper, A. (2011) Social work: an introduction to contemporary practice, Harlow, Pearson Education, pp. 89-120. Read More