School social workers shall adhere to the ethics and values of the social work profession and shall use the
NASW Code of Ethics as a guide to ethical decision making, while understanding the unique aspects of school social work practice and the needs of the students, parents, and communities they serve.
In truth, I knew I wanted to be a social worker long before I became familiar with the
NASW Code of Ethics. In no small part, this is because of the social worker who embodied this code as she enabled me to move beyond existence as a man, into life as a woman.
The first
NASW Code of Ethics, implemented in 1960--five years after the association was born and decades before the availability of digital and electronic tools for service delivery--was one page long and consisted of 14 brief, first-person proclamations concerning, for example, every social worker's duty to give precedence to professional responsibility over personal interests; respect client privacy; give appropriate service in public emergencies; and contribute knowledge, skills, and support to human welfare programs.
The NASW Press expects authors to adhere to ethical standards for scholarship as articulated in the
NASW Code of Ethics and Writing for the NASW Press: Information for Authors.
NASW code of ethics (Guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers).
Until 1979 the
NASW Code of Ethics (1960) was only one page with 14 aspirational statements.
The
NASW Code of Ethics (2008) uses stronger language discouraging the practice of bartering, stating: Social workers should avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services.
Each chapter also contains case examples and an overview of the related standards from the
NASW Code of Ethics.
I approach this state of affairs from a belief in the
NASW Code of Ethics, particularly the role of advocacy that is stated there (NASW, 1999).
The
NASW Code of Ethics (2008) does not include guidance on the use of technology.