The Social Work Ethics Casebook
Cases and Commentary
In his newest publication, The Social Work Ethics Casebook: Cases and Commentary, social work ethics guru Frederic Reamer has provided a lively, easy-to-read, thoughtful and highly relevant guide to navigating the complicated ethical dilemmas faced by social workers today.
At the core of our profession is the NASW Social Work Code of Ethics: 155 specific standards to guide social work conduct, reduce malpractice and liability risks, and provide a basis for the adjudication of complaints. Dr. Reamer's Casebook makes it easy to find one’s way through a daunting list of dos and don’ts.
The Casebook is organized around five categories: ethical responsibilities to clients; to colleagues; in practice settings; as professionals; and to the social work profession and the broader society. Each chapter begins with contemporary case studies. The thoughtful discussion that follows identifies every relevant issue and traces steps in following the ethical path. Never doctrinaire, Dr Reamer provides a clear process to use where “reasonable social workers may disagree” on a particular decision.
After each discussion comes an invaluable documentation tool: the relevant citations from legislation, from court decisions, and from the Code of Ethics. (The Code itself is provided in an appendix.) Each chapter ends with two meaty case studies for further discussion.
Dr. Reamer has taken a topic traditionally considered tedious and made it lively and interesting, a wonderful basis for teaching, and a reference resource directly relevant to one’s social work practice. I, for one, intend to keep a copy of The Social Work Ethics Casebook: Cases and Commentary close at hand.
Margot Aronson, MSW, LICSW
Greater Washington Society for Clinical Social Work
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This is an excellent book for case based teaching regarding standards in the NASW Code of Ethics. A succinct introduction to and overview of the nature and evolution of social work ethics will be appreciated by the reader. Case material and Dr. Reamer's practical discussion of same, followed by discussion questions is sure to engage students and make social work ethics more relevant to everday practice.
Larry W. Foster, PhD
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Cleveland State University
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Once again, Reamer has provided the field of social work with a clearly written, comprehensive, and useful presentation of ethical responsibilities replete with case illustrations. Following the presentation of each of the standards which comprise the Code of Ethics, he systematically lays out the ethical requirements and responsibilities of a social worker to their clients, colleagues, and the practice settings where they are employed as well as their responsibilities to the profession and the broader society. Each case example is followed by a discussion section and specific questions which integrate the ethical standard, theory, and practice wisdom with the case illustrations. A bibliography of relevant literature on each standard is also provided. This is an essential resource for social work students and practitioners alike.
Sheldon R. Gelman, PhD, ACSW, MSL
Professor and Schachne Dean, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University
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