Missing the Mark? Reframing NASW’s Ethical Mandate for Self-Care as a Social Justice Issue (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:  This course explores the systemic problems that contribute to stress, trauma, and burnout in the social work profession, while examining the recent addition of self-care as an ethical mandate to the revised 2021 NASW Code of Ethics. The course highlights mezzo and macro factors affecting the profession that include workforce and employment conditions such as stressful working conditions, low pay, inadequate support, heavy workloads, and poor staffing. Instead of viewing self-care as a personal responsibility of social workers, the course reframes self-care as a social justice issue.

Professional self-care is paramount for competent and ethical social work practice. Professional demands, challenging workplace climates, and exposure to trauma warrant that social workers maintain personal and professional health, safety, and integrity. Social work organizations, agencies, and educational institutions are encouraged to promote organizational policies, practices, and materials to support social workers’ self-care.  (NASW Code of Ethics, 2021)

This course is recommended for social workers and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  This course is not recommended for NBCC ethics credit.

“Book  Open the Course Reading Here.

Course Reading: Missing the Mark?  Reframing NASW’s Ethical Mandate for Self-Care as a Social Justice Issue

Authors:  Dawn Apgar and Mackaully Parada

Publisher:  Advances in Social Work

Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by reframing the NASW’s ethical mandate for self-care as a social justice issue.

Learning Objectives:  Identify the systemic problems that contribute to social work stress and burnout.  Compare micro and macro remedies for social work stress and burnout.  Describe how the ethical mandate for self-care can be reframed as a social justice issue.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

Course Available Until: October 31, 2027.

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1: Self-care in social work has predominantly been viewed as a personal responsibility of professionals, with remedies focused on
 
 
2: In 2021, NASW added language to its ethical code requiring social workers to maintain personal and professional ______________.
 
 
 
 
3: The proportion of those entering the social work workforce from traditionally marginalized populations is ______________ than in most health professions.
 
 
4: Recent MSW graduates are predominately engaging in
 
 
 
5: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for social workers is
 
 
 
 
6: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics asserts that social work has one of the _________ rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.
 
 
7: Which of the following have been found to decrease negative well-being among social workers?
 
 
 
 
8: There is a mandate for paid internships in the social work accreditation standards.
 
 
9: Research shows that micro level self-care
 
 
10: Social work could see transformational change that could enhance safe, ethical, and effective practice through__________.
 
 
 
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City. She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: October 31, 2027.
Filed under: Ethics