Reference no: EM133876646

Ethical Issues Paper:

As a professional, you will develop working relationships with patients who have encountered various social problems. Therefore, it is important to plan, design, and conduct research that reflect ethical principles and address specific problems. Patients are identified as individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Therefore, when addressing specific social problems, it is important to understand that clients' right to privacy and confidentiality is a key component. Although you may be a professional who adheres to confidentiality as a professional ethical standard, you may work with other professionals who may not respect and/or honor the privacy of clients. As you read the following case study, be sure to identify specific ethical principles, theories, social problems, and research implications (plans/topics that would address the issues):

Ann works as a licensed social worker for a non-profit human service agency located in a rural area. Her primary duties include counseling individuals and small groups. The staff consists of an executive director, a psychologist, supervisor of social work services, teachers, and childcare workers. The agency contracts with the local child protective service agency to provide services to parents and families whose child(ren) have been placed in foster care due to child abuse or neglect. The parents who receive services are court ordered to complete a treatment plan to include counseling (individual and/or group) in order to regain custody of their child(ren). The agency provides intense family preservation services Monday to Friday from 8:30 - 4:30 to include individual and group counseling, parenting classes, and educational services.

Jasmine is a nineteen-year-old mother of a two-year-old daughter who was placed in foster care due to maltreatment and "failure to thrive." She attends therapeutic group sessions twice weekly with Ann, along with other parents whose children were also placed in foster care. Jasmine divulges to her caseworker (child protective services) that she tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). She is also a Type II diabetic who tests her glucose levels in the bathroom during breaks. Ann's co-workers are aware that Jasmine uses a glucometer several times during the day to monitor her diabetes while she receives services at the agency.

Janet is a nurse practitioner at an outpatient clinic who is Jasmine's primary care provider. Janet and Ann previously worked together at Rose Memorial Hospital where Ann did her first year social work placement. Ann had reached out to Janet previously with her concerns about Jasmine not managing her diabetes properly. During their conversation, Janet also brought up Janet's concerns about Jasmine's noncompliance with her HIV treatment regime. Ann was surprised to find out that Jasmine was HIV positive but said nothing to Janet about this information being new to her.

The executive director, Mary, becomes very angry when she is informed (not by Ann) that Jasmine is HIV positive. During a treatment team staffing, the executive director suggests that Ann speak privately with Jasmine in order to persuade her to inform the other clients (who attend group sessions with Jasmine) that she is HIV positive. The executive director states that Jasmine places the staff and the other clients at risk when she pricks her finger to test her glucose level. Mary also states that if Jasmine refuses to inform her group members of her HIV status, it is Ann's obligation as the agency's social worker to disclose Jasmine's private information (during a group session) to the other clients who attend the group sessions. Mary, the executive director, is not a trained counselor or social worker but she believes that it will be therapeutic for Jasmine and the clients if she shared her HIV status with the group.

Please respond to the following:

For this paper read the case scenario outlined above to develop a hypothetical ethical dilemma response and demonstrate an appropriate ethical decision-making process. The case scenario also includes various social problems which you will identify as well as ethical dilemmas to which you will apply ethical principles, theories and decision-making processes. You will address several substantial areas in your analysis:

Identify and discuss a specific social problem in the case study.

Identify one ethical dilemma and the stakeholders involved.

Summarize the main ethical concerns presented in the dilemma, including references to specific ethical standards and codes.

Identify, define and apply ethical principles and theories.

Outline and apply the ethical decision-making process you would use if you were one of the professionals.

Identify any missing information which might help you in the ethical decision-making process

Provide a clear recommendation using the ethical decision-making process as your basis for your recommendation.

Finalize your analysis (paper) so it is a polished academic discussion on professional ethical standards, and ethical decision making. Your response should be between 5 to 7 pages, and should include a title page, be 12-font, and double spaced. The title and references pages will not be considered as part of the page count for this assignment. Be sure to use APA style citation for citing any sources to support your claims. At least six references from journals or approved websites such as those of the US government, research organizations, universities, etc. need to be used for this paper. Go to the EC Library website, (link on left bar of your course webpage) for help with references for your paper. Wikipedia, CliffsNotes, and other study guide sites are not considered a valid source for references.