This enitre week has been built into the Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/1205522459/lcsw-c-test-prep-week-1-flash-cards/?i=4f1f8s&x=1jqt
The NASW Code of Ethics identifies six core values that guide the profession:
- Service
- Social Justice
- Dignity and Worth of the Person
- Importance of Human Relationships
- Integrity
- Competence
Your goal this week is not to memorize the exact NASW wording. Your goal is to be able to hear an ethics vignette and immediately recognize which value is being activated.
1. The Mnemonic
Say this out loud:
“I SERVE SOCIETY with DIGNITY, through RELATIONSHIPS, with INTEGRITY and COMPETENCE.”
That’s your Week 1 memory phrase.
Here is is in images to help you remember it.
2. Understand Each Value
Don’t memorize definitions yet. Create a mental picture for each.
1. Service — “How can I help?”
Social work exists to help people address needs and improve well-being.
Exam trigger:
Helping, access to services, client needs, professional responsibility.
2. Social Justice — “Is the system fair?”
This moves your attention beyond the individual.
Think:
Individual problem → system → inequality → access → advocacy
Exam trigger:
Discrimination, oppression, poverty, unequal access, marginalized populations, advocacy.
3. Dignity & Worth of the Person — “This person has inherent value.”
The client doesn’t have to earn respect.
Exam trigger:
Respect, autonomy, discrimination, judgment, human worth.
4. Importance of Human Relationships — “People are connected.”
Social workers recognize that relationships are central to human well-being.
Exam trigger:
Family, community, attachment, social support, therapeutic relationship.
This one should feel particularly intuitive given the couples/attachment work you do.
5. Integrity — “Do the right thing professionally.”
Think:
Honesty + trust + responsibility + professional conduct
Exam trigger:
Misrepresentation, dishonesty, conflicts of interest, professional boundaries, ethical conduct.
6. Competence — “Know what you’re doing.”
This includes:
- knowledge
- skills
- education
- supervision
- continuing education
- practicing within your abilities
Exam trigger:
“I don’t know how to do this.”
The ethical response isn’t to fake it.
It’s generally to seek education, consultation, supervision, or appropriate referral.
3. The One-Sentence Test
Close your eyes.
Can you complete these?
Service = “How can I ______?”
Social Justice = “Is the ______ fair?”
Dignity = “This person has ______.”
Relationships = “People are ______.”
Integrity = “Do the ______ thing.”
Competence = “Know what you’re ______.”
If you can do that, you’re already beginning to encode the concepts.
4. Flashcards
Don’t look at the answers immediately. Try to retrieve them first.
Flashcard 1
Front:
What are the six core values in the NASW Code of Ethics?
Back:
Service; Social Justice; Dignity and Worth of the Person; Importance of Human Relationships; Integrity; Competence.
Flashcard 2
Front:
Which NASW core value asks you to consider whether systems and institutions are fair?
Back:
Social Justice
Flashcard 3
Front:
A social worker is concerned that their personal judgment is causing them to treat a client disrespectfully. Which core value is most directly implicated?
Back:
Dignity and Worth of the Person
Flashcard 4
Front:
A social worker recognizes that a client’s family and community connections are important to their well-being. Which core value is most directly relevant?
Back:
Importance of Human Relationships
Flashcard 5
Front:
A social worker discovers they don’t have adequate training to treat a client’s particular clinical problem. Which core value should immediately come to mind?
Back:
Competence
Flashcard 6
Front:
A social worker knowingly misrepresents their credentials to potential clients. Which core value is most directly implicated?
Back:
Integrity
Flashcard 7
Front:
A social worker advocates for a client who cannot obtain needed services because of an institutional barrier. Which core value is particularly relevant?
Back:
Social Justice
Flashcard 8
Front:
Which core value is most closely associated with providing assistance and meeting human needs?
Back:
Service
5. The “Don’t Confuse These” Exercise
This is important because the exam will give you scenarios where more than one ethical value could apply.
Social Justice vs. Dignity
Dignity:
“How am I treating this person?”
Social Justice:
“How is the larger system treating people?”
Integrity vs. Competence
Integrity:
“Am I being honest and professionally trustworthy?”
Competence:
“Do I have the knowledge and skills to do this?”
Service vs. Relationships
Service:
“How can I help?”
Relationships:
“How do this person’s relationships affect their well-being?”
6. Your 5-Question Quiz
Week 1: NASW Core Values
1. Which NASW core value is most directly concerned with helping people address human needs and improve well-being?
A. Service
B. Social Justice
C. Competence
D. Integrity
2. A social worker advocates against an institutional policy that creates unequal access to mental health services for a marginalized population. Which core value is most directly illustrated?
A. Dignity and Worth of the Person
B. Importance of Human Relationships
C. Competence
D. Social Justice
3. A social worker realizes they lack the training necessary to provide a specialized intervention and seeks appropriate supervision and education before proceeding. Which core value is most directly illustrated?
A. Integrity
B. Competence
C. Social Justice
D. Service
4. A social worker notices that they are making assumptions about a client’s choices and intentionally refocuses on treating the client as a person with inherent value and worth. Which core value is most directly involved?
A. Importance of Human Relationships
B. Service
C. Integrity
D. Dignity and Worth of the Person
5. A social worker discovers that a colleague has falsely represented their professional credentials to clients. Which NASW core value is most directly implicated by the colleague’s conduct?
A. Importance of Human Relationships
B. Dignity and Worth of the Person
C. Service
D. Integrity
Your Week 1 mastery target
Before moving to Week 2, you should be able to say all six values without looking and explain each in your own words.
More importantly, when I give you a vignette, you should start thinking:
“Which ethical value is this question trying to activate?”
That’s the first layer of the skill we’ll build over the next year.
ANSWERS:
Which NASW core value is most directly concerned with helping people address human needs and improve well-being?
Service is the value most directly centered on helping people address human needs and improve well-being.
A social worker advocates against an institutional policy that creates unequal access to mental health services for a marginalized population. Which core value is most directly illustrated?
Social justice directly addresses inequity, discrimination, oppression, and barriers to fair access to resources and opportunities.
A social worker realizes they lack the training necessary to provide a specialized intervention and seeks appropriate supervision and education before proceeding. Which core value is most directly illustrated?
Competence requires social workers to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills necessary for professional practice and to recognize limits in their abilities.
A social worker notices that they are making assumptions about a client’s choices and intentionally refocuses on treating the client as a person with inherent value and worth. Which core value is most directly involved?
Dignity and worth of the person directly reflects the principle that each person has inherent value and deserves respectful treatment.
A social worker discovers that a colleague has falsely represented their professional credentials to clients. Which NASW core value is most directly implicated by the colleague’s conduct?
Integrity directly concerns honesty, trustworthiness, and responsible professional conduct, making it the most directly implicated value.