The values covered in this series will be: Service, Social Justice, Dignity and Worth of a Person, Importance of Human Relationships, Integrity, and Competence in this order.
Value: Social Justice
Ethical Principle: “Social Workers challenge social injustice by pursuing social change, particularly with and on behalf of the vulnerable and oppressed. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people (NASW).”
Addressing Social Justice is one of the biggest reasons many go into the field of Social Work. However, in the context of Supervision, fighting for Social Justice as defined by the NASW may mean helping to advocate, and elevate, each other. Supervisors should consider their supervisees as individuals who exist in many different systems and who live multifaceted lives. As such, supervisors should not be afraid to help locate resources or services that could elevate the practice and lives of their supervisees.
Application in Supervision:
While both the supervisor and supervisee are taking on many Social Justice issues in their day-jobs it’s important to reframe this principle in the context of supervision. In this case, the supervisor plays a role in helping connect the social worker with needed services and information, and coaches them in work they do in this space. However, helping ensure the Social Work field continues to grow mentoring the supervisee on career navigation and certification can help ensure they are able to overcome their own personal burdens beyond their day job. Helping Social Work colleagues in this position, by providing them with time and attention in supervision, can help to elevate their practice and their professional potential. Don’t hesitate to include discussions around the whole person, not just that person in context of their job, as it takes the whole person to be successful at their job, especially because of the stressful situations Social Workers often find themselves in. Coaching on self-care includes reducing stress in both the social work and home contexts.
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Resources
National Association of Social Workers (1996). The Code of Ethics for the National Association of Social Workers.
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