Discussion: Ethics in Implementing Change

Issues that affect the human and social services  profession and society often involve ethical considerations. For  example, access to services may be dependent on meeting criteria that  favor one group over another. Should this situation raise ethical  concerns? If so, where do you find guidance on how to address the  ethical issue? As an interdisciplinary field, many different codes of  ethics may be applied to issues related to human services. Selecting the  appropriate code depends on the nature of the issue, as well as on your  position or role within human services. Along with the codes of ethics,  Kitchener (1984) identified five core principles that can guide ethical  decision making across disciplines. These core principles include  autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity. As a human  and social services professional, you should keep these core principles  in mind in your everyday work.

For this Discussion, you consider ethical concerns that may be associated with your Capstone Project issue.

Reference: Kitchener, K. S. (1984). Intuition,  critical evaluation and ethical principles: The foundation for ethical  decisions in counseling psychology. Counseling Psychologist, 12(3), 43–55.

To prepare: 

• Consider the Capstone Project topic you selected in Week 1. Think about any ethical considerations related to this issue.
• Then, review professional codes of ethics that you  have explored throughout your program (such as those from the National  Organization for Human Services and others provided in this week’s  Learning Resources), and consider their role in guiding the  implementation of both professional and societal change.

With these thoughts in mind: 

Post a brief description  of the professional or societal issue you selected  (The United Nations Environmental Protection ) . Explain any ethical  concerns that might be associated with the issue. Then, identify a  professional code of ethics, and explain how it might be used to guide  your action in addressing the issue. Be specific.