Ethics Risk Management in Social Work: A Primer

Contemporary social workers typically receive in-depth education on the subject of professional ethics. Common topics include social work values, challenging ethical dilemmas, and ethical decision-making. Much less common is comprehensive education on ethics-related risk management. Ethics risk management in social work includes steps practitioners can take to help protect clients and prevent lawsuits, licensing board complaints, and criminal charges associated with ethical decisions and misconduct. This article introduces the concept of risk management; provides an overview of key risk areas in social work; and presents practical protocols and strategies to protect clients and social workers.