Personal Values Paper
Keaton Bumgardner
SW 3410
Wayne State University
As a social worker I will be committed to empower individuals, families and communities. In order to service my clients it is necessary to be prepared with the professional knowledge, values and skills. These are not only important for when I become a social worker, but also in my daily life. My life is shaped by core values that are important to me and will help me become the professional that I want to be.
There are so many important values that I live by, including empathy, compassion, respect, acceptance, integrity and mentoring to name a few. The most important value in my life would be respect. Respect can be defined as deference to a right, privilege, privileged position or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges ; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment (Dictionay.com). Respect is very important in everyday life. This is a value that is hopefully taught at a young age when children are educated about respecting, parents, themselves, teachers, elders, school rules, laws, family traditions and other people’s feelings. It would be impossible to be a social worker without having respect for others. Our job is about respecting and helping others who may be vulnerable or oppressed.
Another important value in my life is acceptance. As a social worker, I will be working with clients from different races, religions, cultures and backgrounds. Someone who is not accepting of different populations won’t be able to give the client the service they deserve. Acceptance goes hand in hand with respect because ultimately respect means accepting people as they are.
I was lucky enough to be brought up with great parents who instilled these important values in me. I was taught not to judge and to respect others. I was brought up to believe that I am not better than others. My parents were very hard workers who provided my brother and I with a comfortable life. My dad owned his own successful business and I was able to see how a hard work ethic is important. My mom use to volunteer and take meals to the elderly and she would take my brother and I with her, so I learned at a young age about helping others. She has also been a nurse for almost 30 years and when I was little she was a visiting nurse so she would take me with her and I was able to see firsthand how much compassion and respect she had for her patients. I think my parents and childhood had a major impact on my values and my decision to be a social worker.
One important value in the NASW code of ethics is dignity and worth of the person. This ethical principal states social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). As a social worker it is my job to treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, regardless of our individual and cultural differences.
The other value that is of great importance is Integrity. The ethical principal for this value states social workers behave in a trustworthy manner and to be aware of the professions mission, value, ethical principles and ethical standards (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). This is so essential in providing clients the service they deserve and helping us become the best social workers we can be.
When I made the decision to become a social worker I knew I would be working with populations that are different from me. I will adhere to the code of ethics and will have no problem treating my clients with the values that the NASW Code of Ethics offers. It will be my responsibility as a social worker to resolve conflict and make decisions based on these principles. I know I will run into complex situations where there is no simple answer and I believe I will reference the code of ethics when making a decision but I think the biggest help will be experience. The more experienced I become the better I will become at making decisions.
There are also the ethical standards that I must follow and that are relevant in the social work profession. I believe that code 1.01-Commitment to Clients-is one of the most important guidelines in the profession. The code states that social workers primary responsibility is to promote the wellbeing of clients (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). To me that is what being a social worker is about. Social work practice is about improving the wellbeing and quality of life for individuals, groups and communities. It is about improving people’s lives and improving society as a whole. It is about advocating and educating clients and ensuring the best interests of the client is looked after. In order to do these things for clients it is crucial for the social worker to have values and ethics while practicing social work, but it is equally important to adhere to these ethics and values in their everyday life.
As I read La Tanya Mixon’s paper, I was able to relate to many of the values and experiences she wrote about. I can agree with La Tanya when she writes “Treating individuals with respect, dignity, and kindness are actions that have been taught to me as a child” (Mixon, 2013). As I write in my paper, I was lucky enough to have great parents that taught me these values and as a parent now, I am able to teach my children these same core values. La Tanya also makes a wonderful point about the golden rule to live by is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. This is a must in our daily life and I believe the reason we want to be social workers is so we can be a part in making others lives more positive
References
Bumgardner, Keaton. (2013). Personal values paper. Unpublished manuscript, Wayne State University
Mixon, La Tanya. (2013). Personal values paper. Unpublished manuscript, Wayne State University
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). NASW code of ethics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://ww.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.
Respect [Def. 4] (n.d). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/respect
Keaton Bumgardner
SW 3410
Wayne State University
As a social worker I will be committed to empower individuals, families and communities. In order to service my clients it is necessary to be prepared with the professional knowledge, values and skills. These are not only important for when I become a social worker, but also in my daily life. My life is shaped by core values that are important to me and will help me become the professional that I want to be.
There are so many important values that I live by, including empathy, compassion, respect, acceptance, integrity and mentoring to name a few. The most important value in my life would be respect. Respect can be defined as deference to a right, privilege, privileged position or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges ; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment (Dictionay.com). Respect is very important in everyday life. This is a value that is hopefully taught at a young age when children are educated about respecting, parents, themselves, teachers, elders, school rules, laws, family traditions and other people’s feelings. It would be impossible to be a social worker without having respect for others. Our job is about respecting and helping others who may be vulnerable or oppressed.
Another important value in my life is acceptance. As a social worker, I will be working with clients from different races, religions, cultures and backgrounds. Someone who is not accepting of different populations won’t be able to give the client the service they deserve. Acceptance goes hand in hand with respect because ultimately respect means accepting people as they are.
I was lucky enough to be brought up with great parents who instilled these important values in me. I was taught not to judge and to respect others. I was brought up to believe that I am not better than others. My parents were very hard workers who provided my brother and I with a comfortable life. My dad owned his own successful business and I was able to see how a hard work ethic is important. My mom use to volunteer and take meals to the elderly and she would take my brother and I with her, so I learned at a young age about helping others. She has also been a nurse for almost 30 years and when I was little she was a visiting nurse so she would take me with her and I was able to see firsthand how much compassion and respect she had for her patients. I think my parents and childhood had a major impact on my values and my decision to be a social worker.
One important value in the NASW code of ethics is dignity and worth of the person. This ethical principal states social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). As a social worker it is my job to treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, regardless of our individual and cultural differences.
The other value that is of great importance is Integrity. The ethical principal for this value states social workers behave in a trustworthy manner and to be aware of the professions mission, value, ethical principles and ethical standards (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). This is so essential in providing clients the service they deserve and helping us become the best social workers we can be.
When I made the decision to become a social worker I knew I would be working with populations that are different from me. I will adhere to the code of ethics and will have no problem treating my clients with the values that the NASW Code of Ethics offers. It will be my responsibility as a social worker to resolve conflict and make decisions based on these principles. I know I will run into complex situations where there is no simple answer and I believe I will reference the code of ethics when making a decision but I think the biggest help will be experience. The more experienced I become the better I will become at making decisions.
There are also the ethical standards that I must follow and that are relevant in the social work profession. I believe that code 1.01-Commitment to Clients-is one of the most important guidelines in the profession. The code states that social workers primary responsibility is to promote the wellbeing of clients (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). To me that is what being a social worker is about. Social work practice is about improving the wellbeing and quality of life for individuals, groups and communities. It is about improving people’s lives and improving society as a whole. It is about advocating and educating clients and ensuring the best interests of the client is looked after. In order to do these things for clients it is crucial for the social worker to have values and ethics while practicing social work, but it is equally important to adhere to these ethics and values in their everyday life.
As I read La Tanya Mixon’s paper, I was able to relate to many of the values and experiences she wrote about. I can agree with La Tanya when she writes “Treating individuals with respect, dignity, and kindness are actions that have been taught to me as a child” (Mixon, 2013). As I write in my paper, I was lucky enough to have great parents that taught me these values and as a parent now, I am able to teach my children these same core values. La Tanya also makes a wonderful point about the golden rule to live by is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. This is a must in our daily life and I believe the reason we want to be social workers is so we can be a part in making others lives more positive
References
Bumgardner, Keaton. (2013). Personal values paper. Unpublished manuscript, Wayne State University
Mixon, La Tanya. (2013). Personal values paper. Unpublished manuscript, Wayne State University
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). NASW code of ethics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://ww.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.
Respect [Def. 4] (n.d). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved August 2, 2013, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/respect