Written by: Mario Spiler
Our humanity emerges from our collective actions, and our human history attests to the psychosocial challenges we face as we attempt to integrate these conflicts in accordance with ethical and socially acceptable principles. We at Spiler Psychotherapy want to acknowledge Canadian Social Work Month.
We use this opportunity to reference the first value that appears in The Code of Ethics of the Canadian Association of Social Workers: “Respect for inherent dignity and worth of persons”. It is the core principle of professional social work practice. ‘The pursuit of social justice and service to humanity with integrity, confidentiality and competency’ encapsulates the other core professional ethical values.
Our professional identity is very much part of our personal identity. How could it be otherwise? Being a social worker embodies the motivation to encourage, support, and empower others. To ‘walk the talk’ and being the example, requires authentic adherence to the values of our profession and how we live our lives. In essence, we are guided by the moral obligation to provide for our own well-being while contributing to the well-being of others.
Yet, we find ourselves experiencing numerous emotions in response to what is happening within our own backyard and events around the world. It has shaken the individual and collective external reality we are living and coping with, as we also continue to adjust and rebound from the two-year long global pandemic.
Let’s celebrate the Social Work profession this month, our authentic adherence to ethical conduct and to the benefit of a world we all want to belong.