Professional transgressions can range from inadvertent boundary crossings by novice students, plagiarism or falsified research by faculty, alcohol and drug impairment by clinicians to illegal activities such as financial fraud... [ view full abstract ]
Professional transgressions can range from inadvertent boundary crossings by novice students, plagiarism or falsified research by faculty, alcohol and drug impairment by clinicians to illegal activities such as financial fraud or physical assault. What are the appropriate consequences for various forms of negligence and incompetence? Are they proportionate to the error and effective in remedying it? Who should administer and monitor remedies? At what point is removal from the profession an appropriate sanction?
When discovered, errors in professional practice are typically addressed through a variety of means. Personnel actions in the workplace, adjudication by professional organizations and regulatory boards, criminal or civil proceedings and news coverage and public opinion are variously designed to deter misconduct by other professionals, restore the victim, protect others from harm, or rehabilitate the incompetent provider.
This paper examines the evolution of responses to unethical behavior in social work, the philosophical underpinnings of professional accountability, the current array of actions to address individual and organizational wrongdoing, the role of gatekeeping by educational institutions, and the intent and efficacy of various measures. Drawing on the ethical principles of virtue, justice, fairness, beneficence and nonmaleficence, the paper recommends integrated strategies for prescribing, administering, and evaluating corrective actions.
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Research and evaluation of social work practice and service delivery, including organizati
