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Learning outcomes
By completing this module, you will be able to:
- Identify ethical guidelines for self-care.
- Develop an ethical and proactive plan for self-care.
- Identify the appropriate steps to take if impairment occurs in self or colleagues.
Foundational ethical principles and standards
Self-care is one of the most important things you can do in your social work career. After all, if you can’t help yourself, you cannot help others. You’ve likely talked about the importance of self-care in your social work classes and already practice a variety of strategies to balance your academic, work and personal life. What does this mean for your social work practice?
Self-care is defined as “the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress” (Oxford Dictionary, 2020). It can include emotional, cognitive, and physical activities that stimulate self-reflection, foster a healthy mind-body connection, and foster positive relationships. Common strategies include healthy eating, a restful sleep routine, gratitude journals, and others.
Self-care is considered so important to social work that the National Association of Social Workers added specific language to the Code of Ethics in 2021.
I’ve really been stuck on gratitude. Having a broad perspective always makes me understand that I’m lucky, even when things aren’t going great. Adam Tancabel, Social Work Class of 2020
Impairment can happen when we aren’t practicing good self-care. Most social workers experience challenges in their careers, including high levels of stress and personal events that impact services. However, they prevent impairment by engaging in self-reflective practices, healthy self-care activities and seeking supervision. Impairment happens without these strategies in place and when it does, the NASW Code of Ethics (2021), Standard 4.05 states that the social worker has the responsibility to take remedial action. If a social worker does not take the appropriate steps to address impairment, disciplinary action may be taken by a licensing authority, such as the Minnesota Board of Social Work.
Creating a self-care plan
As a new professional, it’s important to consider your current strategies for self-care and how you will continue or enhance those in your social work career. There are numerous ways to develop a self-care plan. It doesn’t have to be complex. Ignacio Pacheco created a self-care plan template for social workers. It’s a great place to start if you’ve never done one before!
The template identifies multiple areas to consider: mind, body, spirit, and the people who are supportive. As you’re working on your template, it’s important to be conscious of the strategies you commonly use as well as those you’d like to enhance.
Body: I drink tea every night no matter the weather. I started years ago. and it just became a habit. I feel like it takes the weight of the day of one’s shoulder.
There are multiple websites that provide ideas and activities. A few starting places are:
- The Greater Good – the Science of a Meaningful Life. Researchers with the Greater Good have found specific concepts related to positive self-care, such as mindfulness, gratitude, and compassion.
- The Art of Self-care for Social Workers by Blackmon and Hardy (2020). This blog includes some specific ideas for social workers that reflect the context of today’s world with the pandemic.
- Mindfulness: 10 lessons in self-care for social workers by Lisanky Beck (2016) Specific activities are described, and the responses from the community to the blog provide additional ideas.
Impairment in colleagues
At times, we may observe impairment in our colleagues. The NASW Code of Ethics (2021), Standards 2.09 and 2.10 provide guidance on actions to take. The first step is to approach the colleague to discuss the concerns with a focus on a productive and supportive conversation leading to action. If the colleague does not take action to address the behaviors or the behaviors are clearly unethical, the social worker has the responsibility to take additional actions through the appropriate licensing and related organizations, such as the Minnesota Board of Social Work.
