ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25128/2520-6230.21.1.3.Keywords:
Ethical standards;, digital technology in social work practice;, social services providers;, digital delivery of services;, digital social work services; lockdown restrictions;, COVID-19 pandemic.Abstract
Lockdown restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic have led to restrictions on the services provision in social centers. It has become clear that the list of digital social work services should be expanded. Crisis counseling and psychological support, the so-called hotlines, were the first to be successfully established in the format of remote delivery of services to the population. Expanding the range of digital social work services is an important task, but the main prerequisite for the introduction of such services is the definition of ethical standards for the use of technology in the practice of social work. The aim of this paper is to explore the ethical standards for digital technology use in social work practice. This paper focuses on ethical standards through providing an overview of literature for the accumulation of international experience and the formulation of recommendations on the ethical standards for digital technology use in social services. The code of conduct should be designed to enhance social services providers’ awareness of their ethical responsibilities when using technology; and inform social services providers, employers, and the public about practice standards pertaining to social services providers’ use of digital technology. As new forms of technology continue to emerge, the standards should be adapted accordingly. The ethical standards should be considered as a general guidance on how to use digital technology in an ethical manner. Our recommendations are that ethical standards should be incorporated in far greater depth on digital delivery of services than is currently the case, and that codes of conduct should be developed and deployed provided they can be seen to be effective. In tandem with these, an active discussion regarding the ethical framework in social work practice is urgently needed.References
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