ABSTRACT
The roles of the professions create special moral rights and duties (Callahan, 1988). Ethics is the study of morality with special attention to laws, morality and codes of conduct (Feldman, 1978). The challenge
for the developing professional is to distinguish between values (per sonal, societal, and professional), morals (societal, familial, personal, and faith-based) and ethics in professional practice. Social work ethics are typically introduced early in the professional curriculum and most often learning about professional ethical principles is taught as part of the practice sequence. Social workers most often understand the ethical principles underpinning social work practice but may not necessarily be able to translate these principles into practice. Further, use of a code of ethics framework as the center of professional ethics content does not expose the learner to laws and court interpretations guiding practice in the states and jurisdictions.
