ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author outlines several central ethical principles for social workers that go beyond those articulated in the NASW Code of Ethics, linking these principles with the concept of empowerment. He recognizes, however, that “one cannot legislate an inner-directed adherence to an ethic or truth, but one can promote a context that encourages such adherence.” Clients of social service programs are among the most disadvantaged persons in our society. Social workers employed in these programs normally serve such disadvantaged clients directly, or work with persons interested in promoting services for them. The principal moral justification for professional social work practice is, therefore, to be found in the dedication of the practitioner to the improvement of the circumstance and expectations of these clients. Social institutions incorporate into their practice those established patterns of behavior that they are charged to maintain in the society that supports them.
