Ethics and Professional Practice in Community Service Work

Running head: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE1
Ethical issues of the case
In this case, it has been found that Rodriguez who has been a community service
worker handles a case of a woman who is a drug addict. James who got his placement in a
family service agency gets associated with the case. Cathalina who has been addicted to
drugs completes the treatment of drug programs and is free from drugs for many months.
James gets to know that Cathalina again started taking drugs and that he does not inform to
Rodriguez.
Ethical practice is found to be missing in the case as James does not seek any help
from Rodriguez after knowing that Cathalina is again taking drugs. There is a lack of
Professional standing of James. In this type of case, the community service worker who has
been handling the case needs to be informed (Fergusson et al. 2018)
Fidelity issues are also found to be violated in the case. According to the principles of
fidelity, a patient must tell the truth and keep the promises that he has been made. In the case,
it has been found that Cathalina does not keep the promises. Cathalina although promised
Rodriguez that she will not consume alcohol and have the marijuana, but found to break all
the promise (Calmes, Piazza and Laux, 2013). Cathalina who has been wanting her children
from the foster care service makes the situation really tough. Although laws of fidelity are
very simple and can be break easily it is not an appropriate way expected from Cathalina.
Beneficence is found to be absent if to be looked at from the side of James.
According to the principles of beneficence a person needs to do good or help in providing a
benefit. James needs to talk to Cathalina and help her in getting over the drugs that she has
been taking. James is well concerned about the past and that Cathalina can take the drugs
again it is of no doubt. In this case, it has been found that James is partially responsible for

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE2
creating the environment by not helping Cathalina getting out of the situation that she has
been facing (Martela & Ryan, 2016).
Principles of Justice is found to be missing in the case. Routine screening of
Cathalina has been found to be missing and that care is found to be missing. All that
Rodriguez did to Cathalina is that he just makes a promise. In the case of a substance addict,
a patient may take those even after completing the entire course. Rodriguez must look for the
medicines that have been provided to Cathalina and made sure that she takes all the
medicines in time (Anderson, Stuart & Rossen, 2015).
Professional development, in this case, is found to be absent as the profession of
community work is found to be disrupted. There is no integrity between the works followed
by Rodriguez with that of the work followed by James. Cathalina, when found to take drugs
again must be informed by James to Rodriguez so that necessary steps can be taken (Ewer et
al. 2015)
Issues of ethics by the stakeholders and the outcomes
In this case, the stakeholder which has been of immense importance is the Family
service Agency where James has been working. This agency is going to take action against
James as he has been doing an internship. Rodriguez who has been taking care of Cathalina
needs to know about the habit that has been developed again. Rodriguez must make sure that
James will tell the truth and that no information is going to be suppressed. Cathalina must
apologize that she cannot keep the promise that she made. In order to make sure that this kind
of fault does not happen again policies that are strict for the workers with that of the patient
need to be implemented (McLennan, Ryan & Randall, 2018).
Cathalina is also a stakeholder in the case and is found to affect the policies of the
family service agency. Taking a look at the side of Cathalina then it is found that she did not