Practice-Informed Research: Case Analysis

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Case Overview
Diversity Components
Regulatory Status for Practice: The State of Georgia
Comprehensive Treatment Plan
Ethical Principles: Ethical Component #1
Ethical Principles: Ethical Component #2
Ethical Component #3: Personal Values
Conclusion
References

Introduction

It is important to note that social work requires being culturally competent, aware, and inclusive when it comes to dealing with clients from a diverse set of backgrounds. Social workers need to make weighed and ethically coherent decisions in order to ensure that a client’s best interests are accounted for and that the legislative framework is adhered to when addressing the issue. This is especially true in the case of working with minors and their parents. Thus, practice-informed research and research-informed practice are cornerstones of social work, which will be demonstrated throughout the given case analysis.

Case Overview

The selected case is about a difficult situation of an underage client who is a victim of rape by her own grandfather. The rape incident led to pregnancy, and the rapist was put in jail. Due to the unique cultural and religious backgrounds of the family, the family members are against abortion. However, the client has her own self-identity, which is why she seeks to get an abortion despite her family’s beliefs and religious convictions. The parents are firmly opposed to the measure and do not approve of the medical intervention as a solution for their daughter. Therefore, the case presents a complex and ethically intricate situation where both legal and ethical elements need to be considered to ensure the most appropriate outcome.

Diversity Components

Whenever social workers work with clients, a wide range of diverse components can emerge as a result. This is especially true in regard to minor or underage clients whose decision-making capabilities are restricted since they need to be approved by their parents or guardians. A large collection of diverse components exists, which include race, cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity, self-identity, ethnicity, and religion, among others. Thus, it is of paramount importance to account for such differences between a client and a social worker in order to avoid bias, discrimination, and miscommunication. It is reported that “although social work education attempts to prepare students for multicultural practice, the field lacks an intentional and systematic approach to teaching about … diversity and evaluating learning outcomes in social work” (Olcon et al., 2020, p. 215). In other words, social workers are not equipped with these competencies, which is why developing them must be done within a professional environment.

Diversity Component #1: Religion

An increased level of awareness of religion as a diversity component is critical since such beliefs affect every dimension of a religious person’s life. The case is a direct example of how religion can be a prime reason why abortion is not considered an option, even in the most difficult situation. Since a social worker is obliged to work with parents in the given case to arrive at the most plausible conclusion, a consideration for religion-based specificities needs to be made. This can be a key lever of communication with parents if a social worker is competent in the fundamentals of faith and its derived notion of morality (Crompton, 2017). A social worker needs to understand that the parents are taking such a position regarding their daughter’s pregnancy out of their own conviction of what is good.

Diversity Component #2: Cultural Group

Culture is another highly relevant diversity component of the case, which can be just as potent of an influence as religion. Culture is a collection of rules with respect to food, healthcare, religion, spirituality, society, education, occupation, family, and childcare. Although religion is one of the main reasons why the parents oppose the client’s decision to get an abortion, cultural beliefs are behind such reasoning as well. A study suggests that when social workers reflect on the cultural norms and beliefs of the involved parties, a more supportive environment can be created for the client (Ferguson et al., 2020). Cultural awareness is an essential skill that is comprised of cultural sensitivity, ethnicity-related intricacies, and the overall understanding of what constitutes culture (Ferguson et al., 2020). It requires one to have the ability to distinguish between race and ethnicity since the latter is more specific and closely reflective of cultural background than racial categorizations. Cultural awareness mandates respect, which is achieved by being more sensitive towards other cultural backgrounds.

Diversity Component #3: Identity

Self-identity and identity, in general, are critical aspects of diversity elements exemplified by the client. As a separate individual, the client does not identify herself with her family’s or culture’s beliefs to the extent that she wants to have a child resulting from the incest rape. Within such a setting, a social worker must prioritize the client’s best interests over other elements of diversity. It does not mean that effective efforts are not needed to communicate with parents in a culturally and religiously sensible manner. However, the client expresses a clear desire not to be forced into pregnancy, which is why the ethical responsibility of upholding the client’s best interests becomes more important than cultural sensitivity (Wollter, 2020). Thus, a client’s self-identity is a critical element to account for when making research-based and ethically sound decisions.

Regulatory Status for Practice: The State of Georgia

It is important to note that the jurisdiction of interest for the case is the State of Georgia. Under the current regulatory statutes for abortion, the state of Georgia allows abortion six weeks after the moment of egg fertilization (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2022). For minors, a medical professional is obliged to notify either parents or guardians about a minor’s need for an abortion with a minimum window of notice of 24 hours minimum before a procedure can commence. A person must undergo a 24-hour wait period before getting an abortion, where the individual undergoes counseling during the procedure (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2022). If a person does not involve parents, a judicial bypass is an option to waive the parental approval requirement (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2022). Lastly and most importantly, a fetus, which is a result of incest or/and rape, is not restricted by the six-week limit (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2022). Thus, the client has the opportunity to get an abortion despite parental disagreement.

Comprehensive Treatment Plan

The given strategy for decision-making is designed by incorporating ethical issues and culturally competent skills necessary to provide comprehensive treatment to the client system. The comprehensive treatment plan is based on research, evidence, and the ethical obligations of social workers to uphold a client’s best interest and be culturally competent. The first step of the treatment is to conduct culturally and religiously sensitive conversations with the family members about the situation and its possible ramifications. They need to be informed that culture and religion do not allow forcing an abortion against the client’s will. The decision still remains at the hands of the client, and preventing it is unlawful and can be considered child abuse and cruelty (Division of Family & Children Services, 2022). The forced pregnancy jeopardizes the client’s well-being and health, which are violated if the parents continue with their resistance.

The second step is to ensure that the client is assisted in undergoing the mandatory counseling process. The client needs to reaffirm whether or not she wants to get an abortion. If the decision is unchanged, the case proceeds with the legal permission request for an abortion on the basis of rape and incest. The third step involves an assessment of parental stance on the issue since it will determine whether or not the Child Protective Services (CPS) of the State of Georgia needs to intervene to the fullest extent (Division of Family & Children Services, 2022). The fourth step is conducted by providing assistance to the client post-procedure in order to ensure that she is in a safe and supportive environment.

Ethical Principles: Ethical Component #1

The proposed plan of action for the treatment plan is guided by the core ethical principles of social work. One of the key aspects of the Code of Ethics by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (2022) is the dignity and worth of the person. It states that “social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity” ((National Association of Social Workers, 2022, para. 20). This was demonstrated within the communication process with the family of the client, where their cultural and religious beliefs were taken into consideration. The ethical component is related to diversity and differences between the social worker and the client system.

Ethical Principles: Ethical Component #2

However, the principle of dignity and worth additionally stipulates that “social workers promote clients’ socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs” ((National Association of Social Workers, 2022, para. 20). Therefore, the cornerstone of ethically sound social work is to ensure that the client’s ability for her own self-determination is not hindered and her need for an abortion is not denied. This further exemplifies the importance of accounting for differences and diversity between the social worker and the divergence of interests within the client system.

Ethical Component #3: Personal Values

A social worker’s personal values must adhere to the core principles of social work whenever making decisions with respect to a client. I believe in justice, restoration, and self-determination, and full justice cannot be achieved if the damage done to the client is not restored fully. In addition, the client should have a path toward determining her own future, which includes bodily autonomy and motherhood. This is a prime example of how a social worker’s personal values diverge and differ from the client’s family, where culture and religion are more prioritized. Despite these differences, awareness was included in the plan of action, where the concerns were raised with a high level of cultural and religious competence, but this did not translate into an abandonment of the client’s primary needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the case illustrated how a social worker ought to act and make decisions in a complex situation. It is evident that the client is in a difficult circumstance, which needs to be approached with a high degree of cultural and religious competence with respect to the parents. The latter perceive the situation from a completely different lens, and they are unaware of the ramifications of their actions. Both the legislative and ethical frameworks support the decision made by the client, which needs to be prioritized with the values of self-determination.

References

Crompton, M. (2017). Children, spirituality, religion and social work. Routledge.

Division of Family & Children Services. (2022). Child abuse & neglect. Web.

Ferguson, H., Warwick, L., Cooner, T. S., Leigh, J., Beddoe, L., Disney, T., & Plumridge, G. (2020). The nature and culture of social work with children and families in long-term casework: Findings from a qualitative longitudinal study. Child & Family Social Work, 25(3), 694-703. Web.

Georgia Department of Public Health. (2022). Women’s right to know (WRTK). Web.

National Association of Social Workers. (2022). Read the Code of Ethics. Web.

Olcon, K., Gilbert, D. J., & Pulliam, R. M. (2020). Teaching about racial and ethnic diversity in social work education: A systematic review. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(2), 215-237. Web.

Wollter, F. (2020). Identity of clients and social workers in service provision: An institutional logics perspective. Social Work & Social Sciences Review, 21(3), 46-66. Web.

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