The respondent for this exercise was a criminal justice system (CJS) practitioner working at Jane/Finch Community and Family Center. The individual was a man aged 37 years and engaged in casework with children below 18 years in the facility. Specifically, his primary assignment included supporting young individuals affected by drug addiction or experiencing different forms of domestic abuse. The professional relied on numerous resources and ideas in an effort to complete his duties diligently.
Guiding Philosophy and Professional Values
The practitioner relied on the presented professional values, worldview, and philosophy to identify, handle, and support the rights of the identified clients. By examining the nature of each individual case, the CJS professional succeeded in establishing a positive working relationship (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, 2008). He would focus on the best ways to promote justice while ensuring that the individuals achieve their social goals. The move to improve his philosophy continuously was an evidence-based strategy that would support his future goals.
The outlined best practices in the CJS field intended to uphold clients’ rights revolve around the formulated policies. For example, the CASW ethical guidelines require that workers focus on the interest of the client as a topmost priority (Government of Canada, 2022). The professional promoted unique values and practices in an effort to promote healing, recovery, and well-being. Another CASW requirement is for social workers to advocate for the interests of the client. By interacting with all stakeholders, the worker was able to promote the rights of the client. However, the profession’s approach failed to consider the guidelines on the protection of underserved individuals in the society. By failing to report the identified abuse to the relevant authority, the worker failed to focus on the client’s rights.
Organizational Policies and Practices
The professional revealed that he received timely support from the Department of Justice and the identified social community center. Specifically, Ontario’s Department of Justice branch provided adequate resources, policy guidelines, and frameworks that defined the roles and expectations from CJS practitioners. However, the reported case amounting to an ethical dilemma revealed that the management was not involved. The absence of support from the senior compelled to practitioner to make his personal decision (Salcedo et al., 2021). He focused on the outlined guidelines and considered the best way to support the client’s rehabilitation.
Ethical Dilemma and Client’s Rights
In his practice, the professional encountered a number of cases that presented diverse ethical dilemmas. The narrated one revolved around a young boy who had become addicted to drugs. The child was associated with incidents of truancy and petty theft. The astonishing part was that the parents revealed that their son was stealing household items and selling them to get money for buying addictive drugs. While this child could have been reported for such offenses, the professional was keen to propose counseling strategies to empower the child (Johnson et al., 2018). His father remained reluctant and willing to punish the child for such mistakes.
This scenario presented a unique dilemma for the professional since the malpractices could attract legal proceedings. The practitioner had to engage the father since he believed that punitive measures could have resolved the misbehavior. To minimize escalation, the practitioner encouraged the parents to remain sympathetic and supportive of the child. He proposed the inclusion of his teachers to be part of the counseling process. The proposed strategy was informed by the respondent’s philosophy and values (Salcedo et al., 2021). Based on the nature of the presented scenario, the professional chose to remain committed to supporting the rehabilitation of the young individual.
The notable tension that arose from the handling of the reported ethical dilemma revolved around the legal rights of the child. The professional chose not to report the abuse the individual had gone through in the hands of his family members. This form of anxiety became a learning point for the professional to remain more involved and ready to uphold client’s rights. The move to focus on counseling and rehabilitation of the child was in conflict with the necessary legal requirements (Salcedo et al., 2021). Based on the nature of this case, it would be appropriate to indicate that the professional did not address all the rights of the client. Specifically, the possible form of abuse in the family setting remained unreported.
Level of Support
The respondent revealed that the supervisor at the Jane/Finch Community and Family Center remained involved and willing to provide timely support. For instance, the leader would offer resources and materials to ensure that the practitioner handled emerging issues diligently. The center supported the idea of multidisciplinary teams to handle reported issues and meet the needs of the identified clients. To achieve desirable results, the individual partnered with members of the formulated multidisciplinary teams to ensure that the rights and goals of the targeted beneficiaries were taken seriously (Duke et al., 2021). This kind of support empowered the practitioner to complete his tasks diligently.
Emerging Observations
From the respondents’ viewpoints, it is agreeable that his practices are informed by the best practices regarding the rights and liberties of clients. The individual remains committed to clients’ justice, autonomy, and overall outcomes. These initiatives resonate with the developed code of ethics for professionals in the CJS field (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005). The exercise indicated that the community social center had proper mechanisms to support the involved practitioners. The supervisor remained committed and willing to outline the relevant policies. The worker relied on the formulated consultation model to ensure that timely results were eventually realized.
While the practitioner succeeded in handling most of the experienced ethical dilemmas, some tensions emerged during the process. For example, the parents of the child, especially the father, believed in punitive measures. The emerging challenge was how to meet the child’s needs and ensure that he received the necessary support. The professional followed the outlined procedures and guidelines to uphold the rights of the young individual. The move to propose counseling and personalized support upheld the client’s rights (Duke et al., 2021). The reasoning behind such a decision is that the child will receive timely support, stop missing classes, and become a responsible student.
The completed investigation has presented new ideas for professional practice in the criminal justice system. For instance, I now understand the importance of developing a powerful philosophy to guide my actions, decision-making processes, and goals. The consideration of critical values is essential if I am to uphold the rights of the clients being served. Being ethical is an important approach for addressing most of the recorded challenges and doing what is acceptable (Johnson et al., 2018). I have realized that it is always necessary to liaise with different supervisors and leaders if I am to build healthy, empowering, and positive working relationships in the field.
References
Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Guidelines for ethical practice.
Duke, K., Gleeson, H., Dąbrowskab, K., Herold, M., & Rolando, S. (2021). The engagement of young people in drug interventions in coercive contexts: Findings from a cross-national European study. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 28(1), 26-35.
Government of Canada. (2022). Values and ethics code of the Department of Justice.
Johnson, L. M., Elam, P., Lebold, S. M., & Burroughs, R. (2018). Use of research evidence by criminal justice professionals. Justice Policy Journal, 16(2), 1-23.
Module 1: Professional skills: Work ethics [Word document]. Lecture.
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. (2008).Code of ethics and standards of practice.
Salcedo, D., DiLeo, R., &Szydlowski, S. (2021). Substance use disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. Journal of Mental and Substance Abuse, 2(1), 116-123.