Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in Social Work Public Health Practice: Access and Utilization Issues with Immigrants

The increase of immigrants in the United States and around the world has been well documented. While issues involving immigrants is the subject of daily media coverage as well as increasingly addressed in professional literature, there has been little attention given to ethical issues around health and health care for immigrants.

The presentation will begin with a discussion of relevant social work ethical documents, including the APHA Social Work Statement of Competencies (2002), the NASW Code of Ethics (1999) and the IFSW/IASSSW Statement of Ethical Principles (2005). Ethical issues and dilemmas such as exclusion because of health disability, limited access for health care, and different cultural beliefs around health and health care practice with immigrants will be addressed. Despite social work ethical principles about opposing discrimination based on health disability status, immigration policies often serve to exclude individuals with certain types of health conditions. After arrival in the United States immigrants, especially those who are undocumented, are frequently barred from needed health care. Finally, ethical dilemmas for public health social workers may arise when immigrants' cultural beliefs about health and health care differ greatly for accepted US medical practice. Case examples will be used to help social workers identify, navigate, and begin to resolve ethical dilemmas when this type of cultural difference occurs.

The presentation will conclude with guidelines for public health social workers to use in ethical practice with immigrants