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  • Ethical Standards in Social Work: A Review of the NASW Code of Ethics, by Frederic G. Reamer Here is the first comprehensive, in-depth examination of the code of ethics of the social work profession. With this practical guide, which includes many case examples, you’ll have a firm foundation for making ethical decisions and minimizing malpractice and liability risk.
  • Prudent Practice: A Guide for Managing Malpractice Risk, by Mary Kay Houston-Vega and Elane M. Nuehring with Elisabeth R. Daguio
    Social workers and other human services professionals face a heightened risk of malpractice suits in today’s litigious society The NASW Press offers practitioners a complete practice guide to increasing competence and managing the risk of malpractice. Prudent Practice includes 25 forms and 5 factsheets in the book and on disk.
  • The Social Work Ethics Audit, by Frederic G. Reamer
    This book provides practitioners with a practical and easy-to-use tool that helps assess the adequacy of ethics-related policies, practices, and procedures related to clients, staff, documentation, and decision-making.
  • Barker, R. L. (1992) Legal and ethical issues in Social Work in Private Practice (2nd edition, 104-115). Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Bullis, R. K. (1995) Clinical Social Worker Misconduct: Law, Ethics, and Personal Dynamics Chicago: Nelson-Hall
  • Calfee, B. E. (1992) Lawsuit Prevention Techniques: For Mental Health Professionals, Chemical Dependency Specialists, and Clergy Cleveland: ARC
  • Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callanan, P. (1993) Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions (4th edition) Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole
  • Cossom, J. (1992) What do we know about social workers’ ethics? Social Worker, 60, 165-171
  • Gibelman, M. (1995) What Social Workers Do Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Gibelman, M., & Schervish, P. H. (1996) Who We Are: A Second Look Washington, DC: ASW Press
  • *Houston-Vega, M. K., Nuehring, E. M., & Daguio, E. R. (1997) Prudent Practice: A Guide for Managing Malpractice Risk Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Jackson, V. (Ed.) (1996) Managed Care: Resource Book for Social Workers in Private Practice Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Kagle, J. D. (1991) Social Work Records (2nd edition) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
  • Kagle, J. D., & Giebelhausen, P. N. (1994) Dual Relationships and Professional Boundaries Social Work, 39, 213-220
  • Kagle, J. D., & Kopels, S. (1994) Confidentiality after Tarasoff Health & Social Work, 19, 217-222
  • Kopels, S., & Kagle, J. D. (1993) Do social workers have a duty to warn? Social Service Review, 67, 101-126
  • Kurzman, P. A. (1995) Professional liability and malpractice. In R. L. Edwards (Editor-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Social Work (19th edition, Volume 3, 1921-1927) Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Loewenberg, F., & Dolgoff, R. (1992) Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice (4th ed.) Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock
  • National Association of Social Workers (1997) Third-party Reimbursement for Clinical Social Work Services Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Reamer, F. G. (1998) Current Controversies in Social Work Ethics Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Reamer, F. G. (1998) Ethical Standards in Social Work: A Critical Review of the NASW Code of Ethics Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Reamer, F. G. (1994) Social Work Malpractice and Liability: Strategies for Prevention New York: Columbia University Press
  • Reamer, F. G. (2001) The Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk Management Tool Washington, DC: NASW Press.
  • Saltzman, A., & Proch, K. (1994) Law in Social Work Practice (2nd edition) Chicago: Nelson-Hall
  • Schroeder, L. O. (1995) The Legal Environment of Social Work (revised edition) Washington, DC: NASW Press
  • Sprague, M., & Horowitz, R. (1991) Liability in Child Welfare and Protection Work: Risk Management Strategies Washington, DC: American Bar Association
  • Zakutansky, T. J., & Sirles, E. A. (1993) Ethical and Legal Iissues in Field Education: Shared Responsibility and Risk Journal of Social Work Education, 29, 338-347

*Highly recommended as a social worker’s primer about risk management, this work was commissioned and produced by the NASW Insurance Trust in cooperation with the NASW Press. Comes with a PC disk for windows or Macintosh containing 25 sample forms especially for direct practitioners, supervisors, and private practitioners.