Ethics Consultation
Ethics Consultations
The National NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review provides individual ethics consultations as a benefit of NASW membership. Ethic consultations are a free resource for members who encounter ethical dilemmas and/or have ethics related questions.
Consultation services are intended to guide members through the applicable standards in the Code along with other pertinent considerations and resources that address their concerns and allows them to make reasoned ethical decisions. While we can discuss ethical issues, we cannot provide definitive answers for a particular situation or make decisions for members.
Ethics consultation telephone calls are answered on a first come first served basis and are not pre-scheduled. If you call during consultation hours and receive a voice-mail response, we request your patience as we complete earlier member calls. Please leave a brief message clearly stating your name and contact number and we will return your call.
Due to the high call volume, allow 24 hours for a return call.
Need to file a complaint about a social worker?
File a Complaint with IDFPR
The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is the regulatory body for ALL social workers in Illinois, and ultimately has oversight over all Illinois social workers. IDFPR can take formal complaints. If you want to file a formal complaint about a social worker, click here, then look for “Professional Regulation” and click on “File a Complaint”.
Filing a complaint against a social worker with NASW is done through the NASW Professional Review Process.
The NASW promotes the quality and effectiveness of social work practice. To fulfill its mission, the NASW has the responsibility of reviewing and resolving complaints of alleged violations of the NASW Code of Ethics, which it does through a professional review process. Professional review is a collaborative process between chapters and the national office to provide a peer review of alleged unethical conduct by its members. NASW can only consider complaints against members.
The NASW professional review process is designed to correct and improve the practice of individual social workers, as needed. The actions of the process are intended to be constructive and educative rather than punitive. Only in cases of serious misconduct may penalties be imposed.
If you would like submit a Request for Professional Review against an NASW member, click here to learn the criteria for doing so, and how to complete and submit the appropriate forms. NASW professional review consultants are available to help you navigate this process.
The NASW Code of Ethics is a set of standards that guide the professional conduct of social workers. The 2021 update includes language that addresses the importance of professional self-care. Moreover, revisions to Cultural Competence standard provide more explicit guidance to social workers. All social workers should review the new text and affirm their commitment to abide by the Code of Ethics. Also available in Spanish.