Disability, Professional Unsuitability and the Profession of Social Work: A Case Study

Abstract

The evaluation of student conduct and suitability during professional training is critical to ensuring that the profession is promoting its values, protecting the public, clients and practitioners, and providing good and valuable service. However, a factor such as the presence of a student's mental disability can present significant challenges in this regard. This paper considers the challenges related to students who may be unsuitable for the profession of social work because of a mental disability. In addition we reference human rights laws and their interpretation as they relate to the rights of students with disabilities and consider the application of human rights principles to faculties of social work given their duty to accommodate students with disabilities. We use a case study that involves a practicum student, his placement, his disability, and the breach of ethics that led to him failing the practicum. We illustrate the connection between his disability, the breach of ethics and human rights obligations that apply in this case as well as consider possible resolutions.

Keywords:

• Social Work Practicum
• Human Rights
• Disability
• Code of Ethics
• Professional (Un)suitability
• Professional Standards
• Accommodation
• Systemic Discrimination
• Gatekeeping

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Raven Sinclair and Michael MacLean for their insightful comments and suggestions.

Notes

1. All names are pseudonyms. The circumstances described in this case have been altered to ensure confidentiality.

2. During the writing of this paper, the CASSW Code of Ethics was revised. Where appropriate, references include both the CASSW Code of Ethics, 1994 and 2005.

3. The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code protects individuals from discrimination on a number of prohibited grounds. The list includes: religion, creed, marital status, family status, sex, sexual orientation, color, ancestry, nationality, place of origin, race or perceived race, and receipt of public assistance.

4. Section 5.6 of the IFSW Code of Ethics states: ‘Social workers have a duty to take necessary steps to care for themselves professionally and personally in the workplace and in society, in order to ensure that they are able to provide appropriate services’.