Ethical dilemma in child placement scenario | HS6020 – Personal Values and Professional Ethics | Argosy University

The responsibilities of human services workers extend beyond providing direct care to clients to solve interpersonal problems, improve their access to basic needs, and offer support during difficult times in their lives. Human services workers also have to consider the ethical, legal, and moral implications of their decisions in their everyday work.

In this assignment, you will read a scenario to analyze the ethical theories, identify legal and ethical options and issues, and recommend a proper course of action.

Scenario:

You are employed at a human services agency where a part of your duties includes finding temporary placement for three clients (children aged 5–12) over the holidays. You were unable to find placement for one of the children, a victim of sexual abuse. The options available to you are to either leave the child at the agency or take him home with you.

Tasks:

Analyze the scenario above and in a 5- to 6-page report, identify the legal and ethical ramifications of your options, recommending a course of action. Make sure to complete the following:

• Examine the current legal and regulatory requirements that are present in this situation.
• Evaluate the legal, professional, and personal risks associated with both options.
• Explain the ethical implications of both options.
• Identify and justify a specific course of action. Make sure to support your decision with references to specific ethical theories and frameworks.

Use resources from professional literature in your research. Professional literature may include the Argosy University online library resources, relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and websites created by professional organizations, agencies, or institutions (.edu, .org, or .gov).