Ethics, Inequity and Pandemic: Challenges for Social Workers
Christina Bach, MBE, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW
April 10, 2020
About this Webinar Recording
As the U.S. and the world confront the COVID-19 pandemic, health care professionals are faced with difficult decisions and limited resources. Utilitarian (“greatest good for the greatest number of people”) foundations for decision-making are well circulated in the press, but this framework can lead to moral distress and moral injury. We are also coping with this pandemic in a unique manner—one of shared trauma. Not only are we the helpers, but we are also experiencing this trauma with our clients, our community and our world. This webinar provides an overview of utilitarian decision-making applications to pandemic, bioethical principles and social work core values as they relate to the COVID-19 crisis. Challenges of social distancing and privilege will also be addressed with an ethical lens. We then shift to look at the impact of moral distress and moral injury; the potential for posttraumatic growth and advocacy for change; and preparedness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.Learning Objectives
At the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to:
- Understand the terms values, morals, ethics and bioethics in their application to the current COVID-19 pandemic
- Describe the impact of privilege on the ability to shelter in place, social distance and have access to medical care during this pandemic.
- Apply the concept of moral distress to the process of moral injury.
- Explain pandemic ethical preparedness and clinically apply it to current pandemic.
Presenter
Christina Bach, MSW, MBE, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW
Christina Bach, MSW, is a clinical oncology social worker, bioethicist and social work educator. She is the psychosocial oncology content editor at Oncolink.org. She also serves as an instructor and field liaison at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice and as a Financial and Insurance Specialist for the Cancer Support Community Helpline. Christina has practiced in oncology for over 20 years in inpatient and outpatient settings. She also works regularly with her two certified therapy dogs, Linus and Huck, in cancer treatment settings as well as in literacy programs at local libraries. She serves on the Board of Directors and as a therapy dog evaluator for Comfort Caring Canines, Inc. Christina also has experience in Veterinary Social Work and does consulting and teaching on the human-animal bond, pet loss and animal assisted interventions and therapy and animal ethics/welfare.
Continuing Education Credits
Level - Introductory
Participants will earn 1.0 CE credits upon successful completion of a quiz and a post-webinar evaluation.
Course Designation
This course has been approved for 1.0 clinical continuing education clock hours.
Outline
12:00 p.m. - 12:12 p.m.: Understand the terms values, morals, ethics and bioethics in their application to the current COVID-19 pandemic
12:13 p.m. - 12:25 p.m.: Describe the impact of privilege on the ability to shelter in place, social distance and have access to medical care during this pandemic
12:25 p.m.-12:37 p.m.: Apply the concept of moral distress to the process of moral injury
12:38 p.m.-12:50 p.m.: Explain pandemic ethical preparedness and clinically apply it to current pandemic.
12:50 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Questions and Answers
ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORK BOARDS (ASWB): This organization, Association of Oncology Social Workers, ACE Approval #1351, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. AOSW maintains responsibility for the program. ACE provider approval period: 11/11/22 - 11/11/25. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 clinical continuing education credits.
NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S STATE BOARD FOR SOCIAL WORK:
Association of Oncology Social Work, Inc., SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0320.
GRIEVANCE POLICY: ASOW will comply with all legal and ethical responsibilities to be non-discriminatory in promotional activities, program content and in the treatment of program participants. The monitoring and assessment of compliance with these standards will be responsibility of the Education Director in consultation with the Education Chair and clinical director from committee. We do our best to anticipate problems and, when they do present themselves, will attempt to alleviate complaints as quickly as possible. When a complaint, either verbally or written, is received, the following guidelines are followed with respect to achieving resolution: (1) Complaints relative to a speaker or workshop leader, contents of instructional materials being presented, or an individual educational style being utilized, the individual voicing disapproval is requested to place his/her comments in writing. An AOSW representative will convey these comments to the speaker, assuring the confidentiality of the grieved individual. (2) If the complaint concerns a continuing education activity, its content, level of presentation, or facilities in which the event is being held, the representative in charge will attempt to resolve the matter as expeditiously as possible. If the offered resolution (resolutions offered may include, but not be limited to partial/full refund of registration fees paid; credit toward future event) not satisfactory to the individual filing the complaint, then further action may be taken as follows. (3) The individual is requested to place his/her complaint in writing to the attention of the Education Director, The Association of Oncology Social Work, 17W110 22nd St, Suite 800, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. The complaint is then reviewed by the Education Director in consultation with the Clinical Director and Education Advisor. A written response will be issued within 30-days of receipt of the written complaint.
ADA ACCOMODATIONS: For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations please contact AOSW Education Department at 847-686-2233. Advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility needs.