Ethical Consultation

NLCSW provides consultation and feedback to NLCSW registrants on ethical issues. Depending on the immediacy of the request, the request will be addressed by NLCSW’s Ethics Committee during a monthly committee meeting or directly by NLCSW social work staff. 

Consultations are guided by relevant legislation including the Social Workers Act as well as the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics and NLCSW’s Standards of Practice.

Ethical consultations are collegial, and feedback is provided for information purposes only. As social workers are responsible for their own practice decisions, the consultation is not designed to provide answers to an ethical dilemma/issue or make specific recommendations. The process is also not a substitute for legal advice.  

All consultations are documented, and a consultation record is kept securely at the NLCSW office. These records allow NLCSW’s Ethics Committee to monitor ethical issues and trends.