Ethical Practice Under Pressure: Navigating Dilemmas in Mental Health Practice
Live Webinar
October 30, 2026
9:00 am to 12:15pm
Summary:
Why this matters. Ethical behavior goes beyond legal compliance to uphold standards that reflect our profession and organization. Standards evolve, so ongoing education is essential to stay ahead of changing expectations. In challenging times, social workers must summon courage, integrity, and commitment to make the right choices for those we serve.
It is important to note therefore, that there may be a difference between ethical behavior and legal or illegal actions. Ethical conduct is not about upholding the law. It is about upholding higher standards of conduct than simply adhering to the rules or the law. It may not always be easy to adhere to these higher standards, especially in difficult situations. It takes courage, moral integrity, and a keen sense of commitment to ethical standards to make the right decisions. (Perego, M. (2010). Ethics at Work! ICMA University)
One condition that weakens and impacts the practitioner’s vigilance on ethical situations is the subjective experience with ethics exhaustion and compassion fatigue. During these extraordinary times, it is critical for practitioners to understand this phenomenon, compassion fatigue, and have clear, achievable pathways to maintain balance and compassion satisfaction in pursuit of ethical care delivery. (Posluns, K., & Gall, T.L. (2019). Dear mental health care practitioners, take care of yourselves: A literature review on self-care. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 2020(42), 1-20).
Goals/Objectives:
- Equip participants with advanced knowledge and practical guidelines for navigating complex ethical dilemmas in rural mental health settings.
- Explore how ethics intersect with compassion fatigue and resilience aligned with NASW Standards and the Code of Ethics.
- Provide evidence-based insights into Ethics Exhaustion and strategies to prevent it.
- Align ethical decision-making with culturally competent practice and NASW standards
- Ability to identify, analyze, and respond to ethical dilemmas in the workplace.
- Recognition of signs of ethics exhaustion and compassion fatigue.
- A toolkit of actionable strategies for ethical decision-making in challenging situations.
- Practical tools to mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue and sustain ethical care.
Speaker Bio
CEUs: 3.0 Ethics
Cost:
Members: $80
Nonmembers: $130
Registration