According to Hepworth and Larsen (2009)

According to Hepworth and Larsen (2009), there are five cardinal values of social work which are: service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. My personal and professional values are congruent with the cardinal values of the social work profession. One of the values is service. Social workers' primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems (NASW, 1999). Service is very important to me because I strive to be respectful and provide help to address my client needs. This is the major reason I became a social worker is to help service others from oppression. Also, another of my values is social justice. Social workers challenge social injustice (NASW, 1999). This value shows my self-determination to promote social change and social justice for my clients and the social work field. As, a behavioral health worker I enjoy advocating specialized services and providing resource information for my clients. I try to help my clients receive the services that should be provided for them. Also, I would advocate on their behalf if the behavioral health team would not approve certain services. This value is important to me because I have a passion for helping other people. I am dedicated in pursuing my master's degree in social work because I want to make a difference in people lives.

Now, as an intern I am able to motivate youth by helping them pursue educational goals and provide free resources such as: sexual education information, parenting skills and housing. Another example of my self-determination was as a volunteer in an after school program in which I was the lead group facilitator . I helped students with recreational activities, provided self-esteem classes and tutoring sessions.

I saw this as a small contribution to help students in low-income communities. Also, it is important for them to be around positive role models. This experience was fulfilling to me because I was able to help students with their educational goals and building positive self-esteem images .Another important personal value that is related to social work and the NASW Code of Ethics is integrity. Integrity is when Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner(NASW, 1999). Integrity is important because as a social worker this value will help me establish a positive rapport with my clients. This will help the client feel more comfortable in discussing their situation which would be helpful towards their assessment. As, a social worker integrity is very important because it is having respect and honesty that can be reflected in your personal and professional relationships. As, social workers one of our values is to provide the least harm, social justice for all individuals, and the disadvantaged in society. Social workers need to maintain the level of integrity when dealing with ethical dilemmas and challenging client situations that may occur. We need to understand that clients have different value and belief systems

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