Vanessa Raheja reflects on her personal biases regarding people with mental illness entering the social work field. While she feels her own substance use and mental health diagnoses help her relate to clients in her current job, she finds herself hesitant about supporting clients who want to pursue social work if they have a serious mental illness like schizophrenia. However, denying someone a career solely due to their diagnosis goes against empowering oppressed groups, as social work ethics promote. To address this dilemma, Raheja will reflect on how her stigma surrounding mental illness could impact her judgment and will consider the "clinician's illusion" that people with mental illnesses are always low functioning.

1. Week 1 Individual Assignment:
Personal Bias in Ethics
Vanessa Raheja
SOWK 606
1/14/2023

2. Article: Is Social Work’s Door Open to People Recovering
from Psychiatric Disabilities?

3. Article Summary
The article by Stromwell (2002) examens the stigma and biases that exist for allowing those
with a history of mental illness into the roles of social workers. The author looks at the
arguments against allowing someone with a previous mental health diagnosis into
employment in social work. Usually this includes expressing concern for the well-being of the
social worker citing they may be harmed because of the added stress of social work
employment, and/or the added pressure of working with clients whose stories are similar to
the social worker's own struggles. The author goes on to express how on the contrary, having
a previous mental health diagnosis can help the social worker better relate to and be
empathetic for their client. Stromwell (2002) further argues, “Social workers already have
adopted new practice models based on empowerment of oppressed groups for work with
clients, but support for empowerment cannot stop at the door to the social work profession.
Social workers must apply these practice concepts to their treatment of current and future
colleagues.”

4. Ethical Dilemma
Through self-reflection I am aware of personal biases I hold regarding the ability of someone with
previously diagnosed mental illness entering the social work field. I currently work in a residential
substance use treatment program. I am previously diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder,
Depression, and Anxiety. I wholeheartedly feel this gives me an advantage working with my clients as
I can better relate to them and can also be a social model to them and serve as an example that
recovery is achievable. Often clients will express wanting to pursue a career in Substance Use
treatment and I fully encourage them as they can use their experiences to help others. However,
every now and then I will come across a client with a dual diagnosis of a serious mental illness (SMI)
such as schizophrenia or a personality disorder and I find myself hesitant to provide my full support
of their desire to enter social work. I worry that their SMI creates an impairment in their ability to
enter a helping field such as social work. Per Lamb et al. (1987), “Impairment from psychological
dysfunction can hinder social worker’s ability to act professionally.” Also, per Reamer (2014),
“Impairment in social workers can exist due to mental illness, responsibilities, job demands, triggers
from clients.”

5. Ethical Standard
The NASW ethical standard that would apply in this situation would be Ethical
Code 4.05 which states:
(a) Social workers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems,
substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and
performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional
responsibility.
(b) Social workers whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or
mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately
seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments
in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others.

6. Steps To Address
One step I can take is to address how my bias and stigma surrounding a mental
health diagnosis can cloud my judgment regarding this dilemma. Afterall, how are
we supposed to show our clients that a mental health diagnosis does not mean
you can not lead a normal and successful life with proper treatment/care if we are
at the same time denying someone not only employment in our same field
because of their diagnosis? Per Covarrubias and Han (2011), “Stigmatization by
professionals who work with serious mental illness (SMI) populations may be
explained in part by what is referred to as the "clinician's illusion." The clinician's
illusion is the belief that people with SMI are always low functioning; cannot get
along in society; and exhibit socially undesirable behaviors, like being violent.”

7. References
Covarrubias, I., & Han, M. (2011). Mental Health Stigma about Serious Mental Illness among MSW Students: Social Contact and Attitude. Social
Work, 56(4), 317–325. https://doi-org.umassglobal.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/sw/56.4.317
Corrigan, P. W. (2007). How Clinical Diagnosis Might Exacerbate the Stigma of Mental Illness. Social Work, 52(1), 31–39.
Lamb, D. H., Presser, N. R., Pfost, K. S., Baum, M. C., Jackson, V. R., & Jarvis, P. A. (1987). Confronting professional impairment during the
internship: Identification, due process, and remediation. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 18, 597–603.
NASW. (2021). Read the Code of Ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Reamer, F. (2014). Impaired Social Workers/Professionals. Encyclopedia of Social Work: National Association of Social Workers and Oxford
University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.948
Stromwall, L. K. (2002). Is Social Work’s Door Open to People Recovering from Psychiatric Disabilities? Social Work, 47(1), 75–83. https://doi-
org.umassglobal.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/sw/47.1.75