PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND GUIDELINES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Abstract
Professional values refer to the basic principles which lead the professionals in right and meaningful direction. Mental Health Professionals (MHP) need to understand the importance of professional values and code of ethics.  Realizing the professional values and ethics will strengthen the one’s skills and competence. World Health Organisation has developed a set of principles and under these principles, guidelines have been formulated.  In this paper, authors have tried to bring relation between the social work values and guidelines given by WHO.  
Key words: Social work values, Mental Health, Rights.

Introduction
The universal Declaration of Human Rights reiterates that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself/herself and his/her family….. The highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being to enjoy. Article 21 of the Constitution of India includes the right to health.  This includes free and complete access to health care facilities. No individual should be deprived of this right.
 
Mental Health
Health has an important role in one’s life. It is the basic need of every individual which needs proper care and concern. World Health Organization defines ‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity’.

Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the WHO’s definition on Mental Health. It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders (www.who.int/topics/mentalhealth/en/).

Every profession demands certain professional values and ethics in order to maintain the professional efficacy. Even mental health professional is also governed by certain ethics and values.

Molley and Reilly (1999) have defined ethics as written set of ethical standards for the professional mental health provider.  They, further, enlisted some ethics that are mentioned below:
a.            Autonomy
b.           Beneficence
c.            Justice
d.           Non-Maleficence
e.            Fidelity

Persons with mental illness require a special and extra care. But social stigma is attached with the mental illness has made them to stay back from receiving the medical care.  These people should be treated by trained professionals. In the Guidelines for the Promotion of Human Rights of Persons with Mental Health Practitioner, WHO (1996) has defined Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) as a medical doctor, clinical psychologist, nurse, social workers or other appropriately trained and qualified person with specific skills relevant to mental health care. 

Hence, Mental Health Professionals include social workers also. While treating and providing health care facilities to persons with mental disorders, one should keep in mind the basic values of social work. They are:
a.            Service
b.           Social Justice
c.            Dignity and Worth of the Person
d.           Importance of human relationships
e.            Integrity
f.            Competence

Along with those core values of social work, social workers, who are working in mental health setting, should also adopt the guidelines given by the WHO. Those guidelines act as ethics for mental health practitioners. In 1996, WHO issued the guidelines under 25 different principles. The principles are:

1. Principle: Fundamental freedoms and basic rights
2. Principle: Protection of minors
3. Principle: Life in the community
4. Principle: Determination of mental illness
5. Principle: Medical Examination
6. Principle: Confidentiality
7. Principle: Role of community and culture
8. Principle: Standards of care
9. Principle: Treatment
10. Principle: Medication
11. Principle: Consent to treatment
12. Principle: Notice of rights
13. Principle: Rights and conditions in mental health facilities
14. Principle: Resource for mental health facilities
15. Principle: Admission principles
16. Principle: Involuntary admission
17. Principle: Review body
18. Principle: Procedural safeguards
19. Principle: Access to information
20. Principle: Criminal offenders
21. Principle: Complaints
22. Principle: Monitoring and remedies
23. Principle: Implementation
24. Principle: Scope of principles relating to mental health facilities.
25. Principle: Saving of existing rights.

Some of the guidelines given under 25 principles can be linked with the core social work values.
 
I.            Core value : Service

1. A determination that a person has a mental illness shall be made in accordance with internationally acceptable medical standards.
2. Family or professional conflict or non-conformity with moral, social, cultural or political values or religious beliefs prevailing in a person’s community, shall never be a determining factor in the diagnosis of mental illness.
3. Where a person needs treatment in a mental health facility, every effort shall be made to avoid involuntary admission.
4. Every patient shall have the right to receive such health and social care as is appropriate to his or her health needs and is entitled to care and treatment in accordance with the same standards as other ill persons.

 
II.           Core value : Social Justice

1. There shall be no discrimination on the grounds of mental illness.
2. Every person with a mental illness shall have the right to exercise all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other UN/ International Declarations/ Conventions such as:
   a.            The International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
   b.           The International Conventions on Civil and Political Rights.
   c.            The Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons under any form of Detention or Imprisonment.
3. A determination of mental illness shall never be made on the basis of political, economic or social status or membership in a cultural, racial or religious group or for another reason not directly relevant to mental health status.

 
III.          Core value : Dignity and Worth of the Person

1. All persons with a mental illness or who are being treated as such persons, shall be treated with humanity and respect for the inherent dignity of the person.
2. No treatment shall be given to a patient without his or her informed consent.
3. No person shall be compelled to undergo medical examination with a view to determining whether or not he or she has a mental illness except in accordance with or procedure authorized by domestic law.
4. All persons with a mental illness or who are being treated as such persons, have the right to protection from economic, sexual and other forms of exploitation, physical or other abuse and degrading treatment.

 
IV.          Core value : Importance of Human Relationship

1. A background of post treatment or hospitalization as patient shall not of itself justify any present or future determination of mental illness.
2. The right of confidentiality of information concerning all persons to whom the present principles apply shall be respected.

 
V.           Core value : Integrity

1. Every person with a mental illness shall have the right to live and work, to the extent possible, in the community.
2. Every patient shall have the right to be treated and cared for, as for as possible, in the community in which he or she lives.

 
VI.          Core value : Competence

1. The treatment of every patient shall be directed towards preserving and enhance personal autonomy.
   The above mentioned aspects are the guidelines given by World Health Organization in 1996.

 
Conclusion
Ethics are the basic principles which govern the conduct of the professionals.  While treating the patients, mental health professionals should adopt certain professional ethics.  The above mentioned guidelines serve as professional ethics and guide mental health professionals.  Now-a-days the practice of professional ethics, especially in mental health setting, is gaining prominence and became professional mantra for all mental health professionals. 
 
References:

1. Molley, Patrick Brendan and Reilly, Eilleen Petly (1999): Legal and Ethical Dimensions for Mental Health Professionals, Accelerated Development, Philadelphia.
2. Park K (1997): Preventive and Social Medicine, Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers, Jabalpur.
3. World Health Organization (1996): Guidelines for the Promotion of Human Rights of Persons with Mental Disorders, World Health Organisation, Geneva.
4. www.who.int/topics/mentalhealth/en/

 
Nireekshan Singh Gowgi S K
Assistant Professor, Department of Studies in Social Work, Pooja Bhagavat Memorial Mahajana Post Graduate Centre, KRS Road, Metagalli, Mysore
 
Nagesh M
Research Scholar, Department of Social Work, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore