Fundamental principles of social work - (also) a contribution to public health ethics

Social work and public health are different but mutually connected. Both are professions with their own ethical foundations. Despite all differences, they have the same goal: to protect and to enhance the well-being of people. This is, in part, why the fundamental ethical principles of social work are salient for developing public health ethics. As a human rights profession, social work respects the personal autonomy of clients, supports solidarity-based relationships in families, groups or communities, and attempts to uphold social justice in society. Social workers need to adopt special professional attitudes: sensibility for the vulnerabilities of clients, care and attentiveness for their resources and strengths, assistance instead of paternalistic care and advocacy in decision making for clients' well-being when clients are not able to decide for themselves. These fundamental ethical principles are the basis for discussion of special topics of social work ethics as public health ethics, for example, in justifying intervention in individual lifestyles by public services without the participation or consent of the affected persons.