Social Work, Advocacy, and Ethics: Opportunities and Challenges in Romania

Abstract

Abstract Advocacy is an integral component of social work practice and is consistent with the ethical guidelines for the profession. Social work in Romania is a recently revitalized profession. Social workers are challenged to address and remedy population needs while simultaneously confronting infrastructural deficiencies. Nevertheless, through a conscious use of self and a judicious use of resources on the individual and agency levels, social workers may be better equipped to address the needs of individual clients and to effectuate change on a systemic level. The potential roles to be played by social workers in addressing mental health needs and services serve as a case example, using Howe's (1987) paradigm as a framework.