Murdach (2011) makes several observations about self-determination as the focus of social work. One key factor she emphasizes is that the social worker's duty to honor client self-determination is one factor that sets the social work profession apart from all others. In fact, it is a social worker's duty to assist clients with finding resources that will enable them, as long as they are not endangering themselves or others, to actualize their autonomy. Murdach states that self-determination has been linked with power (i.e., control) and that self-determination and empowerment may be the same thing. She also asserts, based on evidence from the history of the social work profession, that evidence-based practice (i.e., scientifically based, empirically driven practice) is ostensibly taking the place of self-determination as the focus of the social work profession.

1. Decide which one of these big ideas you will tackle in this Module's Reflection Corner:

• Self-determination is connected to power in social work practice
• Self-determination and empowerment are equivalent in social work practice
• Evidence-based practice is taking the place of self-determination as the focus of the social work profession
  • Identify how the duty to honor self-determination/autonomy differentiates social work from other professions with which social workers often collaborate. These professions include, but are not limited to, medicine, nursing, law (i.e., attorneys), law enforcement, and parole and probation officers.
  • Evaluate the utility of self-determination in social work practice by addressing this question, based on your informed opinion: Why has the social work profession adopted the duty to promote autonomy/self-determination as a cornerstone of professional practice instead of assuming a paternalistic orientation?