What must social workers ensure about their professional qualifications and credentials?

Social workers are ethically obligated to ensure that their representations of professional qualifications and credentials are accurate. This means providing truthful information about their education, training, and experience. Upholding this standard is essential not only for maintaining public trust in the profession but also for ensuring that clients receive appropriate services from qualified practitioners. Accurate representations allow clients to make informed decisions based on the social worker’s actual qualifications.

The other options represent unethical practices that the NASW Code of Ethics explicitly discourages. Making false claims or exaggerating capabilities undermines the integrity of the professional and can harm clients who rely on accurate information for their well-being. Additionally, neglecting to correct misrepresentations by others can further propagate misinformation and does not align with the responsibility social workers have to uphold ethical standards and protect the public.