Date of Conferral

2-18-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Social Work

Advisor

Joe Savage

Abstract

Social work professionals often experience demanding and intense situations while facing organizational restructuring during crisis situations. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the viewpoints of frontline social workers regarding their ethical decision-making processes in response to the mandatory modifications of the service delivery protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enck’s biomedical and ethical decision-making framework grounded the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 10 frontline social workers in Connecticut who had been employed with a social service agency for at least 3 years, but no more than ten. Findings from coding and thematic analysis yielded themes and subthemes: (a) period of adjustment with two subthemes (adjusting to new roles and adjusting to policies /procedures), (b) concern with confidentiality with online video platforms with two subthemes (addressing clients environment and adapting to verbal and non-verbal cues), (c) moral distress and shifting ethical boundaries with two subthemes (prioritizing protocols and bending the rules), (d) communication strategies for ethical decision-making with two subthemes (active listening and giving voice to clients), and (e) systemic failures and individual resilience with two subthemes (diminish resources and redefining practices). Findings confirmed that frontline social workers ethical decision-making processes are influenced by the modifications of service delivery. Findings may be used to create positive social change through new social work policies and procedures that could enhance the delivery of service and the ethical decision-making processes during a crisis.

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