An international expert in social work ethics will speak to a Wayne State audience about cutting-edge, global issues at the School of Social Work's 28^th annual Edith Harris Memorial Lecture, which will be held Nov. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Community Arts building auditorium.

Frederic Reamer, professor at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work and author of 20 books, will present an overview of the evolution of social work ethics since the formal beginning of the profession, comment on trends in social work ethics around the world, and highlight compelling challenges of the digital age. Specifically, he will discuss ethical issues associated with social workers' and practitioners' use of social media, online and other remote interventions, and digital communications. He will also discuss implications for social work in urban settings such as Detroit.

"Dr. Reamer's address comes at a critical time for social workers who are embracing the remarkable benefits of digital practice tools while encountering the unprecedented ethical questions and concerns they present," said Cheryl Waites, dean of the Wayne State School of Social Work. "This year's Edith Harris lecture will help them implement ethical decision-making frameworks and protocols and to design and implement strategies to protect clients and practitioners while promoting social justice."

Reamer's research and teaching have addressed a wide range of human service issues, including mental health, health care, criminal justice, public welfare, and professional ethics. He has served as director of the National Juvenile Justice Assessment Center of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; as senior policy advisor to the Governor of Rhode Island; and as a commissioner of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, the state housing finance agency. He has served on the State of Rhode Island Parole Board for nearly 25 years.

Reamer has conducted extensive research on professional ethics and chaired the national task force that wrote the current Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers. He has been involved in several national research projects sponsored by The Hastings Center, the Carnegie Corporation, the Haas Foundation, and the Scattergood Program for the Applied Ethics of Behavioral Healthcare at the Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania.

The Edith Harris lecture is free and open to the public. It has been approved by the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative for two CE contract hours at a cost of $10. For more information, please contact Lauree Emery, director of the Office of Continuing Education and Professional Development, at ab7097@wayne.edu or visit http://socialwork.wayne.edu/continuing-education