There are two ways in which one may file a formal ethical complaint against a social worker in North Carolina.

1. If a social worker is either licensed (LCSW or LCSWA) or certified (CSW, CMSW, CSWM) then one may file a complaint with the North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board. The Board may be reached by calling 336-625-1679, or emailing epope@ncswboard.org. Information about the ethical complaint process and complaint forms may be found on the Board's web site at www.ncswboard.org. The Board also maintains a listing of social workers who have been found in violation of ethical standards and that information is found on the Board's web site as well.

2. If a social worker is not licensed or certified but is a member of NASW then an ethical complaint may be filed through the NASW professional review process. NASW has the responsibility to review and resolve complaints of alleged violations of the NASW Code of Ethics. The national NASW office in Washington, DC conducts these professional reviews. The purpose of these peer reviews is to uphold the standards of social work practice. The professional review process also provides the remedies of mediation and adjudication to those who have been harmed. The NASW Procedures for Professional Review describes the steps NASW follows in considering complaints against members and includes Request for Professional Review (RPR) forms. More information can be found here.

You may also request the RPR forms from NASW’s Office of Ethics and Professional Review (800-742-4089).

The NASW-NC Chapter Ethics Committee provides free ethics consultations to NASW-NC members and highlights ethical issues through newsletter articles.

If a social worker is not licensed, certified or a member of NASW one can check with the agency that employs the social worker to learn about any grievance or appeals process that the agency may have.

Other Professions

To file an ethical complaint against any other professional one would need to go to the Licensing Board or Professional Association for that specific profession. A listing of allied professions with licensing Boards and professional associations can be found in the Center for Social Work Ethics web site under "Codes of Ethics and Licensing Boards for Allied Professionals."