Dr. Frederic G. Reamer

Frederic Reamer is professor emeritus in the School of Social Work.  His teaching and research focus on professional ethics, criminal justice, mental health, health care, and public policy.  Dr. Reamer received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and has served as a social worker in correctional and mental health settings.  He chaired the national task force that wrote the Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers in 1996 and served on the code revision task force.  Dr. Reamer also chaired the national task force sponsored by NASW, the Association of Social Work Boards, Council on Social Work Education, and Clinical Social Work Association that developed standards governing social workers’ use of technology in professional practice. 

Dr. Reamer serves as associate editor of the Encyclopedia of Social Work and served as editor of the Journal of Social Work Education. He also served on the State of Rhode Island Parole Board for 24 years.

Dr. Reamer has lectured nationally and internationally on social work and professional ethics, including in India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and in various European nations.  His books include Risk Management in the Behavioral Health Professions; Boundary Issues and Dual Relationships in the Human Services; Social Work Values and Ethics; The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work; Heinous Crime: Cases, Causes and Consequences; Criminal Lessons: Case Studies and Commentary on Crime and Justice; On the Parole Board: Reflections on Crime, Justice, Redemption, and Justice; Risk Management in Social Work; The Social Work Ethics Casebook; Ethical Standards in Social Work; Ethics and Risk Management in Online and Distance Social Work; Moral Distress and Injury in Human Services; Teens in Crisis: How the Industry Serving Struggling Teens Helps and Hurts our Kids; and The Social Work Ethics Audit, among others.  Dr. Reamer serves as an expert witness in many court and licensing board cases throughout the United States.