Frederic G. Reamer, Ph.D.

Frederic G. Reamer, Ph.D., a Professor in the graduate program of the School of Social Work, Rhode Island College, where he has been on the faculty since 1983. His research and teaching have addressed a wide range of human service issues, including mental health, health care, criminal justice, public welfare, and professional ethics. Dr. Reamer received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (1978) and has served as a social worker in correctional and mental health settings. He has also served on the faculties of the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration (1978-1981), and the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Social Work (1981-1983). Dr. Reamer 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 (1979-1981); as Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor of Rhode Island (1987-1990); and as a Commissioner of the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, the state housing finance agency (1987-1995). Since 1992 Dr. Reamer has served on the State of Rhode Island Parole Board. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Social Work Education (1990-1994).

Dr. Reamer has conducted extensive research on professional ethics. He has been involved in several national research projects sponsored by The Hastings Center, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Haas Foundation. He is the author of many books and articles. His books include: Social Work Values and Ethics (Columbia University Press); Tangled Relationships: Managing Boundary Issues in the Human Services (Columbia University Press); Ethical Standards in Social Work: A Review of the NASW Code of Ethics (NASW Press); The Social Work Ethics Casebook (NASW Press); The Foundations of Social Work Knowledge (Columbia University Press; editor and contributor); Social Work Malpractice and Liability (Columbia University Press); The Social Work Ethics Audit: A Risk-management Tool (NASW Press); Social Work Research and Evaluation Skills (Columbia University Press); The Philosophical Foundations of Social Work (Columbia University Press); AIDS and Ethics (Columbia University Press; editor and contributor); Teens in Crisis: How the Industry Serving Struggling Teens Helps and Hurts our Kids (Columbia University Press; co-author, Deborah H. Siegel); Finding Help for Struggling Teens: A Guide for Parents and the Professionals Who Work With Them (NASW Press); Ethical Dilemmas in Social Service (Columbia University Press); Heinous Crime: Cases, Causes, and Consequences (Columbia University Press); Criminal Lessons: Case Studies and Commentary on Crime and Justice (Columbia University Press); Rehabilitating Juvenile Justice (Columbia University Press; co-author, Charles H. Shireman); A Guide to Essential Human Services (NASW Press); Ethics Education in Social Work (Council on Social Work Education); and The Teaching of Social Work Ethics (The Hastings Center; co-author, Marcia Abramson). Dr. Reamer is also the author of chapters on professional ethics in the Encyclopedia of Social Work, the Encyclopedia of Bioethics, and the Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics.

Dr. Reamer has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on the subjects of professional ethics and professional malpractice and liability. He chaired the national task force that wrote the current Code of Ethics adopted by the National Association of Social Workers. Dr. Reamer received the “Distinguished Contributions to Social Work Education” award from the Council on Social Work Education (1995) and the Presidential Award from the National Association of Social Workers (1997).