Ethical Standards for Addiction Professionals

Need for Ethical Standards

Certification and licensure ensure that professionals have a minimum set of knowledge and skills to competently practice. Ethical standards are established to help ensure that the behavior of professionals does not deviate from proscribed parameters. Therefore, the public should have a reasonable expectation that certified or licensed addiction professionals practice within these proscribed parameters. In addition, addiction professionals may be accused of unethical behavior. Ethical standards provide the guidelines to discipline (or not discipline) certified and licensed professionals accused of improper or inappropriate behavior by supervisors, peers, or the public.

Client Welfare

Mental and behavioral health care counselors should always act in the best interests of the client. Addiction professionals may not take any action that is in the self-interest of the counselor or someone other than the client (e.g., agency, parent, or intimate partner). For example, the addiction professional cannot recommend longer or more intensive treatment to make more money when such treatment is not justified. As another example, addiction professionals who like to hug should not hug clients who would interpret physical affection as an indication of romantic interest.

Just like all other helping professionals, addiction professionals are prohibited from discrimination based on age, gender, ethnic/racial background, sexual orientation, religious and political beliefs, socioeco-nomic status, or disability.

Addiction professionals must fully explain all recommendations for services in terms of approaches, strategies, expected length, involvement of others (e.g., parents, intimate partners, other family members), and fees.

Clients must provide informed consent for all of the services recommended, including fees. If a report to outside agencies or individuals is required, the client must give informed consent prior to the initiation of treatment. The nature of the report that will be submitted (i.e., simple participation in treatment or a report of diagnosis, progress, or both) must be disclosed. If a client is a minor or cannot give consent due to a disability, the addiction professional acts in the best interest of the client. This can mean refusing to treat a minor client who refuses to consent to treatment and the addiction professional believes that treatment is not in the client's best interest. Court-ordered clients who refuse to consent to treatment or refuse to consent to reports to the court should not be treated. The lack of consent can be reported to the court.

...