what is the code of ethics for alcohol and drug treatment

Full Answer

Is there a code of ethics for Substance Abuse Counselors?

Code of Ethics for Substance Abuse Counselors. Because of the nature of the job, there is a code of ethics in place that all substance abuse counselors should abide by. These ethics are established by the National Association for Addiction Professionals, an organization that has been in existence since 1974.

What is the NAADAC code of ethics for addiction counselors?

The NAADAC code of ethics for substance abuse counselors states that additional training or certification is advisable before offering this service. Along with technical proficiency, addiction counselors must ensure that equipment and location are HIPAA compliant.

Are drug prevention and treatment activities ethical?

Professionals should not assume that drug prevention and treatment activities are per definition ethical and beneficial for its participants. Whilst ISSUP will be developing its own standards for ethical practice I am sure it will be informed by the following two examples.

What are medical ethics and professional codes?

Medical ethics are standards developed over time by doctors, nurses, psychologists and counselors. Professional codes identify behaviors, dispositions, principles and beliefs that practitioners embrace in the interest of patient health, safety and well-being.

What are the principles of the Naadac code of ethics?

Autonomy: To allow each person the freedom to choose their own destiny. Obedience: The responsibility to observe and obey legal and ethical directives. Conscientious Refusal: The responsibility to refuse to carry out directives that are illegal and/or unethical. Beneficence: To help others.

What are the 5 tiers of Ethics?

Defining what an ethical culture looks like, the paper explores five levels at which business can build one: at the individual, interpersonal, group, intergroup, and inter-organizational level.

How do Ethics codes apply to you as a substance use counselor?

The code of conduct for substance abuse counselors suggests that they roll with client resistance and respect autonomy. They build rapport, offer support and educate the client on the goals of treatment. Beneficence requires substance abuse counselors to act in their client's best interests.

What is Ethics in addiction?

The ethical quandaries raised by addiction include the degree to which it can be said to compromise patient autonomy, patient access to appropriate medical care, and how the perceptions that physicians—often subconsciously—have of addicts affects treatment.

What are the code of ethics?

A code of ethics is a set of principles and rules used by individuals and organizations to govern their decision-making process, as well as to distinguish right from wrong. They provide a general idea of the ethical standards of a business or organization.

What is an example of code of ethics?

A code of ethics, or professional code of ethics, is usually a set of general guidelines or values. A code of conduct policy is typically more specific, giving guidelines for how to respond in certain situations. A code of conduct example would be a rule expressly prohibiting accepting or offering bribes.

Is drug abuse an ethical issue?

Drug abuse is both a personal and a public issue, raising questions about individual rights and the boundaries of law, as well as about national sovereignty and international control. Ethical issues that arise under these headings may be related to certain broad ethical positions.

What ethical principle states that the practitioner should avoid undue influences such as alcohol or drugs?

The principle of nonmaleficence is grounded in the practitioner's responsibility to refrain from causing harm, inflecting injury, or wronging others. While beneficence requires action to incur benefit, nonmaleficence requires non-action to avoid harm (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).

What are the major areas of legal and ethical considerations that a substance abuse counselor must know in regard to client welfare?

Alcohol and drug counselors providing vocational rehabilitation (VR) services directly or through referral need to be aware of legal and ethical issues in three areas: discrimination against recovering individuals, welfare reform, and confidentiality.

What are three basic ethical principles?

Three basic principles, among those generally accepted in our cultural tradition, are particularly relevant to the ethics of research involving human subjects: the principles of respect of persons, beneficence and justice....Part B: Basic Ethical PrinciplesRespect for Persons. ... Beneficence. ... Justice.

What are three basic ethical principles RADT?

What are three basic principles? Nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice.

What are ethical issues?

Ethical issues occur when a given decision, scenario or activity creates a conflict with a society's moral principles. Both individuals and businesses can be involved in these conflicts, since any of their activities might be put to question from an ethical standpoint.

What is the NAADAC code of ethics?

The NAADAC/NC CAP Code of Ethics was written to govern the conduct of NAADAC's members and it is the accepted standard of conduct for addiction professionals certified by the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP). The code of ethics reflects ideals of NAADAC and its members, and is designed as a statement ...

What is the definition of ethics?

Ethics are generally regarded as the standards that govern the conduct of a person. Smith and Hodges define ethics as a “human reflecting self-consciously on the act of being a moral being.". This implies a process of self-reflection and awareness of how to behave as a moral being.

What is addiction professional?

Addiction professionals and other service providers shall create, maintain, protect, and store required documentation per federal, state, and tribal laws, rules, and organizational policies. Addiction professionals shall advocate on behalf of clients at individual, group, institutional, and societal levels.

What is the responsibility of addiction professionals?

Addiction professionals shall accept their responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of their client, and shall act for the good of each client while exercising respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Providers shall treat each client with dignity, honor, and respect, and act in the best interest of each client.

Why is research and publication important in addiction?

Research and publication shall be encouraged as a means for addiction professionals to contribute to the knowledge base and skills within the addictions and behavioral health professions. Research shall be conducted and published to contribute to the evidence-based and outcome-driven practices that guide the profession. Research and publication shall provide an understanding of what practices lead to health, wellness, and functionality. Researchers and addiction professionals shall be inclusive by minimizing bias and respecting diversity when designing, executing, analyzing, and publishing their research.

What is NAADAC ethical practice?

NAADAC recognizes that its members and certified counselors live and work in many diverse communities. NAADAC has established a set of ethical best-practices that apply to universal ethical deliberation.

How do addiction professionals support researchers?

Addiction professionals shall support the efforts of researchers by participating in research whenever possible.

Why are addicts and alcoholism vulnerable?

Alcoholics and addicts are vulnerable in the same way that mental illness sufferers are vulnerable. This is a population of people who come into treatment very disoriented and incapable of making major life decisions. Therefore, the centers that treat them hold an enormous responsibility to behave ethically toward them.

Why is it important to offer both mental health and addiction treatment?

It’s essential for most drug treatment programs to offer both mental health & addiction treatment in order for them to be useful to a population of people who are very frequently suffering not just from addiction but from grave mental illnesses as well. If you treat one without the other, the patient suffers.

What is the role of medical detox?

Among the many responsibilities of drug treatment centers, the most important are compassionate care, qualified care, and co-existing disorder care. When all of these blocks are in place, the puzzle of addiction becomes much easier to work.

What to do if a hospital claims to have psychiatrists?

If it claims to have psychiatrists on staff, ask to see the qualifications. If it claims to offer nursing care, make sure the nurses are registered and have a valid, working license. All of these things are extremely important. Addiction and mental illness are close brothers.

Do drug addicts seek help?

Sometimes drug addicts seek help with the aid of family members and friends who want them to recover. In these cases, the clients have allies in their fight to find a drug treatment center that will be effective in treating all of the many facets of abuse.

Do drug addicts deserve to be treated as human beings?

Drug addicts often lose much of their ability to function as human beings. This doesn’t mean they are no longer human beings, though. They never deserve to be talked down to or humiliated in any way. While there is room for discipline in treatment approaches, these items of discipline should be handled with the greatest of care and compassion. Addicts deserve to be treated as the human beings they are.

What is the code of ethics for substance abuse?

Health care professionals follow a code of ethics that identifies expected behavioral norms, rules, boundaries, standards and shared ethical principles. A code of conduct for substance abuse counselors offers guidance on how to handle tricky situations and appropriately support clients from intake to recovery.

What is ethical code?

A professional code of ethics provides a philosophical framework that health care professionals, like substance abuse counselors, use to inform their practice. Ethical principles extend beyond what may be morally right and wrong in a given cultural context. Medical ethics are standards developed ...

What is beneficence in counseling?

Beneficence requires substance abuse counselors to act in their client’s best interests. Health promotion is an important component of beneficence. The substance abuse counselor considers benefits and risks to the client in recommending interventions and treatment modalities. Offered services may include residential treatment, out-patient group counseling, living in a half-way house and aftercare recovery groups, for example.

What is NAADAC in addiction?

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals is a well-known organization representing more than 10,000 specialists in the field of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. As part of the organization’s mission to provide quality addiction resources, NAADAC provides substance abuse counselors with standards of practice in the form ...

Why do substance abuse counselors read journals?

Substance abuse counselors read professional journals to stay abreast of emerging trends, such as increased use of vaping devices among teens and opioid use in rural communities. They look forward to completing training that will fulfill continuing education requirements for the renewal of their state alcohol and drug counselor license. Consistent with their ethical code of conduct, substance abuse counselors continually assess their own skills and acknowledge areas where additional training could be helpful.

What are the ethical principles of substance abuse?

Like other health care specialists, substance abuse counselors follow an ethical code grounded in the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, justice and nonmaleficence. The Quantum Units Education organization suggests that these four ethical principles are the cornerstone of effective substance abuse counseling.

What is substance abuse counseling?

Substance abuse counselors work closely with adolescents and adults struggling with serious problems related to alcoholism and drug addiction. Advising emotionally distraught and suffering clients demands a high level of skill and professionalism.

Our Mission

We assist in helping as many people as possible to achieve a successful and fulfilled life beyond addiction.

We Are Commited to Transforming Lives

In the last year, Northbound Treatment transformed the lives of 10,000 people. In order to continue to impact as many lives as possible, we adhere to a strict set of core values, operating principles, and bold goals.

What Guides Our Staff

Commitment requires a core set of values. At Northbound Treatment Centers, our core values are broken down into six defining categories.

What is the best route to take when counseling students with drug or alcohol issues?

Every case is difference, and there aren’t any definitive road maps leading to the best route to take when counseling students with drug or alcohol issues. However, there are standard ethical road blocks to consider in every case. Because dealing with substance use and abuse issues is unpredictable, school counselors must rely on an ethical decision-making model to guide them through the interventions necessary to help the students.

What is the duty of a school counselor?

It is the school counselor’s ethical duty to report, refer and include family in the safety plan. Although confidentiality is the cornerstone to a counseling relationship, it is by far better to lose the relationship with the student than to lose the student’s life.

When is confidentiality given to a minor?

Generally speaking, confidentiality for a minor is given to the parents or guardians until the child attains majority age.

What are ethical dilemmas in substance abuse treatment?

Working in the substance abuse treatment field presents dilemmas relating to personal beliefs, judgments, and values. The history of how society views persons with addictions is fraught with emotion, misperceptions, and biases that have affected the care of drug abusers. For example, it is not unusual in a health care setting for a patient to be perceived negatively just by being labeled a drug abuser (Carroll, 1995). Because of the highly charged emotional nature of the substance abuse treatment field, providers should possess the tools to explore ethical dilemmas objectively. By doing so, and by examining their own reactions to the situation, providers can proceed with the most ethical course of action. (See Appendix Efor the Federal and State codes of ethics for programs treating HIV-infected substance-abusing clients.) Chapter 9discusses the legal constraints, obligations, and options that provide the framework within which ethical issues must be decided.

What is ethics in social work?

Ethics is a term that can imply lofty, philosophical discussions, far removed from the everyday world. In reality, workers in the substance abuse treatment field are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas on an individual as well as a societal level. Ethics is an intellectual approach to moral issues, a philosophical framework from which to critically evaluate the choices and actions people take to deal with various aspects of daily living (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 1997).

How does HIV affect ethical issues?

HIV/AIDS has its own unique ethical issues. Because HIV can be transmitted through sexual activity and by sharing drug equipment, it evokes significant personal feelings and judgments in the general public, as well as in health and social service providers. Advocates for persons with HIV have fought for years to maintain confidentiality, avoid mandatory reporting, and ensure access to care for those with the disease. Because of the labels “drug abuser” or “homosexual” and the fear of a backlash toward people with HIV, advocates have been pushing strongly toward preventing discrimination. This has led to creating safeguards to protect these individuals from discrimination in health care, employment, housing, and other services.

What is the principle of justice?

The principle of justice assumes impartiality and equality. It means that a clinician will treat all clients equally and give everyone their due portion of services. This principle applies to the individual client as well as on the larger societal level. Yet, given human nature, how possible is it really to treat everyone equally? Can it be honestly said that a clinician does not have “favorite” clients? Are there clients with whom a clinician instinctively wants to limit contact? Are there agency policies or informal agency practices that limit access to a program? Counselors may find that their comfort level is being challenged as increasing numbers of substance abusers with HIV/AIDS comprise their caseloads. Although they may have felt entirely comfortable working with someone who has a substance abuse disorder, they may not understand, or feel awkward working with, someone with HIV/AIDS.

What is the duty to treat?

The duty to treat, from an ethical perspective, is especially relevant when working with disenfranchised populations. A clinician involved with homeless, chronic alcohol-dependent individuals may find it difficult to access adequate medical care for a client with HIV. Or it may not be easy to find a dentist willing to work with an HIV-infected client. Substance abuse treatment professionals may have to take on an advocacy role within their community to educate and campaign for care. At the same time, it is important that the counselor and the counselor's agency appear accessible to all and that there are no restrictions that could impede the care of one client just because the client is different in some way.

What is beneficence in counseling?

Beneficence assumes a responsibility to improve and enhance the welfare of others, or more simply put, to “do good” for others. But what does “doing good” really mean? What may be doing good in the eyes of the substance abuse treatment counselor may be seen as doing harm in the eyes of the client. The counselor needs to consider whether it is the client's agenda or his own agenda. The counselor's or agency's culture also may conflict with the client's. The role of the family, medical practices, and lifestyle issues all affect treatment, and these can differ greatly, depending on the various social norms of all those involved.

How many ethical principles are there?

The study of ethics has produced an abundance of writings, and many standards and principles have been brought forth. However, there are five general principles that provide a firm basis from which to explore the ethical concerns that arise daily in the substance abuse treatment and HIV/AIDS fields (Kitchener, 1985). These are reviewed below.

What is the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act?

The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 authorizes over $181 million each year (must be appropriated each year) to respond to the epidemic of opioid abuse, and is intended to greatly increase both prevention programs and the availability of treatment programs. CARA launched an evidence-based opioid and heroin treatment and interventions program; strengthened prescription drug monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services; expanded prevention and educational efforts—particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations—to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery; expanded recovery support for students in high school or enrolled in institutions of higher learning; and expanded resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders and by providing evidence-based treatment. CARA also expanded the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives. CARA also reauthorizes a grant program for residential opioid addiction treatment of pregnant and postpartum women and their children and creates a pilot program for state substance abuse agencies to address identified gaps in the continuum of care, including non-residential treatment services.

What is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act?

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 requires insurance groups offering coverage for mental health or substance use disorders to make these benefits comparable to general medical coverage. Deductibles, copays, out-of-pocket maximums, treatment limitations, etc., for mental health or substance use disorders must be no more restrictive than the same requirements or benefits offered for other medical care.

What is the purpose of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory?

The Cures Act created the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (Policy Lab). The Policy Lab is working to promote evidence-based practices and service delivery models, and evaluating models that would benefit from further development and expansion.

What is the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended in 2008, establishes requirements for equal opportunities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications for citizens with disabilities—including people with mental illnesses and addictions.

What is the cures act?

The Cures Act addresses many critical issues including leadership and accountability for behavioral health disorders at the federal level, the importance of evidence-based programs and prevention of mental and substance use disorders, and the imperative to coordinate efforts across government. The Cures Act established the position ...

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