Ethical Standards to Protect The Rights of Service Providers and Consumers

Ethical standards, especially for fields that involve human service provision, are necessary to safeguard the rights and safety of both service providers and consumers. Past injustice and maltreatment have pushed different professions to develop codes of ethics that are unique to their respective fields. The chemical dependency field is no exception, and the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) has produced its own code of ethics. By beginning a therapeutic relationship with clients, many doors are opened; healing and harm are both possible, depending on how the counselor handles whatever arises. As a professional, I have a duty to understand the codes, laws, best practices, and agency policies that govern my work with clients. Here I will detail the different forces that guide my own practice, how I decide if something is ethical or unethical, and produce a brief list of actions I deem unethical for chemical dependency professionals.

In any discussion of ethics, it is necessary to address the concept of moral relativism. As Driver (2007) writes, “Moral relativism does not deny that moral claims are true or false—only that their truth is relative” (p. 17). As a social worker and a chemical dependency counselor, I reject this idea. If one were to be a true relativist, he or she would be unable to judge any behavior or actions as wrong or unjust, as it is up to each individual—individual relativism—or the culture—cultural relativism—to decide what is right and wrong (Driver, 2007). Anyone working towards societal change or individual growth should find this idea unpalatable, as every decision and action could be justified (Berger & Zijderveld, 2009). There are things I believe are universally wrong...

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...y. 7) Continuing to meet a client only because it is enjoyable. We counsel to help clients towards treatment goals, and when these are met, the relationship should come to an end, and Heading One, Standard Two, Part C emphasizes this. 8) Claiming the “CDPT” title before the application is approved. While we might be eager to claim titles, Heading Four, Standard Two, Part A reminds us to honestly represent our qualifications (NAADAC, 2011). 9) Presenting educational materials from a source without citing it. Similar to academic integrity, professionals must give credit where it is due when using materials, and this is described under Heading Nine (NAADAC, 2011). 10) Failure to disclose confidential information in a crisis that leads to greater harm. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance in counseling, but there are limits, as described in Heading Three, Part A.