Services

INTRODUCTION
The Rhode Island Board for the Certification/Licensure of Chemical Dependency Professionals
Code of Ethics is based upon the NAADAC Ethical Standards of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Professionals. All persons certified/licensed or applying for certification/licensure must subscribe to
the RIBCCDP/RILBCDP Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics is adopted to aid in the delivery of the
highest quality of professional care to persons seeking chemical dependency services. These
standards will assist the addiction professional to determine the propriety of his/her conduct in
relationships with clients, recipients, colleagues, members of allied professions, and the public.

Violation of the RIBCCDP/RILBCDP Code of Ethics shall be deemed as grounds for discipline.
Engaging in unethical conduct includes, in addition to violation of the Principles enumerated herein,
any other violation which is harmful or detrimental to the profession or to the public. Please refer to
the Administrative Procedures Act for Investigatory/Disciplinary Processes.

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SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES

Principle 1: Non-Discrimination. The addiction professional must not discriminate against
clients, recipients, or professionals based on race, religion, age, sex, handicaps, national
ancestry, sexual orientation, or economic condition.

Principle 2: Responsibility. The addiction professional must espouse objectivity and integrity and
maintain the highest standards in the services the professional offers.

a. The addiction professional, as a teacher, must recognize the professional's primary obligation
to help others acquire knowledge and skill in dealing with the disease of chemical
dependency.

b. The addiction professional, as a practitioner, must accept the professional challenge and
responsibility deriving from the professional's work.

Principle 3: Competence. The addiction professional must recognize that the profession is
founded on national standards of competency which promote the best interest of society, of the
client or recipient, of the professional, and of the profession as a whole. The professional must
recognize the need for ongoing education as a component of professional competency.

a. The addiction professional must promote the practice of alcoholism and drug abuse
counseling or prevention by qualified and authorized persons.

b. The addiction professional who is aware of unethical conduct or of unprofessional modes of
practice must report such violations to the appropriate certifying authority.

c. The addiction professional must recognize boundaries and limitations of his/her respective
competencies and not offer services or use of techniques outside of these professional
competencies. Incompetence includes but is not limited to lack of knowledge or ability to
discharge professional obligations within the scope of responsibilities of the professional (as
defined in the Core Functions and Knowledge and Skill Competencies) or a deviation from the
standards of skill ordinarily possessed and applied by professional peers in the state of Rhode
Island acting in the same or similar circumstances.

d. The addiction professional must recognize the effect of professional impairment on
professional performance and must be willing to seek appropriate treatment for oneself
or for a colleague. The professional must support peer assistance programs in this respect.
Incompetency includes refusal to seek treatment for chemical dependency problems that
impair professional performance.

Principle 4: Legal Standards and Moral Standards. The addiction professional must uphold legal
and accepted moral codes which pertain to professional conduct.

a. The addiction professional must not participate in illegal acts. Illegal acts include but are not
limited to violation of federal or state confidentiality statutes; conviction of a crime which
would affect the individual's ability to function effectively; or being an accessory to,
participating in, or condoning dishonesty, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other illegal act
involving a client or recipient.

b. The addiction professional must not engage in fraud in procuring certification or fraud in
maintenance of certification. Fraud in such cases includes but is not limited to intentional
perversion of truth in the application; false representation of material fact, whether by word or
by conduct; concealment of that which should have been disclosed when making application;
attempting to file or filing any false or forged diploma, certificate, affidavit, transcript,
identification, or qualification; submitting material which is not the original work of the
applicant or with the original source of the information having not been given credit; or
knowingly assisting another to procure certification or to maintain certification in a fraudulent
manner.

c. The addiction professional must not claim either directly or by implication, professional
qualifications/affiliations that the professional does not possess.

d. The addiction professional must not use the affiliation with the RIBCCDP for purposes that are
not consistent with the stated purposes of the Board.

e. The addiction professional must not associate with or permit the professional's name to be
used in connection with any services or products in a way that is incorrect or misleading.

f. The addiction professional associated with the development or promotion of books or other
products offered for commercial sale must be responsible for ensuring that such books or
products are presented in a professional and factual way.

Principle 5: Public Statements. The addiction professional must respect the limits of present
knowledge in public statements concerning alcoholism and other forms of drug addiction.

a. The addiction professional must not participate in misrepresentation. Misrepresentation
includes but is not limited to knowingly making misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent
representation in the practice of the profession.

b. The addiction professional who represents the field of alcoholism and drug abuse counseling,
student assistance counseling or prevention to clients/recipients, other professionals, or to the
general public must report fairly and accurately the appropriate information.

c. The addiction professional must acknowledge and document materials and the technique
used.

d. The addiction professional who conducts training in alcoholism and drug abuse counseling or
prevention skills or techniques must indicate to the audience the requisite
training/qualifications required to properly perform these skills and techniques.

Principle 6: Publication Credit. The addiction professional must assign credit to all who have
contributed to the published material and for the work upon which the publication is based.

a. The addiction professional must recognize joint authorship, major contributions of a
professional character, made by several persons to a common project. The author who has
made the principle contribution to a publication must be identified as the first listed.

b. The addiction professional must acknowledge in footnotes or an introductory statement minor
contributions of a professional character, extensive clerical, or similar assistance and other
minor contributions.

c. The addiction professional must acknowledge, through specific citations, unpublished, as well
as published, material that has directly influenced the research or writing.

d. The addiction professional who complies and edits for publication the contributions of others
must list oneself as editor, along with the names of those others who have contributed.

Principle 7: Client/Recipient Welfare. The addiction professional must respect the integrity and
protect the welfare of the person or group with whom the professional is working.

a. The addiction professional must define for self and others the nature and direction of loyalties
and responsibilities and keep all parties concerned informed of these commitments.

b. The addiction professional, in the presence of professional conflict, must be concerned
primarily with the welfare of the client or recipient.

c. The addiction professional must terminate a counseling or consulting relationship when it is
reasonably clear to the professional that the client or recipient is not benefiting from it.

d. The addiction professional, in referral cases, must assume the responsibility for the client's or
recipient's welfare either by termination by mutual agreement and/or by the client or recipient
becoming engaged with another professional. In situations when a client or recipient
refuses treatment, referral, or recommendations, the addiction professional must carefully
consider the welfare of the client/recipient by weighing the benefits of continued treatment or
termination and must act in the best interest of the client or recipient.

e. The addiction professional who asks a client or recipient to reveal personal information from
other professionals or who allows information to be divulged must inform the client or recipient
the nature of such transactions. The information released or obtained with informed consent
must be used for expressed purposes only.

f. The addiction professional must not use a client or recipient in a demonstration role in a
workshop setting where such participation would potentially harm the client or recipient.

g. The addiction professional must ensure the presence of an appropriate setting for clinical work
to protect the client or recipient from harm and the professional and the profession from
censure.

h. The addiction professional must collaborate with other health care professionals in providing a
supportive environment for the client or recipient who is receiving prescribed medication.

Principle 8: Confidentiality. The addiction professional must embrace, as primary obligation, the
duty of protecting the privacy of clients or recipients and must not disclose confidential
information acquired in teaching, practice, or investigation.

a. The addiction processional must inform the client or recipient and obtain agreement in areas
likely to affect the client's or recipient's participation including the recording of an interview,
the use of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes and the observation
of interview by another person.

b. The addiction professional must make provisions for the maintenance of confidentiality and
the ultimate disposition of confidential records.

c. The addiction professional must reveal information received in confidence only when there is
a clear and imminent danger to the client, recipient, or other persons, and then only to
appropriate workers or public authorities, in accordance with 42 CFR, Part 2.

d. The addiction professional must discuss the information obtained in clinical or consulting
relationships only in appropriate settings and only for professional purposes clearly concerned
with the case. Written and oral reports must only present data germane to the purpose of the
evaluation and every effort must be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.

e. The addiction professional must use clinical and other materials in classroom teaching and
writing only when the identity of the persons involved is adequately disguised.

Principle 9: Client/Recipient Relationship. The addiction professional must inform the
prospective client or recipient of the important aspects of the professional relationship.

a. The addiction professional must inform the client or recipient and obtain the client's or
recipient's agreement in areas likely to affect the client's or recipient's participation including
the audio/visual recording of an interview, the use of the interview for training purposes,
and/or the observation of an interview by another person.

b. The addiction professional must inform the designated guardian or responsible person of the
circumstances which may influence the relationship, when the client or recipient is a minor or
incompetent, in accordance with 42 CFR, Part 2.

c. The addiction professional must not enter into a professional relationship with members of
one's own family, intimate friends, close associates, or others whose welfare might be
jeopardized by such dual relationships.

d. The addiction professional must not enter into a dual professional relationship with a client or
recipient.

e. The addiction professional must not solicit or engage in any type of sexual activity with a client
or recipient.

Principle 10: Interprofessional Relationships. The addiction professional must treat colleagues
with respect, courtesy, and fairness and must afford the same professional courtesy to other
professionals.

a. The addiction professional must not offer professional services to a client or recipient in
counseling with another professional except with the knowledge of the other professional or
after the termination of the client's or recipient's relationship with the other professional.

b. The addiction professional must cooperate with duly constituted professional ethics
committees and promptly supply necessary information unless constrained by the
demands of confidentiality.

c. The addiction professional must not knowingly file a false report against a colleague
concerning any ethical violation.

Principle 11: Renumeration. The addiction professional must establish financial arrangements in
professional practice and in accord with the professional standards that safeguard the
best interests of the client, of the recipient, of the professional, and of the profession.

a. The addiction professional must consider carefully the ability of the client or recipient to meet
the financial cost in establishing rates for professional services.

b. The addiction professional must not send or receive any commission or rebate or any other
form of remuneration for referral of clients or recipients for professional services. The
professional must not engage in fee splitting.

c. The addiction professional must not use one's relationship with clients or recipients to promote
personal gain or the profit of an agency or commercial enterprise of any kind.

d. The addiction professional shall not enter into personal financial arrangements (for example,
loans) with a client or recipient.

e. The addiction professional must not accept a private fee or any other gift or gratuity for
professional work with a person who is entitled to such services through an
institution or agency. The policy of a particular agency may make explicit provisions for
private work with its clients or recipients by members of its staff, and in such instances, the
client or recipient must be fully apprised of all policies affecting the client or recipient.

Principle 12: Societal Obligations. The addiction professional must advocate changes in public
policy and legislation to afford opportunity and choice for all persons whose lives are impaired by
the disease of alcoholism and other forms of drug addiction. The professional must inform the
public through active civic and professional participation in community affairs of the effects of
alcoholism and drug addiction and must act to advocate that all persons, especially the needy
and disadvantaged, have access to the necessary resources and services. The addiction
professional must adopt a personal and professional stance which promotes the well-being of
all human beings.

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