CALIFORNIA CERTIFICATION BOARD OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG COUNSELORS CODE OF ETHICS (CADC I/II)
Principle 1: Non-discrimination
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not discriminate against clients or professionals based upon race, religion, age, sex, handicaps, national ancestry, sexual orientation or economic condition.
Principle 2: Responsibility
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should espouse objectivity and integrity, and maintain the highest standards in the services the counselor offers.
a. The alcoholism and drug counselor, as teacher, should recognize the counselor’s primary obligation to help others acquire knowledge and skill in dealing with the disease of chemical dependency.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor, as practitioner, should accept the professional challenge and responsibility deriving from the counselor’s work.
c. The alcoholism and drug counselor, who supervises others, accepts the obligation to facilitate further professional development of these individuals by providing accurate and current information, timely evaluations and constructive consultation.
Principle 3: Competence
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should recognize that the profession is founded on national standards of competence which promote the best interests of society, of the client, of the counselor and of the profession as a whole. The counselor should recognize the need for ongoing education as a component of professional competency.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should prevent the practice of alcoholism and drug abuse counseling by unqualified and unauthorized persons.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor who is aware of unethical conduct or of unprofessional modes of practice should report such violations to the appropriate certifying authority.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should recognize boundaries and limitations of counselor’s competencies and not offer services or use techniques outside of these professional competencies.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should recognize the effect of professional impairment on professional performance and should be willing to seek appropriate treatment for oneself or for a colleague. The counselor should support peer assistance programs in this respect.
Principle 4: Legal Standards and Moral Standards
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should uphold the legal and accepted moral codes, which pertain to professional conduct.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not claim directly or by implication, professional qualifications/affiliations that the counselor does not possess.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not use the affiliation with the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors for purposes that are not consistent with the stated purposes of the Association.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not associate with or permit the counselor’s name to be used in connection with any services or products in a way that is incorrect or misleading.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor associated with the development or promotion of books or other products offered for commercial sale should be responsible for ensuring that such books or products are presented in a professional and factual way.
Principle 5: Public Statements
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should respect the limits of present knowledge in public statements concerning alcoholism and other forms of drug addiction.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor who represents the field of alcoholism counseling to clients, other professionals, or to the general public should report fairly and accurately the appropriate information.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should acknowledge and document materials and techniques used.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor who conducts training in alcoholism or drug abuse counseling skills or techniques should indicate to the audience the requisite training/qualifications required to properly perform these skills and techniques.
Principle 6: Publication Credit
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should assign credit to all who have contributed to the published material and for the work upon which the publication is based.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should 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 should be identified as a first listed.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should acknowledge in footnotes or an introductory statement minor contributions of a professional character, extensive clerical or similar assistance and other minor contributions.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should acknowledge, through specific citations, unpublished, as well as published material, that has directly influences the research or writing.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor who complies and edits for publication the contributions of others should list oneself as editor, along with the names of those who have contributed.
Principle 7: Client Welfare
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should respect the integrity and protect the welfare of the person or group with whom the counselor is working.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should define for self and others the nature and direction of loyalties and responsibilities and keep all parties concerned informed of these commitments.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor, in the presence of professional conflict should be concerned primarily with the welfare of the client.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should terminate a counseling or consulting relationship when it is reasonably clear that the client is not benefiting from it.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor, in referral cases, should assume the responsibility for the client’s welfare either by termination by mutual agreement and/or by the client becoming engaged with another professional. In situations when a client refuses treatment, referral or recommendations, the alcohol and drug abuse counselor should carefully consider the welfare of the client by weighing the benefits of continued treatment or termination and should act in the best interest of the client.
e. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor who asks a client to reveal personal information from other professionals or allows information to be divulged should inform the client of the nature of such transactions. The information released or obtained with informed consent should be used for expressed purposes only.
f. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not use a client in a demonstration role in a workshop setting where such participation would potentially harm the client.
g. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should ensure the presence of an appropriate setting for clinical work to protect the client from harm and the counselor and the profession from censure.
h. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should collaborate with other health care professional(s) in providing a supportive environment for the client who is receiving prescribed medications.
Principle 8: Confidentiality
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should embrace, as a primary obligation, the duty of protecting the privacy of clients and should not disclose confidential information acquired, in teaching, practice or investigation.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should inform the client and obtain agreement in areas likely to affect the client’s participation including the recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes, and observation of an interview by another person.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should make provisions for the maintenance of confidentiality and the ultimate disposition of confidential records.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should reveal information received in confidence only when there is clear and imminent danger to the client or to other persons, and then only to appropriate professional workers or public authorities.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should 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 should present only data germane to the purpose of the evaluation and every effort should be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.
e. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should use clinical and other material in classroom teaching and writing only when the identity of the persons involved is adequately disguised.
Principle 9: Client Relationships
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should inform the prospective client of the important aspects of the potential relationship.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should inform the client and obtain the client’s agreement in areas likely to affect the client’s participation including the recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes, and/or observation of an interview by another person.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should inform the designated guardian or responsible person of the circumstances, which may influence the relationship, when the client is a minor or incompetent.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not enter into a professional relationship with members of one’s own family, intimate friends or close associates, or others whose welfare might be jeopardized by such a dual relationship.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not engage in any type of sexual activity with a client.
e.The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor shall not accept as clients anyone with whom they have engaged in
sexual behavior.
Principle 10: Interprofessional Relationships
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should treat colleagues with respect, courtesy and fairness, and should afford the same professional courtesy to other professionals.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not offer professional services to a client in counseling with another professional except with the knowledge of the other professional or after the termination of the client’s relationship with the other professional.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should cooperate with duly constituted professional ethics committees and promptly supply necessary information unless constrained by the demands of confidentiality.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor shall not in any way exploit relationships with supervisees, employees, students, research participants or volunteers.
Principle 11: Remuneration
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should establish financial arrangements in professional practice and in accordance with the professional standards that safeguard the best interests of the client, of the counselor and of the profession.
a. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor shall inform the client of all financial policies. In circumstances where an agency dictates explicit provisions with its staff for private consultations, clients shall be made fully aware of these policies.
b. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not send or receive any commission or rebate or any other form of remuneration for referral of clients for professional services. The counselor should not engage in fee splitting.
c. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor in clinical or counseling practice should not use one’s relationship with clients to promote personal gain or the profit of an agency or commercial enterprise of any kind.
d. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should not accept a private fee or any other gift or gratuity for professional work with a person who is entitled to such services though an institution or agency. The policy of a particular agency may make explicit provisions for private work with its client by members of its staff, and in such instances the client must be fully apprised of all policies affecting the client.
Principle 12: Societal Obligations
The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should 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 counselors should inform the public through active civic and professional participation in community affairs of the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction and should act to guarantee that all persons, especially the needy and disadvantaged, have access to the necessary resources and services. The alcoholism and drug abuse counselor should adopt a personal and professional stance, which promotes the well being of all human beings.
The CCBADC is comprised of certified counselors who, as responsible health care professionals, believe in the dignity and worth of human beings. In practice of their profession they assert that the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence and justice must guide their professional conduct. As professionals dedicated to the treatment of alcohol and drug dependent clients and their families, they believe that they can effectively treat its individual and families manifestations. CCBADC certified counselors dedicate themselves to promote the best interest of their society, of their clients, of their profession, and of their colleagues.
Clinical Ethics 