It is the policy of the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction Professionals to promote and safeguard the quality, effectiveness and competence of professional addiction counselors through the insistence of adherence to its Code of Ethics by all WVCBAPP certified counselors.

The ethics committee develops and recommends an ethical code of conduct for adoption by the Board of Directors. Currently, the Board has adopted the code of conduct adhered to by the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). The ethics committee has jurisdiction over all matters of violation and misconduct by certified addiction counselors in the state of West Virginia. It immediately and thoroughly investigates such charges and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors for appropriate action.

PRINCIPAL ONE: NON-DISCRIMINATION

The addiction counselor shall not discriminate against clients or professionals based on race, religion, age, gender, disability, national ancestry, sexual orientation or economic condition.

1. The addiction counselor shall avoid bringing personal or professional issues into the counseling relationship. Through an awareness of the impact of stereotyping in discrimination, the addiction counselor guards the individual rights and personal dignity of clients.
2. The addiction counselor shall be knowledgeable about disabling conditions, demonstrate empathy and personal emotional comfort in interactions with clients with disabilities, and make available physical, sensory and cognitive accommodations that allow clients with disabilities to receive services.
   

PRINCIPAL TWO: RESPONSIBILITY

The addiction counselor shall espouse objectivity and integrity, and maintain the highest standards in the services the counselor offers.

1. The addiction counselor shall maintain respect for institutional policies and management functions of the agencies and institutions within which the services are being performed, but will take initiative toward improving such policies when it will better serve the interest of the client.
2. The addiction counselor, as educator, has a primary obligation to help others acquire knowledge and skills in dealing with the disease of alcoholism, drug abuse and behavioral dependency.
3. The addiction 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.
4. The addiction counselor who is aware of unethical conduct or of unprofessional modes of practice shall report such inappropriate behavior to the appropriate authority.
   

PRINCIPAL THREE: COMPETENCE

The addiction counselor shall recognize that the profession is founded on national standards of competency which promote the best interests of society, of the clients, of the counselor and of the profession as a whole. The counselor shall recognize the need for ongoing education as a component of professional competency.

1. The counselor shall recognize boundaries and limitations of his/her competencies and not offer services or use techniques outside of these professional competencies.
2. The addiction counselor shall recognize the effect of impairment on professional performance and shall be willing to seek appropriate treatment for himself/herself or for a colleague. The counselor shall support peer assistance programs in this respect.

PRINCIPAL FOUR: LEGAL AND MORAL STANDARDS

The addiction counselor shall uphold legal and accepted moral codes which pertain to professional conduct.

1. The addiction counselor shall be fully cognizant of all federal and state laws governing the practice of addiction counseling.
2. The addiction counselor shall not claim, either directly or by implication, professional qualifications/affiliations that the counselor does not possess.
3. The addiction counselor shall insure that products or services associated with or provided by the counselor by means of teaching, demonstration, publications or other types of media meet the ethical standards of this code.
   

PRINCIPAL FIVE: PUBLIC STATEMENTS

The addiction counselor shall honestly respect limits of present knowledge in public statements concerning alcoholism, drug abuse and behavioral dependencies.

1. The addiction counselor, in making statements to clients, other professionals, and the general public shall state as fact only those matters which have been empirically validated as fact. All other opinions, speculation, and conjecture concerning the nature of alcoholism and drug abuse, it's natural history, it's treatment or any other matters which touched on the subject of alcoholism, drug abuse and behavioral dependency shall be represented as less than scientifically valid.
2. The addiction counselor shall acknowledge and accurately report the substantiation and support for statements made concerning the nature of alcoholism, drug abuse, behavioral dependencies, their natural history, and treatment. Such acknowledgment should extend to the source of the information and reliability of the method by which it was derived.
   

PRINCIPAL SIX: PUBLICATION CREDIT

The addiction counselor shall assign credit to all who have contributed to the published material and for the work upon which the publication is based.

1. The addiction counselor shall recognize joint authorship and major contributions of a professional nature made by one or more persons to a common project. The author who has made the principal contribution to a publication must be identified as first author.
2. The addiction counselor shall acknowledge in footnotes or in an introductory statement minor contributions of a professional nature, extensive clerical or similar assistance and other minor contributions.
3. The addiction counselor shall in no way violate the copyright of anyone by reproducing material in any form whatsoever, except in those ways which are allowed under the copyright laws. This involves direct violation of copyright as well as the passive assent to the violation of copyright by others.
   

PRINCIPAL SEVEN: CLIENT WELFARE

The addiction counselor shall promote the protection of the public health, safety and welfare and the best interest of the client as a primary guide in determining all conduct.

1. The addiction counselor shall disclose the certification board's code of ethics, professional loyalties and responsibilities to all clients.
2. The addiction counselor should terminate a counseling or consulting relationship when it is reasonably clear to the counselor that the client is not benefitting from the relationship.
3. The counselor shall hold the welfare of the client paramount when making any decisions or recommendations concerning referral, treatment procedures or termination of treatment.
4. The addiction counselor shall not use or encourage a clients participation in any demonstration, research or other non-treatment activities when such participation would have potential harmful consequences for the client or when the client is not fully informed. (See principal 9).
5. The addiction counselor shall take care to provide services in an environment which will ensure the privacy and safety of the client at all times and insure the appropriateness of service delivery.
   

PRINCIPAL EIGHT: CONFIDENTIALITY

The addiction counselor working in the best interest of the client shall embrace, as a primary obligation, the duty of protecting clients rights under confidentiality and shall not disclose confidential information acquired in teaching, practice or investigation without appropriately executed consent.

1. The addiction counselor must provide the client his/her rights regarding confidentiality, in writing, as part of informing the client in any areas likely to affect the client's confidentiality. This includes the recording of the clinical interview, the use of material for insurance purposes, the use of material for training or observation by another party.
2. The addiction counselor shall make appropriate provisions for the maintenance of confidentiality and the ultimate disposition of confidential records. The member shall insure that data obtained, including any form of electronic communication, are secured by the available security methodology. Data shall be limited to information that is necessary and appropriate to the services being provided and be accessible only to appropriate personnel.
3. The addiction counselor shall adhere to all federal and state laws regarding confidentiality and the counselor's responsibility to report clinical information and specific circumstances to the appropriate authorities.
4. The addiction counselor shall discuss the information obtained in clinical, consulting, or observational relationships only in the appropriate settings for professional purposes that are in the client's best interests. Written and oral reports must present only data germane and pursuant to the purpose of evaluation, diagnosis, progress, and compliance. Every effort shall be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.
5. The addiction counselor shall use clinical and other material in teaching and/or writing only when there is no identifying information used about the parties involved.
   

PRINCIPAL NINE: CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

It is a responsibility of the addiction counselor to safeguard the integrity of the counseling relationship and to insure that the client has reasonable access to effective treatment. The addiction counselor shall provide the client and/or guardian with accurate and complete information regarding the extent of the potential professional relationship.

1. The addiction counselor shall inform the client and obtain the client's agreement in areas likely to affect the client's participation including recording of an interview, the use of interview material for training purposes, and/or observation of an interview by another person.
2. The addiction counselor shall not engage in professional relationships or commitments that conflict with family members, friends, close associates, or others whose welfare might be jeopardized by such a dual relationship.
3. The addiction counselor shall not exploit relationships with current or former clients for personal gain, including social or business relationships.
4. The addiction counselor shall not under any circumstances engage in sexual behavior with current or former clients.
5. The addiction counselor shall not accept as clients anyone with him they have engaged in sexual behavior.
   

PRINCIPAL 10: INTER-PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

The addiction counselor shall treat colleagues with respect, courtesy, fairness, and good faith and shall afford the same to other professionals.

1. The addiction counselor shall refrain from offering professional services to a client who is 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.
2. The addiction counselor shall cooperate with duly constituted professional ethics committees and promptly supply necessary information unless constrained by the demands of confidentiality.
3. The addiction counselor shall not in any way exploit relationships with supervisees, employees, students, research participants or volunteers.
   

PRINCIPAL 11: REMUNERATION

The addiction counselor shall establish financial arrangements and professional practice in accord with the professional standards that safeguard the best interests of the client first, and then of the counselor, the agency, and the profession.

1. The addiction counselor shall inform the client of all financial policies. In circumstances where an agency dictates explicit provisions with its staff for private consultations, the client shall be made fully aware of those policies.
2. The addiction counselor shall consider the ability of a client to meet the financial costs in establishing rates for professional services.
3. The addiction counselor shall not engage in fee splitting. The addiction counselor shall not send or receive any commission or rebate or any other form of remuneration for referral of clients for professional services.
4. The addiction counselor, in the practice of counseling, shall not at any time use his/her relationship with clients for personal gain or for the profit of an agency or any commercial enterprise of any kind.
5. The addiction counselor shall not accept private fees for professional work with the person who is entitled to such services through an institution or agency unless the client is informed of such services and still requests private services.

PRINCIPAL 12: SOCIETAL OBLIGATIONS

The addiction counselor shall, to the best of his/her ability, actively engage legislative processes, educational institutions, and the general public to change public policy and legislation to make possible opportunities and choice of service for all human beings of any ethnic or social background whose lives are impaired by alcoholism, drug abuse and behavioral dependencies.