The Purpose of This Code Is to Establish and Maintain Standards for Addiction Counsellors

Preamble.

·  Introduction

The purpose of this Code is to establish and maintain standards for Addiction Counsellors, who are members of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland, and to inform and protect members of the public seeking and using their services.

In joining the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland, Members commit themselves to comply with the Code of Practice and Ethics for their professional activities as well as any behaviour which may impinge on these activities.

Whilst this Code cannot resolve all ethical and practice related issues, it aims to provide a framework for addressing such issues. Depending on the issue involved, Counsellors may find that parts of the Code may be in conflict. In such circumstances, Counsellors may find they have to choose which part of the Code best applies.

All Members of the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland are subject to the Irish Law and where applicable, to EU Law and their practice must conform to these.

The Association of Addiction Counsellors has a Complaints procedure in place.

·  Statement of Working Principles for Counselling

This statement of Working Principles for Counselling unifies all the Codes for Counsellors, Trainers and Supervisors. It is applicable to counselling research, the use of counselling skills, and the management of these services within the Addiction Counsellors of Ireland and is intended to inform the practice of each Member.

·  In this statement the term “counsellor” is used generically to refer to anyone with responsibility for the provision of counselling and counselling services. The client may be an individual, group or other specifiable social unit. It is accepted that names may be substituted for “counsellor” and “client” in the practice-setting according to local understanding.

·  Practitioners are required to use a formal procedure in examining ethical aspects of their work and ethical principles are well suited to examining the justification for particular decisions and actions. However, reliance on principles alone may detract from the importance of the Counsellor’s personal qualities and their ethical significance in the counselling or therapeutic relationship. The provision of a culturally sensitive and appropriate service is also a fundamental ethical concern. Cultural factors are often more easily understood and responded to in terms of value. Professional values, therefore, are becoming an increasingly significant way of expressing ethical commitment.

·  Definition of Counselling

·  Addiction counselling seeks to provide the client, which may include concerned persons, with opportunities to explore, discover and clarify ways of recovery from addictive substances/behaviours. The overall aim is to provide an opportunity for the client to work towards living in a more satisfying and resourceful way.

·  Addiction counselling includes the giving of time, attention and respect in a confidential, therapeutic relationship. This includes work with individuals, couples or groups known as “clients.”

·  The Counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s growth in ways which respect the person’s values, personal resources and capacity for self-determination, leading to lifelong recovery.

·  Only when both parties explicitly agree to enter into a counselling relationship and a contract is agreed between the counsellor and client does it become counselling.

·  Regardless of the theoretical approaches used by individual Counsellors, there are ethical issues which are common to all counselling situations.

·  Values of Addiction Counselling

The fundamental values of counselling include a commitment to:

·  Respect for human rights and promotion of each person’s dignity

·  Ensure the integrity of the counsellor-client relationship

·  Enhance the quality of professional knowledge and its application

·  Alleviate personal distress and suffering

·  Foster a sense of self that is meaningful to the person(s) relationships

·  Appreciate the variety of human experience and culture

·  Striving for the fair and adequate provision of counselling services.

Values inform principles and represent an important way of expressing a general ethical commitment that becomes more precisely defined and action orientated when expressed as a principle.

·  Ethical principles of addiction counselling

Principles direct the attention to important ethical responsibilities. Each principle is described below and followed by examples of good practice that have been developed in response to that principle. Ethical decisions that are strongly supported by one or more of these principles without any contradiction from others may be regarded as reasonably well founded. However, practitioners will encounter circumstances in which it is impossible to reconcile all the applicable principles and choosing between principles may be required. A counsellor’s obligation is to consider all the relevant circumstance with as much care as is reasonably possible and to be appropriately accountable for decisions made.

Fidelity: honouring the trust placed in the counsellor

Being trustworthy is regarded as fundamental to understanding and resolving ethical issues. Counsellors who adopt this principle, act in accordance with the trust placed in them; regard confidentiality as an obligation arising from the client’s trust and restrict any disclosure of confidential information about clients to furthering the purposes for which it was originally disclosed.

Autonomy: respect for the client’s right to be self-governing

This principle emphasises the importance of the client’s commitment to participating in counselling, usually on a voluntary basis. Counsellors who respect their client’s autonomy ensure accuracy in advertising or information given in advance of services offered; seek freely given and adequately informed consent; engage in explicit contracting in advance of any commitment by the client; protect privacy; protect confidentiality; normally make any disclosures of confidential information conditional on the consent of the person concerned and inform the client in advance of foreseeable conflicts of interest.

Beneficence: a commitment to promoting the client’s well-being

The principle of beneficence means acting in the best interests of the client based on professional assessment. It directs attention to working strictly within one’s limits of competence and providing service on the basis of adequate training or experience. There is an obligation to use regular and on-going supervision to enhance the quality of the service provided and to commit to updating practice by continuing professional development. An obligation to act in the best interests of a client may become paramount when working with clients whose capacity for autonomy is diminished because of immaturity, lack of understanding, extreme distress, serious disturbance or other significant personal constraints.

Non-maleficence: a commitment to avoiding harm to the client

Non-maleficence involves: avoiding sexual, financial, emotional, or any other form of client exploitation; avoiding incompetence or malpractice; not providing services when unfit to do so due to illness, personal circumstances or intoxication. The Counsellor has an ethical responsibility to strive to mitigate any harm caused to a client even when the harm is unavoidable or unintended. Counsellors have a personal responsibility to challenge, where appropriate, the incompetence or malpractice of others; and to contribute to any investigation and/or adjudication concerning professional practice which falls below that of a reasonably competent Counsellor and/or risks bringing discredit upon the profession.

Justice: the fair and impartial treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services

The principle of justice requires being just and fair to all clients and respecting their human rights and dignity. Justice in the distribution of services requires the ability to determine impartially the provision of services for clients and the ability to appreciate differences between people; to be committed to equality of opportunity, and avoiding discrimination against people or groups contrary to their legitimate personal or social characteristics. Counsellors have a duty to strive to ensure a fair provision of counselling services, accessible and appropriate to the needs of potential clients.

Self-respect: fostering the Counsellor’s self-knowledge and care for self

The principles of self-respect mean that the Counsellor appropriately applies all the above principles as entitlements for self. This includes seeking counselling or therapy and other opportunities for personal development as required. There is an ethical responsibility to use supervision for appropriate personal and professional support and development, and to seek training and other opportunities for continuing personal development. The principle of self-respect encourages active engagement in life-enhancing activities and relationships that are independent of relationships in counselling.

·  Personal qualities: personal qualities to which counsellors are strongly encouraged to aspire to include:

·  Empathy: the ability to communicate understanding of another person’s experience from that person’s perspective

·  Sincerity: a personal commitment to consistency between what is professed and what is done

·  Integrity: personal straightforwardness, honesty and congruence

·  Resilience: the capacity to work with the client’s concerns without being personally diminished

·  Respect: showing appropriate esteem to others and their understanding of themselves

·  Humility: the ability to assess accurately and acknowledge one’s own strengths and weaknesses

·  Competence: the effective deployment of the skills and knowledge needed to do what is required

·  Fairness: the consistent application of appropriate criteria to inform decisions and actions

·  Wisdom: possession of sound judgement that informs practice

·  Courage: the capacity to act in spite of known fears, risks and uncertainty

Code of Ethics

·  Counselling is a non-exploitative activity and, as such, is underpinned by integrity, impartiality and respect. Counsellors are obliged to work ethically whether the counselling is paid for by the client or offered free by an Organisation or the Counsellor.

·  Counsellors shall have regard for the client’s beliefs and values. The service offered shall not be minimised or diminished by any bias regarding gender, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion or politics, ethnicity, social standing or class.

·  The Counsellor shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the client’s safety during counselling.

·  Counsellors must not abuse their client’s trust in order to gain sexual, emotional, financial or any other kind of personal advantage.

·  The terms on which counselling is being offered must be made clear to clients before counselling begins. Regular reviews must be agreed at this stage.

·  The counsellor-client relationship is the foremost ethical concern. This relationship also reflects upon colleagues, other Associations and members of the wider community. These will be considered in this Code under different headings.

·  The practice of counselling depends on gaining and honouring the trust of clients. Keeping trust requires:

·  Attentiveness to the quality of listening and respect offered to clients

·  Culturally appropriate ways of communicating that are courteous and clear

·  Respect for privacy and dignity

·  Careful attention to client consent and confidentiality.

2. Confidentiality

·  Confidentiality is a means of providing the client with safety and privacy.

·  As a general principle Counsellors must not reveal confidential material concerning clients. Confidentiality can only be broken where required by law, or if the Counsellor has reason to believe the client(s) will cause physical harm to themselves or others or be themselves in danger of such harm. Before such disclosure is made, every effort shall be made to get the client’s consent, and the Counsellor should consult their supervisor or experienced colleague. Minimise any breach of confidentiality by conveying only the information that is relevant and necessary. However, in emergencies, Counsellors shall make their own judgement as to what action is best.

·  Communications made on the basis of client consent do not constitute a breach of confidentiality. Client consent is the preferred way of resolving any dilemmas over confidentiality.

·  Confidential information about clients may be shared within teams where the client has consented or knowingly accepted a service on this basis. The disclosure enhances the quality of service available to clients or improves service quality.

·  Care must be taken to ensure that personally identifiable information is not transmitted through overlapping networks of confidential relationships.

·  Any agreement between the Counsellor and client may be reviewed and changed by joint negotiations.

·  Agreements between Counsellor and client about confidentiality continue after the client’s death unless there are overriding legal or ethical considerations.

·  Special care is required when writing about specific counselling situations for case studies or publication.

·  When a report is requested by a doctor, probation officers, courts etc., a mutual agreement is negotiated with the client and a signed consent is obtained.

·  Every possible care must be taken to protect the rights of children where a counsellor has knowledge or suspicion that a child is being abused or is at risk at home. Where a client reports sexual abuse as presently occurring, then the safety of the child must take priority and steps outlined in the current Children First (2011) guidelines issued by the Department of Health & Children, must be followed. (See link to Children First Guidelines/Legislation).

·  When working with minors, Counsellors are legally obliged to have Garda clearance and operate fully and consistently within the terms of the current Children First (2011) guidelines issued by the Department of Health & Children. (See link to Children First Guidelines/Legislation).

·  Counsellors have a responsibility to inform themselves of the current statutory obligations (and any changes therein) in Child Protection legislation.

·  Discuss the limits of confidentiality with the client, including the implications for confidentiality of the supervisory relationship, at the time of initial contracting.

·  In a situation where a Counsellor is in any doubt about their legal rights/obligations, or where a current crime is disclosed, the Counsellor should seek legal advice and/or contact their Supervisor and/or their Association for guidance.

3. Competence

·  Counsellors should have received adequate training before commencing counselling, and should maintain on-going professional development (See link to CPD training).

·  It is an indication of the competence of counsellors that, where applicable, they recognise their lack of training or expertise to work with a client and make an appropriate referral.

·  Counsellors shall take all reasonable steps to monitor and develop their own competence and ensure they work within the level of that competency. This includes having on-going supervision from a Supervisor who is appropriately trained and experienced.

·  Counsellors must cease work when their functioning is impaired due to illness, alcohol, drugs, gambling or any other process or behavioural addictions. Where personal problems or emotional difficulties impinge on their ability to function, they should seek advice from appropriate professionals to help them decide if they should limit, suspend or terminate their counselling activity. In some circumstances, the decision to limit or suspend practice may lie with the Counsellor’s Clinical Supervisor or the employing organisation.