Ethical and practice code of the Areopagus IFTSP members

Introduction

The quality of membership in the Areopagus Institute of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (Areopagus IFTSP) generically includes professionals from the fields of psychology, social work, medicine, law, media, theology, politics and education who have completed a training course in systemic approach, according to the specific needs of the field they represent.

The Areopagus IFTSP members must always seek the maximum benefit of the assisted clients. According to this purpose, they are dedicated to the highest competency and professional integrity standards.

The purpose of this ethical and practice code is to establish ethical and professional standards that Areopagus IFTSP members must respect, to assist them in their work with their clients, respectively to inform them and protect the clients.

The ethical and practice code must be respected by all Areopagus IFTSP members.

Responsibility towards the clients

Areopagus IFTSP members must:

1. participate in an adequately professional training before starting the actual work with their clients and continuously develop professionally.

2. use their knowledge, abilities and experience in order to promote the psycho-social well-being and personal development of their clients.

3. develop their work in such a way that it should promote client’s control over their own lives and respect client’s abilities to make their own decisions and change in light of their own beliefs and values.

4. to respect the ethical and religious orientation of their clients.

5. not to make any discriminations because of religion, gender, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, disabilities and social class.

6. be aware of the influence they can exert over their clients by the nature of the relationship with them, and not to exploit them financially, sexually and emotionally in any way.

7. to establish and monitor boundaries in relation to their clients and bring them to the knowledge of the clients.

8. to maintain a professional relationship with the clients for as long as this is in the benefit of the client. Not to neglect or abandon their clients without previously assuring them that they no longer need adequate help or that this help can be offered by other professionals. They must also avoid addiction to therapy or useless prolongation of assisting clients.

9. to refer clients to other professionals and collaborate with them when this is in the benefit of the client.

10. to protect clients when there are proves that the actions of other professionals can endanger the clients. In such a case, first the problem needs to be discussed with the person in case, except the situation when this is not appropriate. If the problem cannot be solved in this manner, one must review the proves and discuss them with the practitioner’s superiors from the agency or with the members of the professional association they belong to. If one is not sure what should be done, the problem must be discussed with a competent colleague or a supervisor, or needs to be brought to the attention of other Areopagus IFTSP members.

11. to maintain their efficiency, flexibility and the ability to assist clients. They need to self-monitor their personal level of functionality and seek for help or temporarily/permanently give up assisting clients when their inner resources are low.

12. to respond quickly and adequately to any complaint of the clients. They must do their best to improve any situation that can cause damage to the client and prevent the repetition of these situations in the future.

Responsibility towards the persons in a training program and the persons in supervision

As trainers and supervisors, the Areopagus IFTSP members:

1. must strive to be well informed about the new models of family therapy practice and the latest research in this field.

2. to be dedicated in maintaining the highest academic standards and accuracy of the information presented.

3. to manifest correctness, precision and honesty in evaluating the trainees.

4. must clarify the responsibilities in working with the clients.

5. to avoid relationships with the trainees or persons under supervision that could negatively affect professional judgment (e.g. business, close personal relationship).

6. not to allow trainees or persons under supervision to feel competent in offering services that exceed their training area, experience or competence.

Confidentiality

Areopagus IFTSP members must keep the confidentiality of personal information about their clients obtained through assisting them. Confidentiality is a way of assuring clients’ protection and intimacy.

Areopagus IFTSP members must clearly communicate to the clients the boundaries of the confidentiality they can rely on.

Clients cannot be observed by anybody else than their therapist/therapists without their given consent. This applies also to audio or video recordings of the therapeutic sessions.

When the client is involved in another therapeutic relationship with a professional, the therapist must have the client’s permission before consulting with him/her.

No identification information should be transmitted through any confidential relationship network.

The agreements between Areopagus IFTSP members and clients concerning confidentiality will continue after the clients’ death, except the case when there are ethical or legal reasons to reveal information about them.

Areopagus IFTSP members must keep the documents that contain personal information about the clients in a place that would assure confidentiality.

Areopagus IFTSP members will be allowed to use clinical materials in training courses, written presentations or case studies only after obtaining the written consent of the client or the client’s identity will not be revealed.

Revealing confidential information to third persons:

Areopagus IFTSP members will reveal confidential information concerning their clients to third persons or agencies only in the following situations:

• to prevent inherent and immediate dangers toward certain persons, such as abuse, neglect, the possibility of homicide or suicide.
• when clients have given their written consent.
• when this is established by law.
• when Areopagus IFTSP members are witnesses in case trials, lawsuits or disciplinary actions that have a connection with assisting the client.

Consent must always be obtained from the client concerning the changing of the confidentiality agreement, except with the case when there are solid arguments which prove the fact that the clients re no longer responsible for their own actions. The decision not to maintain anymore the confidentiality that was established between an Areopagus IFTSP member and a client must be made only after consulting a supervisor or a more experienced client. Any violation of confidentiality must be minimal, by limiting to the revealing of the information that is necessary for that situation. Areopagus IFTSP members must establish the balance between:

• seeking the benefit of the client in a way in which he/she can assume again the responsibilities for his/her actions
• responsibility towards community

In the situation when Areopagus IFTSP members do not know what are the legal rights and requirements, they must ask for judicial consultancy and/or contact their supervisor.

Professional competency and integrity

Areopagus IFTSP members:

1. must present appropriately the training, qualifications and relevant experiences for practice.

2. must do their best to monitor the development of their own competences and work within the limits of these competences. This requires continuous supervision.

3. they must not offer professional assistance when their normal functioning is disturbed by personal or emotional difficulties, diseases, disabilities, consuming of alcohol and drugs or any other reason. Recognizing the inability to offer assistance and sending clients to other professionals represents a sign of competency.

4. they need to exert their professional role in such a way that it should not undermine public’s trust in the work of other colleagues or professionals.

5. they must admit that psychotherapy can be practiced in different conceptual frameworks through applying different methods. Therefore, they must manifest openness to changing opinions and experiences coming from other therapeutic approaches and avoid discrediting them in order to highlight the advantages of the orientation he/she adheres to.

6. they must work within legal limits.

7. they must be aware of legal aspects that could affect the work done.

The situation in which an Areopagus IFTSP member

• is convicted for serious crimes
• engages himself in criminal behavior
• is excluded from other professional organizations
• refuses to cooperate with Areopagus IFTSP or the responsible comities for applying this Code of ethics and practice

can lead to temporary or permanent withdrawal of the therapist certificate, lose of the quality of membership or other disciplinary measures adequate to the situation.

Conditions for practicing family therapy, supervision and training

Services:

The terms of the services must be communicated clearly to the clients before offering them the services.

These conditions include availability, confidentiality limits, expectations from the clients concerning fees and postponing sessions and other important problems. The ulterior changing of these conditions must be approved by the client.

The communication of the terms and their negotiation of these must take place and must be accepted by the client and Areopagus IFTSP member through a written agreement before the client assumes any financial obligation.

Any publishable or written material, as long as oral information must be accurately reflected in the nature of the services offered and training, qualification and relevant experience for the services offered by Areopagus IFTSP members.

Areopagus IFTSP members must give assistance and respect ethical principles in the same manner in the situation in which services are paid or free given.

Therapy:

Areopagus IFTSP members must document in written the process of client assisting. These documents must reflect respect towards clients and colleagues.

Clients must be aware of the fact that written documents are made concerning the therapeutic process. At the client’s request, he / she must be informed concerning the access to this information, other people’s access to these dates and the amount in which they are safely kept.

Areopagus IFTSP members are advised to possess malpraxis insurance.

Supervision:

Supervision refers to a formal arrangement that allows Areopagus IFTSP members to discuss at certain time periods about their professional activity with one or more persons who understand the nature of the activity practiced with the clients and of the supervision

The purpose of supervision is to ensure the efficiency of the assistance given to the clients.

Areopagus IFTSP members must ask for supervision and support at certain time periods through consultancy as often as it is necessary.

Research and publishing

The rights of persons who participate in research activities must be protected. These rights refer to informed consent given without constraint, confidentiality and the right to abandon participation to the research project in any moment.

Areopagus IFTSP members who are involved in research must use the dates with accuracy, and their conclusions must limit themselves to the aspects compatible with the used methodology.

Publishing the research results must correspond with the exigencies of the profession. The publications must be realists, well-documented and coherently formulated.

Violation of the Code of ethics and practice of the Areopagus IFTSP members

Areopagus IFTSP will organize two committees responsible for application of the Code of ethics and practice.

One will take care of the cases in which is suspected the violation of the Code, and the other will be responsible for applying the Code in case of recourse.

Date of validity

This Code of ethics and practice will be valid for unlimited amount of time, for all complaints received by Areopagus IFTSP since 14 January 2006.