STATEMENT: 
Each employee of Serenity Lane shall perform his/her duties in the context of the Code of Ethics and shall observe all relevant rules, laws and standards.

PROCEDURES

1. All employees will receive an orientation by the Coordinator of Human Resources to the Code of Ethics and document their willingness to abide by these principles as a condition of employment.
   
   
2. The Professional Staff of Serenity Lane shall review the Code of Ethics annually for continued relevancy, during the annual competency trainings.
   
   
3. Admitted patients will receive an orientation to their rights, including their right to receive ethical care and to problem solving procedures should they perceive the need.   This orientation shall be documented in the patient record.
   
   
4. The Code of Ethics is available to all stakeholders upon request.
   
   
5. Serenity Lane’s Code of Ethics is posted on its website www.serenitylane.org.
   
   
6. Patients will be advised of the channels that are available to them for reporting ethical violations in the patient handbook and in orientation session.

Confidential Information
The use of confidential information obtained as a consequence of employment with Serenity Lane must be limited to the proper conduct of Serenity Lane's business.  All information about our patients is confidential and must never be disclosed to outsiders, except with the patient's written authorization or as allowed under federal and/or state law. Neither Serenity Lane nor any member of the Board of Directors or the staff may use, or permit others to use, confidential information for the purpose of furthering a private interest or as a means of making a profit.

Responsibility to Patients
This principal refers to practices and procedures of individual and/or group counseling relationships.

1. The employee’s primary obligation is to respect the integrity and promote the welfare of the patient, whether the patient is assisted individually or in a group relationship.  In a group setting, the employee is also responsible for taking reasonable precautions to protect individuals from physical and/or psychological trauma resulting from interaction within the group.
   
   
2. The counseling relationship and information resulting there from (must) be kept CONFIDENTIAL, consistent with the obligations of the employee as a professional person.  In a group counseling setting the counselor must set a norm of CONFIDENTIALITY regarding all group participants’ disclosures.
   
   
3. If a patient is already in a counseling relationship with another professional person, staff must attempt contact with that professional after obtaining proper releases for the exchange of relevant information regarding the patient in question. The contact, or attempts to contact, must be documented in the clinical record.
   
   
4. When the patient’s condition indicates that there is clear and imminent danger to the patient or others, the employee must inform responsible authorities after (Duty to Warn) consultation with his or her manager, Executive Director, or supervisor.
   
   
5. The solicitation or acceptance of commissions, fees, or anything of monetary value on the part of an employee from patients, suppliers, or any other source as compensation for services routinely rendered to patients is not sanctioned.
   
   
6. Records of the counseling relationship, including interview notes, test data, correspondence, progress notes, and other documents are to be considered professional information for use in counseling and they are considered a part of the records of Serenity Lane.
   
   
7. Revelation to individuals or organizations of counseling material must occur with the written consent of the patient unless the state or federal government allows or requires release of the information without the patient's written consent.  Patients are given a copy of Serenity Lane's Notice of Privacy Practices which describes how clinical information about them may be used and disclosed with and without their written authorization.
   
   
8. Use of data derived from a counseling relationship for purposes of counselor training or research shall be confined to content that can be disguised to ensure full protection of the identity of the patient.
   

Ethical Conflicts

1. If the employee determines an inability to be of professional assistance to the patient, or perceives an ethical conflict, the employee must bring this situation and its concerns to his or her supervisor. The supervisor will determine the most appropriate action to be taken.
   
   
2. Employees who have relatives, close friends, and/or business acquaintances will excuse themselves from taking an active part in the treatment plan of such relatives, acquaintances and friends. This is necessary to ensure objectivity in the service to such individuals.

Responsibility to Colleagues
The employee should treat colleagues with respect, courtesy, fairness and good faith.

1. The employee should cooperate with colleagues to promote professional interests and concerns.
   
   
2. The employee should respect ethical confidences shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions.
   
   
3. The employee should create and maintain conditions of practice that facilitate ethical and competent professional performance by colleagues.
   
   
4. Any employee having knowledge of unethical practices on the part of another colleague should report such practices to Serenity Lane's administrator.
   
   
5. The employee who replaces or is replaced by a colleague in a professional practice should act with consideration for the interest, character, and reputation of that employee
   
   
6. The employee should extend to colleagues of other professions the same respect and cooperation that is extended their employee colleagues.
   
   
7. Employees may not use the work place for proselytizing for religious, political or economic purposes.

Responsibility to Serenity Lane
The employee should adhere to commitments made to the employing organization, Serenity Lane.

1. The employee should work to improve Serenity Lane's policies and procedures, and the efficiency and effectiveness of its services.
   
   
2. All employees should act to prevent discrimination of any kind at Serenity Lane.  When serving in the capacity of a supervisor, leadership should act to prevent and eliminate discrimination at Serenity Lane in work assignments and its employment policies and practices.
   
   
3. The employee should use the resources of Serenity Lane with scrupulous regard, and only for the purpose for which they are intended.

Business Transactions
Each employee should avoid representing Serenity Lane in any transaction with any person, firm, corporation, or organization with which the employee, or any member of the employee's family, has any material connection or in which he owns a substantial interest. Any such conflict needs to be brought to the attention of their supervisor.

Employees who serve as an officer or a board member of any other organization, corporation, association, government entity, etc. shall not represent Serenity Lane in any transactions with that same organization, corporation, association, or government entity in any contractual relationship without specific approval of the Executive Director.

All transactions with outside suppliers should be conducted on a business-like basis in the best interest of Serenity Lane. Decisions should be governed by a customer-business relationship and not by personal friendship.

Civic Activities
Active participation by employees in religious, community, professional or charitable organizations is encouraged. Approval is not required to participate in or accept appointment as a trustee, director or officer of a non-profit organization unless there is some other potential conflict of interest between the organization and Serenity Lane.

Political Activities
Employees may participate in political activities on their own time and in accordance with their individual desires and political preferences. However, it must be clear at all times that an employee's participation is done as an individual and not as a representative of Serenity Lane. Before the employee becomes a candidate or appointee to a public office, the employee must advise his or her supervisor.

Proprietary Knowledge
No employee will share knowledge, facts, reports, written documents regarding Serenity Lane methods, procedures, and operations etc. without the expressed written consent of the Executive Director.

Because the employee's primary responsibility is to provide clinical services to Serenity Lane in accordance with stated employee contracts, Serenity Lane discourages such outside activities as facilitation of outside therapeutic groups, or any other activity that proves to be adversely affecting the employee's job performance at Serenity Lane. It is the obligation of every employee, when contemplating participating in such outside activities, to first bring these issues to the Executive Director for his consideration and appropriate recommendations.

Marketing Ethics
The Serenity Lane Marketing Department, in addition to supporting and obeying laws and legal regulations pertaining to marketing and advertising extend and broaden the application of high ethical standards. Specifically, we will not knowingly make marketing claims or create advertising that contains:

• False or misleading statements or exaggerations
• Testimonials that do not reflect the real opinion of the individual(s) involved
• Price claims that are misleading
• Claims insufficiently supported or that distort the true meaning of practicable application of statements made by professional or scientific authority
• Statements, suggestions or graphics offensive to public decency or minority segments of the population.

We recognize there are areas that are subject to honestly different interpretations and judgment. Nevertheless, we agree not to use advertising that is in poor or questionable taste or that is deliberately insensitive.

These principles are based on the belief that sound and ethical practice is good business. Confidence and respect are indispensable to our success and our relationship with clients and the public at large is dependent upon good faith.

Outside Conflicts of Interest
No outside activity must interfere or conflict with the interest of Serenity Lane. Acceptance of outside employment, election to directorships of other organizations, and participation in the affairs of outside organization carry possibilities of conflict of interest and should be discussed with the Executive Director before acceptance.

No employee of Serenity Lane will be a director or officer of any other treatment facility or any other entity, which competes directly or indirectly with Serenity Lane without prior approval of the Executive Director.

Specified types of outside activities that raise conflict of interest or other difficult situations include, but are not limited to:

1. Being employed by a business, or personally engaging in any activity that is competitive with Serenity Lane without specific approval of the Executive Director.
   
   
2. Using Serenity Lane equipment, supplies, files, letterhead, or facilities for purposes other than Serenity Lane related activities.
   
   
3. Personal conduct involving the use of mood altering substances; gambling activities outside of work hours which may prove embarrassing or reflect adversely upon Serenity Lane or the professional employee in the conduct of his or her duties at Serenity Lane.
   
   
4. Statements or circumstances that may apply sponsorship or support by Serenity Lane of an outside employer or of a political, charitable, civic, religious, or similar organization when such is not the case.

Professional Competence and Integrity
Employees who are dedicated to maintain high standards of professional competence and integrity will do the following:

1. Employees who (a) are convicted of felonies, (b) are convicted of misdemeanors (related to their qualification or functions), (c) engage in conduct which could lead to conviction of felonies or misdemeanors related to their qualifications or functions, (d) are expelled from other professional organizations, or (e) have their license or certificates suspended or revoked, must report such activities or actions immediately to the Executive Director.
   
   
2. Employees will seek appropriate professional assistance for their own personal problems or conflicts that are likely to impair their work performance or their clinical judgment.
   
   
3. Employees will not engage in sexual relationships with current patients at any time.
   
   
4. Employees who have direct contact with a particular patient or former patient of any Serenity Lane program should not have, seek, or request a sexual relationship or sexual contact with that patient or former patient at any time.
   
   
5. Employees who have direct contact with a current Serenity Lane patient or a former patient should not have or seek to have a personal, professional, or business relationship or contact with that patient for a period of at least two years following the patient’s receipt of Serenity Lane services.
   
   
6. Employees who have not had direct contact with a particular patient or former patient of any Serenity Lane program should not have, seek, or request a sexual relationship or sexual contact with that patient or former patient for a period of at least two years following that patient’s or former patient’s receipt of Serenity Lane services.
   
   
7. Employees who have not had direct contact with a particular Serenity Lane patient or former patient should not have or seek a personal, professional, or business relation or contact with that patient or client for a period of two years following the patient’s or client’s receipt of Serenity Lane services.
   
   
8. Relationships between employees and current or former patients or clients within Twelve Step recovery fellowships and other fellowships are sometimes unavoidable. In such cases, the relationships are to be maintained at a group level rather than a one-on-one level. These guidelines apply to the time a current or former patient participates in any Serenity Lane program and for the period established for personal relations as noted above.
   
   
9. Employees will not engage in verbal, emotional or behavioral harassment of patients, trainees or colleagues.
   
   
10. Employees will not attempt to diagnose, treat or advise on problems outside recognized boundaries of their competence.
    
    
11. Under no circumstances is an employee ever to meet a patient, or former patient, or patient family member, outside of Serenity Lane property unless participating in a Serenity Lane sanctioned activity.   Additionally, no employee may ever give a patient their personal cell phone number, home phone number, or any other means of contacting them outside of Serenity Lane within a two-year period following the patient’s discharge from treatment. Extenuating circumstances such as family member or associate known prior to starting into treatment may be an exception to this policy and counsel should be sought from the Executive Director regarding appropriateness of actions.
    
    
12. Employees will attempt to prevent the distortion or misuses of their clinical findings.
    
    
13. Employees will be aware that because of their ability to influence and alter the lives of others, they must exercise special care when making public their professional recommendations and opinions through testimony or other public statements.
    
    
14. In recognition of the fact that the relationship between counselor and patient is one in which the utmost discretion, good judgment and ethical behavior is of paramount importance, certain restrictions as to the scope of that relationship need to be carefully and strictly outlined and adhered to.  This needs to be done in order to ensure the relationship’s integrity and therapeutic soundness, therefore, activities  such as in kind payment for services (i.e. a patient offering free meals at his or her  restaurant to a counselor in exchange for counseling services), and financial transactions between counselor and patient such as lending/borrowing money, entering into loan agreements, formation of social relationships secondary to the ongoing therapeutic relationship, or the sponsoring of active patients are all considered to be unethical and are not to be engaged in by the staff employee.  Similarly if any staff employee becomes aware of a colleague engaging in such activities, it is their responsibility to bring such issues and concerns to the Executive Director immediately.

Responsibility to the Profession
Employees respect the rights and responsibilities of professional colleagues; and participate in activities which advance the goal of the profession.

1. Employees remain accountable to the standards of the profession when acting as members or employees of organizations
   
   
2. Employees recognize a responsibility to participate in activities that contribute to a better community and society.
   
   
3. Employees are concerned with developing laws and regulations pertaining to their field that serve the public interest, and with altering such laws and regulations that are not in the public interest.
   
   
4. Employees recognize the need for continuing education and are open to new procedures and changes in expectations and values over time.
   
   
5. Employees recognize that personal problems and conflicts may interfere with professional effectiveness. Accordingly, they refrain from undertaking any activity in which their personal problems are likely to lead to inadequate performance or harm to a patient or colleague. If engaged in such activity when they become aware of their personal problems, it is the employee's obligation to bring this to the attention of his or her immediate supervisor so that a determination can be made as to whether they should suspend, terminate or limit the scope of their professional activity.

Candor with Management, Auditors, and Counsel
Employees are expected to maintain complete and open communication with management regarding Serenity Lane matters. No employee will deliberately conceal information or mislead management, auditors, or counsel.

Implementation of the Code of Ethics
Difficult questions of judgment may arise in connection with the Code of Ethics. If any doubt exists regarding the propriety of an action or activity, the employee should seek advice and written approval from the Executive Director. All employees are expected to promptly report the existence of any of their relationships, interest, or actions, which might violate or appear to violate the Code of Ethics.

Violations of the Code of Ethics
Any suspected violations of the Code of Ethics should be referred to the Executive Director. Violations of the Code of Ethics may be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. In situations where infractions of the Code may have violated federal or state law, such infractions will be disclosed as appropriate, and reported to enforcement agencies as required.

Revised 10/08