STATUS OF THE REVISED NAADAC CODE OF ETHICS 2010

Many of us thought that the revised code of ethics would appear in the Addiction Professional after the annual meeting in September. When the code did not appear, questions were raised as to when it would be available. This blog is in response to those questions and to inform the membership of the process of finalizing the 2010 version of the code. The Ethics Committee expanded some parts of the code and added a section on assessment and evaluation. Standards were added to address ethical questions that have arisen in the last two years. Other sections were also discussed and suggestions made to make the document more user friendly. At the annual meeting, task force was appointed to review the document again before publication.

On occasion a committee member is presented with a description of a member's behavior with the question as to whether or not this situation is covered in the revised code of ethics. Often there is no one standard that can be cited as applying to that exact situation and the state and/or national ethics committee is given the task of pointing out the standard or standards that appear to have been violated. Those of us serving on the Ethics Committee made revision of principles and standards that address real life situations while not overwhelming the membership with too much detail. The code is issued in two formats — a pamphlet in which the major aspects of the code are summarized and a longer, more detailed version that will be posted on the NAADAC website. When a grievance is filed with a state association or with the national Ethics Committee, the longer version is the document to be consulted. The goal is to have both versions available to the membership by January 1, 2011. In the meantime, members of the Ethics Committee have written articles pertaining to specific aspects of ethical standards. Articles will appear in the next two issues of the Addiction Professional.