Merit Resources Code Of Ethical Conduct
The following narrative summarizes the Code of Ethics prescribed by MERIT Resource Services. All employees must adhere to the principles and requirements contained herein.
That my primary goal is recovery for the client and the client’s family.
That I have a total commitment to provide the highest quality of care to those who seek my professional services. I shall evidence a genuine interest in all clients and do hereby dedicate myself to the best interest of my clients and to helping them help themselves.
That I will be willing to recognize when it is in the best interest of my clients to release and refer them to another program or another helping individual. I will not engage in professional relationships with personal relatives or friends that may jeopardize the personal relationship.
That I will not exploit relationships with current or former patients for personal gain.
That I shall not, under any circumstances, engage in sexual activities with any current or former patient.
That I shall adhere to the rules of confidentiality of all records, materials, and knowledge concerning any client.
That I shall not in any way discriminate between clients or fellow professionals on the basis of race, color, creed, age, sex or sexual orientation.
That I shall respect the rights and views of my fellow substance use disorder counselors and other professionals.
That I shall maintain respect for institutional policies and management within the agencies, and will take the initiative toward improvement of such policies and management when it will better serve the interest of my clients.
I shall not perform any personal marketing on MERIT Resource Services property or with MERIT Resource Services patients.
I shall not use MERIT Resource Services contractual relationships for my own personal gain.
I shall not conduct personal fundraising on MERIT Resource Services properties without express permission from the management.
I shall not make any false or misleading marketing statements.
I shall not witness legal documents for personal gain or whenever a conflict of interest is present.
That I have a continuing commitment to assess my own personal strengths, my limitations, my biases and my effectiveness. I shall continuously strive for self-improvement and professional growth through further education and training.
That I adhere to any other ethical policies outlined in the MERIT Resource Services Policy Manual.
Any reported violation of this Ethical Code of Conduct Policy or any other Ethical Issues will be investigated and reviewed and responded to by the Administrative Team within thirty days of notification and may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
To discourage attempts to “personalize” a clinical and professional relationship, employees will not accept gifts, gratuities and honorarium from clients in exchange for professional services. This agency prohibits the accepting of money or gratuities from organizations directly benefiting from the operations of MERIT Resource Services.
