The Process and Practice of Ethics
The most active and energized function of any professional credentialing body is its ethics process. A great deal of the Certification Board’s time and resources are devoted to addressing ethics complaints in a manner that is timely, fair, and ultimately results in satisfying the Board’s mission of consumer protection.
This training will walk attendees through the typical (and atypical) process of the ethics process subsequent to a formal ethics complaint. As such, we will replicate the ethics case review process through a series of role plays wherein you, the participants, get to be the decision-makers in the final determination as to the worthiness of the complaint as well as any appropriate sanctions to be imposed upon the certified individual in question. We’ll use a series of case examples, both straight-forward and a few with some complex nuances, as a means of providing participants with the experience of thinking through the review and decision-making process. We’ll review the do’s and don’ts regarding filing an ethics complaint as well as how to respond should an ethics complaint ever be filed against you. So, brush up on your ethics code and bring your thinking cap to what promises to be an intense thought-provoking three hours. This training can be used as fulfillment of requirements for ongoing ethics training.
Objectives:
- Articulate the criteria for a valid ethics complaint.
- Explain the key elements utilized in the ethics decision-making process.
- Verbalize how the ethics process relates to the core mission of DCB.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the meaningful elements of both submitting an ethics complaint as well as the response to an ethics complaint.
- Readily utilize the DCB Code of Ethics as supporting documentation in the ethics decision-making process.
Speakers
With more than 30 years of providing direct service as a clinician, clinical supervisor and program executive director, Tom Baier currently provides consultation in the areas of substance abuse treatment, medication assisted treatment and psychiatric rehabilitation as well as providing training and education to direct service personnel. He serves as adjunct faculty for the Drexel University College of Nursing & Health Professions in the behavioral health tract. Mr. Baier is a three-term past president of the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) where he also serves on the education committee and sits on the ethics and finance committees. Tom is the 1991 recipient of the Lorraine Hinkle Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the field of drug and alcohol treatment awarded by Villanova University and holds a Master’s degree in Human Services (MHS), is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and holds PA State Certificates as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), and a Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS).
In addition to having served as a substance abuse counselor, clinical supervisor and human services program administrator, Mr. Baier remains actively involved in several workforce development initiatives designed to promote careers in treating substance abusers. As a program surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), Tom is involved in the promotion of substance abuse treatment best practice standards on the national level. His current focus is the implementation of evidence based practices in medication assisted treatment for opiate abuse and the implementation of meaningful clinical supervision.