CASC/ACSS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Copyright CACS/ACSS 2007

CASC/ACSS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Copyright CACS/ACSS 2007


HISTORY OF CASC/ACSS

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• Supervised Pastoral Education began in the U.S. in the 1920’s under Anton Boison

• Canadian Association for Pastoral Education (CAPE) – early 1970’s

• CAPE changed to Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE) in mid 1990’s


HISTORY CONT…

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• CAPPE was renamed the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care (CASC/ACSS) in 2010

• Approximately 750 members across Canada

• 239 certified

• 39 SPE Centres

• The national certifying body for Supervisors and Specialists in pastoral care and pastoral counseling


HISTORY CONT…

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• 1993 First Code of Ethics was approved

• 2004-6 a common Code of Ethics was developed by representatives from six professional associations across N. America

• Our 2006 Code of Ethics was further developed by a subcommittee of these representatives who were members of the National Ethics Committee


PURPOSE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

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• Foster the values of CASC/ACSS

• Raise awareness of the ethical principles within our code

• Create an ethically aware culture

• Promote a responsible and sensitive regard for persons

• Support practice


ETHICS – WHAT IS IT?

• Beliefs we hold about what constitutes appropriate conduct

• The way human beings treat each other

• Involves a systematic investigation of our attitudes and behaviours

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WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS?

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• A formulation of universal principles of human conduct made specific to a profession


WHAT IS A PROFESSION?

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• A profession is a vocation requiring advanced training in a liberal art or science.

• It is a collective of persons engaged in a highly specialized work or vocation.


THE PURPOSE OF A PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS

• It is important and valuable to formulate some kind of professional ethics code so that both the members of the profession, their colleagues, and those clients whom they serve may be clear about the ethical demands of the relationship into which such service introduces them.

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ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL CODES

• Guide professionals in thinking, planning, everyday conduct and in navigation of ethical dilemmas

• Serve as an umbrella document for the development of the codes of conduct or other more specific codes

• Assist in the adjudication of complaints against professionals

• Educate professionals about sound ethical conduct

• Provide a mechanism for professional accountability

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ETHICAL CULTURE

• Is created when a professional group decides to adopt and integrate its code of ethics into its attitudes and behaviours

• It requires knowledge of oneself, including one’s own values and morality

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CASC/ACSS’S CODE OF ETHICS IS DIVIDED INTO 4 SECTIONS:

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• Section 1 – The Purpose of the Code

• Section 2 – Preamble emphasizing who we are and the self-care required for healthy reflective practice (which cannot be mandated)

• Section 3 – Our Values

• Section 4: Ethical Principles guiding the Members’ professional behaviour within 8 specific relationships


SECTION 1: PURPOSE OF THE CODE

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The Code of Ethics for Spiritual Care Professionals:

• gives expression to the basic values and standards of the profession;

• guides decision making and professional behavior;

• provides a mechanism for professional accountability; and

• informs the public as to what they should expect from Spiritual Care Professionals.


SECTION 2: PREAMBLE

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• CASC/ACSS gathers together Spiritual Care Professionals who are grounded in communities of faith and informed by professional education and training.

• They are called to nurture their personal health of mind, body and spirit and be responsible for their personal and professional conduct as they grow in their respect for all living beings and the natural environment.

• When Spiritual Care Professionals behave in a manner congruent with the values of this code of ethics, they bring greater justice, compassion and healing to our world.


SECTION 3: OUR VALUES

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As Spiritual Care Professionals: 1. Affirm dignity and value of all

2. Respect all faith groups

3. Respect human rights

4. Respect diversity

5. Encourage professional accountability

6. Protect clients from predatory/destructive relationships


SECTION 4: THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

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1. Ethical Principles in Relationships with Clients

2. Ethical Principles in Relationships between Supervisors/Educators and Students

3. Ethical Principles in Relationships with Social Institutions

4. Ethical Principles in Relationships with other Professionals and the Community


SECTION 4: THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT CONT…

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5. Ethical Principles in Relationships with Colleagues

6. Ethical Principles in Advertising

7. Ethical Principles in Research

8. Ethical Principles in Relationship to CASC/ACSS

Copyright CACS/ACSS 2007 18

SECTION 3: OUR VALUES

As Spiritual Care Professionals: 1. Affirm dignity and value of all

2. Respect all faith groups

3. Respect human rights

4. Respect diversity

5. Encourage professional accountability

6. Protect clients from predatory/destructive relationships


VALUING OTHERS BEGINS WITH VALUING ONE-SELF

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As professional chaplains we commit ourselves to attend to our own spiritual, social, emotional and intellectual needs outside the work context

thereby freeing ourselves to establish and maintain appropriate professional relationship

boundaries within the work context.


IMPORTANCE OF SELF CARE

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• Stress-filled profession

• Need for balance - a realistic workload

• Rest and relaxation to avoid burnout

• Supports ethical conduct

• Helps to establish healthy boundaries


BOUNDARY INDEX

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A Boundary Index Exercise will

assist us in examining our own

boundaries and possibly point to

areas of tension.


PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES

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Objectives:

• Define Professional Boundaries

• Reflect on the Purpose of Boundaries

• Develop guidelines for establishing healthy boundaries

• Reflect on boundary case studies


PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES

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• Framework for relationship between spiritual care professional and clients

• Includes dress, demeanor, body language, content, tone of voice, language, length and time of sessions, personal disclosure, limits regarding touch, the general tone of the relationship and professional fee structure

• Line between client and our professional selves

• Primary concern is the best interest of the client


• Make the relationship professional and safe for the client

• Help us with self-definition

• Allows for genuine relationships

• Protects both sides in power imbalance

PURPOSE OF BOUNDARIES

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DEVELOPING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES


WHO ESTABLISHES THE BOUNDARIES?

• The Spiritual Care Professional

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WHO IS THE CLIENT?

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• Spiritual Care professionals understand “clients” to be any counselees, congregants, prisoners, patients and their family members, students or staff to whom they provide.


AN INHERENT POWER IMBALANCE ARISES FROM:

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• The client’s trust

• The spiritual care professional’s expertise to help

• The client’s disclosure of personal information


TRUST IS DEFINED AS:

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• Faith or confidence in the loyalty, veracity, reliability, strength, etc. of a person or thing

• The state or condition of being trusted or relied on

• The obligation or responsibility placed on a person who is trusted or relied on (he or she is in a position of trust)


WHERE BOUNDARIES CAN BECOME BLURRED

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Self Disclosure:• Does self-disclosure shift the

focus from the client?

• Does it serve the therapeutic goal of the client?


BLURRED BOUNDARIES CONT…

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• Giving or Receiving Gifts

• Multiple Relationships

• Overlapping Relationships


“Spiritual Care professionals respect the integrity of their employees or students using the power they have as managers/directors or

supervisors/educators in responsible ways.”

CASC/ACSS Code of Ethics 2009 under Ethical Principles in Relationship between Supervisors/Educators and Staff/Students

BLURRED BOUNDARIES CONT…


CONFIDENTIALITY

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Objectives:

• Define confidentiality

• Reflect on importance of confidentiality

• Define guidelines for maintaining confidentiality

• Discuss a case study


WHAT IS CONFIDENTIALITY?

• The keeping private of information, whether written or spoken

• Information may be of an intimate nature

• Information may be told in confidence or in trust that it be kept secret

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HOW DO BREACHES IN CONFIDENTIALITY

HAPPEN?

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SAFEGUARDING PRIVACY

• Privacy Act

• Maintain trust of clients

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COMPETENCE

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Objectives:

• Consider the meaning of competence and what it means to be accountable

• Review the CASC/ACSS Standards of Practice

• Examine ways to improve our competence

• Discuss case studies


COMPETENCE

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Defined as:

• Ability; the state of being competent

• Competent

• Adequately qualified or capable

• Effective


ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS AND THE

COMMUNITY

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• Spiritual Care Professionals are accountable to the public, faith communities, employers and professionals in all professional relationships.


STANDARDS OF PRACTICE

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• Values

• Professional Competence

• Functions

• Documentation

• Personal and Professional Development

• Advocacy


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ACCOUNTABLE?

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• Being trustworthy

• The ability to act independently

and make decisions

• Responsible for one’s conduct


ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS

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• Spiritual Care Professionals are accountable to their faith communities, one another and other organizations.


RESPECT

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Objectives:

• Define Respect

• Reflect on the importance of respect in ministry

• Examine our own biases that hinder our respecting others



DEFINITIONS OF RESPECT

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Noun:

• Deferential esteem felt or shown towards a person, thing or quality

Verb:• Regard with deference, esteem or honour

1. avoid interfering with, harming, degrading, insulting, injuring or interrupting

2. treat with consideration

3. refrain from offending, corrupting or tempting a person or a person’s feelings


ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEAGUES

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• Spiritual Care Professionals engage in collegial relationships with peers, other chaplains, local clergy and counsellors, recognizing that perspective and judgement are maintained through consultative interactions rather than through isolation.


HONESTY OBJECTIVES

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• Define Honesty

• Reflect on honesty as a significant quality in ministry

• Consider whether honesty is always the best policy

• Examine the relationship between honesty and trust



HONESTY IS DEFINED AS…

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• Fair and just in character or behaviour

• Free of deceit, acting in an honourable and life-giving way

• Showing fairness


ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN ADVERTISING

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• Spiritual Care Professionals engage in appropriate

informational activities that educate the public about their

professional qualifications and individual scopes of

practice.


EXAMPLES OF HONESTY

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• Reporting of criminal convictions

• Truth in Advertising

• Transparent Approach to Research


ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN RESEARCH

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• Spiritual Care Professionals engaging in research follow guidelines and applicable laws that strive to protect the dignity, privacy and well-being of all participants.


DISCUSS…WHY YOU THINK HONESTY IS AN

IMPORTANT QUALITY IN SPIRITUAL CARE

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ETHICAL PRINCIPLES IN RELATIONSHIP TO CASC/ACSS

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• Spiritual Care Professionals within CASC/ACSS maintain the highest possible standards of trust in relationship to one another in the interest of the public whom they serve.


THE END

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This has been prepared for the use of the

Canadian Association for Spiritual Care by the CASC/ACSS Atlantic Ethics Committee and approved by the CASC/ACSS National Ethics Committee for use in workshops by trained facilitators.

Images in this presentation have been used in accordance with Microsoft’s Service Agreement and Code of Conduct

Edited by Mary McIllwraith and Heather Embree for

Code of Ethics Adopted in February 2006

Updated by CASC/ACSS National Ethics Committee April 2010

Documents

CASC/ACSS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Copyright CACS/ACSS 2007