Certified Criminal Justice Professionals-Michigan (CCJP-M) shall abide by the MCBAP Code of Ethics. CCJP-Ms have a responsibility to read, understand and follow the MCBAP Code of Ethics and adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
Principle 1: Non-Discrimination
CCJP-Ms should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination based on economic condition, race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical ability.
- 1.1 The CCJP-M shall avoid bringing personal or professional issues into the client relationship. Through an awareness of the impact of stereotyping and discrimination, the CCJP-M guards the individual rights and personal dignity of clients.
- 1.2 The CCJP-M shall be knowledgeable about disabling conditions, demonstrate empathy and personal emotional comfort in interactions with clients with disabilities, and make available physical, sensory, and cognitive accommodations that allow clients with disabilities to receive services.
- 1.3 CCJP-Ms will not diminish the civil or legal rights of clients and will not impose personal, political, or religious values on any client.
Principle 2: Responsibility
The CCJP-M shall espouse objectivity and integrity and maintain the highest standards in the services the CCJP-M offers.
- 2.1 The CCJP-M shall maintain respect for institutional policies and management functions of the agencies and institutions within which the services are being performed but will take initiative toward improving such policies when it will better serve the interest of the client.
- 2.2 The CCJP-M, who supervises others, accepts the obligation to facilitate further professional development of these individuals by providing accurate and current information, timely evaluations, and constructive consultation.
- 2.3 The CCJP-M, who is aware of unethical conduct or unprofessional modes of practice, shall report such inappropriate behavior to the appropriate authority.
- 2.4 The CCJP-M shall fully cooperate with investigations, proceedings, and requirements of any MCBAP ethics investigation.
Principle 3: Competence
The CCJP-M shall recognize that the profession is founded on standards of competency which promote the best interests of society, of the client, of the CCJP-M and of the profession. The CCJP-M shall recognize the need for ongoing education as a component of professional competency.
- 3.1 The CCJP-M shall recognize boundaries and limitation of the CCJP-M’s competencies and not offer services or use techniques outside of these professional competencies.
- 3.2 The CCJP-M shall refer to culturally and linguistically appropriate resources when a client demonstrates difficulties that are beyond the scope of the CCJP-M’s education, training, skills, and supervised expertise.
- 3.3 The CCJP-M shall recognize the effect of impairment on professional performance and shall be willing to seek appropriate treatment for oneself or for a colleague. The CCJP-M shall support peer assistance programs in this respect.
Principle 4: Legal and Moral Standards
The CCJP-M shall uphold the legal and accepted moral codes which pertain to professional conduct.
- 4.1 The CCJP-M shall be fully cognizant of all federal laws and laws of the CCJP-M’s respective state governing the practice of substance use disorder treatment.
- 4.2 The CCJP-M shall not claim either directly or by implication, professional qualifications/affiliations that the CCJP-M does not possess.
- 4.3 The CCJP-M shall not misrepresent, during credentialing or renewal of a credential, qualifications, or materials for said credential, nor shall a CCJP-M misrepresent their educational background.
- 4.4 The CCJP-M shall ensure that products or services associated with or provided by the CCJP-M by means of teaching, demonstration, publications, or other types of media meet the ethical standards of this code.
- 4.5 The CCJP-M utilizing technology shall be subject to laws and regulations monitoring these services, including but not limited to confidentiality standards, dual relationship prohibitions and inappropriate solicitations for services.
Principle 5: Public Statements
The CCJP-M shall honestly respect the limits of present knowledge in public statements concerning substance use disorders. The term “public statements” shall include, but is not limited to, all forms of oral, written, and electronic communication which may be accessible to public scrutiny.
- 5.1 The CCJP-M, in making statements to clients, other professionals, and the public, shall state as fact only those matters, which have been empirically validated as fact. All other opinions, speculations and conjectures concerning the nature of substance use disorders, its natural history, its treatment, or any other matters, which touch on substance use disorders shall be represented as less than scientifically validated.
- 5.2 The CCJP-M shall acknowledge and accurately report the substantiation and support for statements made concerning the nature of substance use disorders, its natural history, and its treatment. Such acknowledgments should extend to the source of the information and reliability of the method by which it was derived.
Principle 6: Publication Credit
The CCJP-M shall assign credit to all who have contributed to the published material and for the work upon which the publication is based.
- 6.1 The CCJP-M shall recognize joint authorship and major contributions of a professional nature made by one or more people to a common project. The author who has made the principal contribution to a publication must be identified as the first author.
- 6.2 The CCJP-M shall acknowledge in footnotes or in an introductory statement minor contributions of a professional nature, extensive clerical or similar assistance and other minor contributions.
- 6.3 The CCJP-M shall in no way violate the copyright of anyone by reproducing material in any form whatsoever, except in those ways which are allowed under the copyright laws. This involves direct violation of copyright as well as the passive assent to the violation of copyright by others.
Principle 7: Client Welfare
The CCJP-M shall promote the protection of the public health, safety and welfare and the best interest of the client as a primary guide in determining the conduct of all CCJP-Ms.
- 7.1 The CCJP-M shall disclose the CCJP-M’s code of ethics, professional loyalties, and responsibilities.
- 7.2 The CCJP-M shall hold the welfare of the client paramount when making any decisions or recommendations concerning referral.
- 7.3 The CCJP-M shall not use or encourage a client’s participation in any demonstration, research, or other activities when such participation would have potential harmful consequences for the client or when the client is not fully informed. (Principle 9)
- 7.4 The CCJP-M shall take care to provide services in an environment which will always ensure the safety of the client and ensure the appropriateness of service delivery.
- 7.5 The CCJP-M shall maintain professional boundaries with clients regarding the appropriate use and application of technology and the limitations of its use.
Principle 8: Confidentiality
The CCJP-M working in the best interest of the client shall embrace, as a primary obligation, to be knowledgeable of all local, state and federal laws regarding confidentiality.
- 8.1 The CCJP-M shall inform the client of any areas likely to affect their confidentiality.
- 8.2 The CCJP-M shall have an understanding of all federal and state laws regarding confidentiality and the CCJP-M’s potential responsibility to report personal information in specific circumstances to the appropriate authorities.
- 8.3 The CCJP-M shall discuss the information obtained about the client only in the appropriate settings for professional purposes that are in the client’s best interest. Every effort shall be made to avoid undue invasion of privacy.
Principle 9: Client Relationships
It is the responsibility of the CCJP-M to safeguard the integrity of the client relationship. The CCJP-M shall provide the client and/or guardian with accurate and complete information regarding the extent of the potential professional relationship.
- 9.1 The CCJP-M shall not engage in professional relationships or commitments that conflict with family members, friends, close associates, or others whose welfare might be jeopardized by such a dual relationship.
- 9.2 The CCJP-M shall not exploit relationships with current or former clients for personal gain, including social or business relationships.
- 9.3 The CCJP-M shall not under any circumstances engage in sexual behavior with current or former clients.
- 9.4 The CCJP-M shall not accept as clients anyone with whom they have engaged in sexual behavior.
- 9.5 The CCJP-M is prohibited from a personal and romantic virtual e-relationship with current and past clients.
Principle 10: Interprofessional Relationships
The CCJP-M shall treat colleagues with respect, courtesy, fairness, and good faith and shall afford the same to other professionals.
- 10.1 The CCJP-M shall cooperate with duly constituted professional ethics investigations and proceedings and promptly supply necessary information unless constrained by the demands of confidentiality.
- 10.2 The CCJP-M shall not in any way exploit a relationship with a supervisor, employee, student, research participant or volunteer.
Principle 11: Remuneration
The CCJP-M shall establish financial arrangements in professional practice in accord with the professional standards that safeguard the best interests of the client, the CCJP-M, the agency, and the profession.
- 11.1 The CCJP-M shall not engage in fee splitting. The CCJP-M shall not send or receive any commission or rebate or any other form of remuneration for referral of clients for professional services.
- 11.2 The CCJP-M, shall not at any time use one’s relationship with clients for personal gain or for the profit of an agency or any commercial enterprise of any kind.
- 11.3 The CCJP-M shall not accept a private fee for professional work with a person who is entitled to such services through an institution or agency unless the client is informed of such services and still requests private services.
Principle 12: Societal Obligations
The CCJP-M shall to the best of their ability actively engage the public policy and legislative processes, educational institutions, and the public to change public policy and legislation to make possible opportunities and choice of service for all human beings of any ethnic or social background whose lives are impaired by substance use disorder.
