Prevail Code of Ethics

The following principles will guide Certified Peer Support Specialists in their roles and relationships in their work with Prevail Users and outlines the basic values and principles of peer recovery support practice. This Code serves as a guide for responsibility and ethical standards expected of Prevail staff. Science has shown that having hope is integral to an individual’s ability to recover. Hearing stories of recovery helps people develop hope, particularly when those stories are relevant to others’ lives and helps them to identify supports for their own recovery.

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Certified Peer Support Specialists have distinguished themselves by becoming a unique and influential member of the mental health community. As their own paths of challenges and successes has helped to build strength, character, and resilience, they may now share their paths with others to foster openness and eliminate stigma. They have excelled in their recovery to such an extent that they are able to share their story as a source of hope to others and have chosen to do so in this role. When working with Users who may be scared, confused, or intimidated by the complexities of the mental health system, it is the Certified Peer Support Specialist’ s experience as a peer that can reassure them and inspire them to continue their own path to recovery. Shared experience creates strong relationships. It is also the responsibility of a Certified Peer Support Specialist to guarantee that the work with Users adheres to a clear, strong ethical code.

Preamble

Prevail Certified Peer Support Specialists are characterized by an appreciation of human beings in all of their diversity as they offer assistance and support to Users. They uphold the integrity and ethics of the profession, promote User well-being, and enhance their own professional growth. These Principles reflect the fundamental values of respecting the dignity and welfare of all people; promoting self-determination; honoring diversity; and acting with integrity, honesty, authenticity, genuineness and objectivity.

Certified Peer Support Specialists have a responsibility to help Users achieve their personal recovery goals by promoting self-determination, personal responsibility, and the empowerment inherent in self-directed recovery. Certified Peer Support Specialists shall maintain high standards of personal conduct, and conduct themselves in a manner that supports their own recovery.

Certified Peer Support Specialists shall not perform services outside of the boundaries and scope of their expertise, shall be aware of the limits of their training and capabilities to best meet the needs of the Users served. Certified Peer Support Specialists shall preserve an objective and ethical relationship at all times. The Prevail Academy Certification credential does not endorse, suggest or intent that a Certified Peer Support Specialists will serve independently. The Certified Peer Support Specialists shall only work with Users under Prevail supervision.

Certified Peer Support Specialists consider these standards in ethical and professional decision making. Ethical-decision making processes should be employed to assure careful choices.

1. I understand that my primary responsibility is to help Users understand recovery and achieve their own recovery needs, wants, and goals. I will be guided by the principle of self-determination for each User.

2. I will conduct myself in a manner that fosters my own recovery and I recognize the many ways in which I may influence Users as I serve as a role model, and maintain high standards of personal conduct.

3. I will be open to share with Users my stories of hope and recovery and will likewise be able to identify and describe the supports that promote my recovery and resilience.

4. I have a duty to inform Users when first discussing confidentiality that intended serious harm to self or others cannot be kept confidential. I have a duty to accurately inform Users regarding the degree to which information will be shared with other team members, based on the rules and training of Prevail. I have a duty to inform appropriate Prevail staff members immediately about any intended serious harm-to-self or -others or abuse.

5. I will never intimidate, threaten, harass, unduly influence, verbally abuse, or make unwarranted promises of benefits to the Users I support.

6. I will not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate in any form of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, marital status, political belief, disability, or any other preference or personal characteristic, condition or state. I will not practice, condone, facilitate or collaborate in any form of discrimination in violation of federal law.

7. I will be responsible for helping Users meet their own needs, wants and goals in personal recovery.

8. I will not engage in any sexual or any other form of intimate activities or connect in-person with any Users. I will also not enter into dual-relationships or commitments with the Users I support.

9. I will keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to recovery and openly share this knowledge with the Prevail staff and Users. I will refrain from sharing advice or opinions outside my scope of practice with Users.

10. I will utilize supervision and abide by the standards for supervision established by Prevail. I will seek supervision to assist me in providing recovery-oriented services to Users.

11. I will not accept gifts of money or items of value from those I serve. I will not loan or give money to Users.

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12. I will protect the welfare of all Users by ensuring that my conduct will not constitute psychological abuse, neglect, or exploitation. I will never intimidate, threaten, harass, and use undue influence, verbal abuse, or make unwarranted promises of benefits to the individuals I serve. I will practice with trauma awareness at all times.

13. I will, at all times, respect the rights, dignity, privacy, and confidentiality of those I support.

14. As a professional, if I find that my own recovery journey is compromised and interferes with my ability to provide support to my Users, I will engage in my own self-care until such time that I am once again capable of providing professional care.

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Adapted from the Peer Specialist Code of Ethics and Professional Standards by Colorado’s Northeast Behavioral Health Partnership (2011) and https://www.dhs.state.il.us/onenetlibrary/27894/documents/mental%20health/recovery/crss/2020/06302020codeofethics_for_crss_professionals.pdf https://dbh.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dmh/publication/attachments/peerspecialistcodeethics_0.pdf https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals https://www.pacertboard.org/sites/default/files/peer%20code.pdf https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p00972a.pdf https://www.naadac.org/assets/2416/nccap-peer-recovery-support-specialist-code-of-ethics-final06-22-16.pdf