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CCSA Professionalism Ethics Volume 02

This document discusses professionalism and ethics in substance use disorder treatment. It outlines key ethical principles like autonomy, compassion, and confidentiality. It also discusses how ethics can guide decision making and the importance of considering decisions from an ethical perspective, such as whether someone with a substance use disorder can make their own decisions.

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hidalgotoledo
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12 views

CCSA Professionalism Ethics Volume 02

This document discusses professionalism and ethics in substance use disorder treatment. It outlines key ethical principles like autonomy, compassion, and confidentiality. It also discusses how ethics can guide decision making and the importance of considering decisions from an ethical perspective, such as whether someone with a substance use disorder can make their own decisions.

Uploaded by

hidalgotoledo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Professionalism and Ethics

One person’s or group’s moral beliefs can be very different from those of another. These differences
can be so great that there is a clash of values. This is where ethics comes in.
Ethics are used to examine and evaluate how
Ethics offer some fundamental principles that provide a
and why particular moral values affect how framework for addressing dilemmas in care or reviewing
people see, reason, feel and behave. A conventional practices. These principles include:*
practitioner who uses ethics steps back from  Autonomy
the moral beliefs around a particular  Compassion
situation and considers if and why these  Confidentiality
personally held values are defensible and  Doing no harm (nonmaleficence)
acceptable. A code of ethics guides  Being helpful (beneficence)
 Preventing or reducing harm and suffering
professional conduct, thinking, interactions  Non-abandonment
and decision making — particularly relevant  Non-oppression
in the complex scenarios that often surround  Client empowerment
problematic substance use. Ethics provide foundational values to guide conduct, thinking
and decision making in the complex scenarios that often
In working with people with SUDs, at any surround problematic substance use. These values include:
level from the individual to the systemic, it is
important to evaluate decisions, policies and  Fairness
 Privacy
practices from the perspective of ethics. For  Respect
example, does an adult with an SUD have the  Safety
ability to make his or her own decisions?  Meaningful life
Some views of addiction might say “no,” while  Hope
others might demand strict proof before * These nine principles are key concepts in clinical ethics and
accepting that such a person is incapable of can be seen as a means of extending the five principles from
making a decision. Ethical decisions are the CCSA Competencies (integrity, competence, responsibility,
respect and trust) into practice and measuring them.
informed by a full consideration of the
circumstances, seeking a thorough
understanding of the implications of all available courses of action. Ethical reflection, discussion and
decision making are especially important in complicated situations where each of the available
options makes things better in some ways, but worse in others.2
In health care, ethics also calls on us to be open to examining routine practices and conventional
beliefs. In the SUD treatment field, for example, the view of effective treatment has evolved from a
focus on people with severe SUD who are willing to commit to abstinence goals to the need for a
broadened spectrum of services that address a continuum from mild to severe substance use
problems. This evolution reflects the advancement in knowledge and growth of evidence-informed
approaches, as well as a shift in the moral frame that influences how professionals, policy makers
and the public view people with SUDs and the prevention and management of these health conditions.

How Does It Work? Integrating Ethics into Practice


The CLEOS model is one practical approach to work through complex ethical decisions in health care
that integrates easily into practice.3 Review the situation considering each of five key perspectives:
 Clinical, including:
• Client history, concerns and goals
• Intervention options and the expected benefits, risks and burdens
• Therapeutic relationship and engagement
 Legal, such as laws, regulations, guidelines, occupational health and safety rules, and
professional college standards

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction • Centre canadien sur les dépendances et l’usage de substances Page 2

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