Standards of Professional Conduct

Standards of Professional Conduct                                                                                                                     click here for PDF copy
Adopted by the US board January 12, 2021

(1)  Unity Shelter Staff shall:

a)  Acquire, maintain and improve professional knowledge and competence using scientific, clinical, technical, psychosocial, governmental, cultural and community-based sources of information.
b)  Represent all aspects of professional capabilities and services honestly and accurately.
c)   Ensure that all actions with community members are based on understanding and implementing the core values of caring, respect, compassion, appropriate boundaries, and appropriate use of personal power.
d)  Develop positive collaborative partnerships with other staff, volunteers, community members, colleagues, and other service providers to provide care, services, and supports that are safe, effective, and appropriate to a community member’s needs.
e)  Regardless of clinical diagnosis, develop and incorporate respect for diverse community member backgrounds when planning and providing services, including lifestyle, sexual orientation, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, marital status, political beliefs, socioeconomic status or any other preference or personal characteristic, condition or state.
f)   Act as an advocate for community members and their needs.
g)  Support self-determination for community members in a culturally competent, trauma informed manner.
h)  Make decisions and act based on sound ethical reasoning and current principles of practice in a way that supports empowerment and respect for community members’ culture and self-defined health care goals. Staff should prioritize collaboration with other staff and working as a team for best possible outcomes for clients.
i)   Maintain individual confidentiality.
j)   Comply with laws and regulations involving mandatory reporting of harm, abuse, or neglect while making every effort to involve the individuals in planning for services and ensuring that no further harm is done to family members as the result of the reporting.
k)  Recognize and protect an individual’s rights as described in section (2).

(2) Individuals, staff, clients, and volunteers, have the right to:

(a)  Dignity and respect;
(b)  Freedom from theft, damage, or misuse of personal property;
(c)   Freedom from neglect and abuse, whether verbal, mental, emotional, physical, or sexual;
(d)  Freedom from financial exploitation;
(e)  Freedom from physical restraints;
(f)   Freedom from discrimination in regard to race, color, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, size, type of diagnosis criminal history or religion;
(g)  Confidentiality of their information and records; and
(h)  To give voice to grievances or complaints regarding services or any other issue without discrimination or reprisal for exercising their rights.