Training provided to staff at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

1. Ethical Practice
John F.X. Prior, LCSW, ACSW
Director, Quality & Compliance
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese
of Galveston-Houston
May 13, 2015

2. Ground Rules
• Listen proactively
• No Side Conversations
• No Interruptions
• Be Specific, Use examples
• Focus on Issues, not Personalities
• Be Informative, but Succinct
• It is Okay to Disagree Constructively
• Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood
• Participate!

3. ETHICAL Wisdom

4. Key Concepts and Themes
• Things We Learned So Far

5. What does the word “Ethics”
Mean?
 “Always tell the truth, then you’ll never have to
remember what was said.”
 “Right is Right, even if no one decides to do it, and
Wrong is Wrong, even if everyone does it”
 “There is no right/correct way to do wrong”
 “You have been told…what is good, and what the Lord
requires of you. Only to do the right and to love
goodness, and to walk humbly with your God”
Micah 6:8 (Prologue, Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics)

6. Our Definition of Ethics

7. What is Ethics?
ETHICS:
• A set of moral principles or values
• The discipline of dealing of what is good and
bad, and moral duty and obligation
• A system of moral principles and perceptions
about right vs. wrong and resulting in a
philosophy of conduct practiced by an
individual, group, profession, or culture

8. What is Ethics?
• Council on Accreditation (COA)
• Client Rights: The rights and dignity of all
clients are respected throughout the
organization
• Protection of Client Rights
• Confidentiality
• Grievance Procedures

9. What is Ethics?
• Council on Accreditation (COA)
• Ethical Practice: Organizations earn and sustains trust
through honest, truthful, and responsible transactions,
partnerships, and individuals with communities, donors,
and governmental entities
• Open & Transparent Transactions
• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Fundraising
• Protection of Reporters of Suspected Misconduct
• Standards of Professional Conduct

10. What is Ethics?
Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics (2007)
 Set of core principles and values on which the agency’s
Mission is based
Provides ethical standards to guide organizational and
staff behavior
 A tool to educate staff and other stakeholders regarding
their obligations to fulfill the Mission
Orient leadership, staff, and stakeholders to basic values
rooted in the Teaching Tradition of the Catholic Church
 Assist in identifying areas of ethical concerns and
resolving issues where ethical obligations conflict
To provide standards which the community can hold the
agency accountable

11. What is Ethics?
Catholic Charities USA Code of Ethics
Responsibilities to Clients
Board/Governance
CEO/Management Team
Staff/Volunteer/Agency Relationships
Social Responsibility
Resource Development
Research

12. What Ethics Is Not?
o Does not equate with feelings.
o Not confined to religion
o Not the same as following the
law
o Not the same as doing what
society accepts

14. Areas of Ethical
Responsibilities
 Responsibilities to Clients
 To act in the best interests of clients
 Responsibilities to Colleagues
 Build collaborative relationships of trust, respect, & honestly
 Responsibilities to Your Employer
 Support workplace polices, standards of practice, and adhere to
lawful practice
 Responsibilities as a Professional
 Base my work on contemporary perspectives, theory, and best
practice

15. Responsibilities to Clients
 Treat clients with Dignity and Worth at all times
 Act in the best interest of the client – Do No Harm
 Cultural Diversity and Competence
Client Rights
 Informing new clients of their rights and responsibilities
 Avoid Conflict of Interest: Dual relationships
Avoid physical, verbal, or sexual abuse
 Avoid sexual contact with current or former clients
 Duty to Report Abuse and Neglect
Do not take advantage of professional status for personal gain
 Duty to Warn/Protect

16. R e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s t o
C o l l e a g u e s
• Treat colleagues with respect and a positive
attitude
• Avoid unwarranted criticism of colleagues,
especially when communicating with clients or
other professionals
• Respect confidential information shared by
colleagues
• Work collaboratively with colleagues
• Resolve disputes in a positive manner
• Avoid exploiting clients in disputes with colleagues

17. R e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s T o Y o u r
E m p l o y e r
• Work consistently towards achieving the goals of the
organization
• Perform duties at a high level of quality, accuracy, and efficiency
in an ethical manner
• Be punctual: prepared for work assignments; do not leave shift
without supervisor approval
• Do not misuse organizational assets or convert them to personal
use
• Refrain from conducting private or non-agency commercial
activities on premises or during work hours
• Keep personal phone calls and internet usage to a minimum
• Dress appropriately for work
• Adhere to all safety rules, do not place anyone at risk of harm,
danger, or false allegation

18. Responsibilities as a Professional
• Provide only those services in which you are competent to provide by
education, training, or professional experience.
• Accurately represent your competencies, qualifications, credentials,
education, affiliations, or results.
• Do not practice any form of discrimination
• Do not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud,
or deception
• Do not permit private conduct to interfere with your ability to fulfill
your professional responsibilities
• Do not allow any personal problems interfere with your professional
judgment and performance, or jeopardize the best interests of clients
• Take appropriate responsibility and credit for the work you have
performed, and acknowledge the work and contributions of others

19. Confidentiality
• Confidential: Private, Secret
• Maintain all client and business information in a strictly
confidential manner
• Disclose confidential information only with proper releases
• Informed Consent
• Do not discuss confidential information in public or semi-
public areas
• Written and electronic records should be protected from
unintentional disclosure, damage, loss, or breach of
confidentiality
• HIPAA: Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act

20. Discussion Scenarios

21. Question of the Day?
Are the services provided
here at Catholic Charities
good enough for your own
family?