Course Description:

This course is part of the educational requirements for certification as a peer support specialists and certified recovery support specialists in Florida.  It specifically addresses ethics for peer support specialists. 

The twin purposes of the article upon which this course is based are (1) to draw upon the collective experience of organizations that are providing peer-based recovery support services to identify ethical issues arising within this service arena, and (2) to offer guidance on how these issues can best be handled. 

The course defines the core responsibilities of the peer recovery support specialist or recovery coach and provides a discussion of key ethical concepts. A model of ethical decision-making is provided for use by recovery coaches and their supervisors, followed by a discussion of several ethical vignettes.

Ethics topics covered include the personal conduct of the recovery coach, conduct in service relationships, conduct in relationships with other service professionals and agencies, and conduct in service relationships with the larger community.

The main portion of the course concludes with a sample statement of ethical principles and guidelines for recovery coaches. An addendum identifies the extent to which current laws governing roles in addiction treatment are applicable to recovery coaches and their organizations.

This course is based upon material prepared for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services and the Pennsylvania Recovery Organization – Achieving Community Together and is available as an open access article.

This course on ethical guidelines for the recovery coach is designed for substance abuse professionals and peer support specialists. This course is appropriate for beginning level practitioners who wish to develop their understanding of recovery coaching ethical guidelines. The course material includes a discussion of ethical vignettes to illustrate the types of ethical concerns the recovery coach may encounter. 

Authors: William L. White and the PRO-ACT Ethics Workgroup, with a discussion of legal issues by Renee Popovits and Elizabeth Donohue

Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding ethical considerations for peer recovery coaches. Specifically, a professional will:
• Describe the core responsibility of peer recovery support specialists
• Identify a model of ethical decision making that can be used by recovery coaches and those who supervise them
• Recognize ethical principles and guidelines for recovery coaches

Citation: White, William L et al. Ethical Guidelines for the Delivery of Peer-based Recovery Support Services. Retrieved 2017