Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at IIT

Preamble

The preservation of the highest standards of integrity and ethical principles is vital to the successful discharge of the responsibilities of all members. This Code of Ethics has been promulgated by the Association in an effort to highlight the fundamental rules and is considered essential to this basic purpose. The failure to specify any particular responsibility or practice in the Code of Ethics should not be construed as denial of the existence of other responsibilities or practices that are equally important. Any act that is in violation of the spirit and purpose of this Code of Ethics shall be unethical practice. It is the responsibility of each member to advise the Ethics and Standards Committee of instances of violation of the principles incorporated in the Code.

SECTION A. Client Relationships

The ethical responsibilities of the member require that the welfare of persons served professionally be considered paramount.

The member who engages in paid professional clinical work must possess appropriate qualifications.
The member may provide only those services for which proper training has been received, i.e., necessary course work and supervised practicum.
The member who has not completed professional preparation must not provide language, speech or hearing services except in a supervised clinical practicum situation as a part of a training program.
The member who utilizes paraprofessionals must directly supervise their activities.

The member must follow acceptable patterns of professional conduct in relationships with the people served
Results of any language, speech or hearing consultation or therapeutic procedure must not be guaranteed. Although a reasonable statement of prognosis and/or progress may be made, any guarantee of any sort, expressed or implied, oral or written, is unethical.
A member who is receiving a salary or fee for providing services to a person or group of persons may not receive an additional fee for alternative or supplemental services unless authorized to do so by his/her primary employer.
Diagnosis, treatment or re-evaluation of individual language, speech or hearing disorders must not be done by correspondence or by telephone. This does not preclude follow-up correspondence of individuals previously seen, nor does it preclude providing the person served professionally with general information of an educational nature.
Confidential information obtained from individuals served professionally must not be revealed without written permission of the client.
Persons served professionally must not be exploited
(1) by accepting them for professional language, speech or hearing services which for any reason are contraindicated;
(2) by continuing treatment unnecessarily;
(3) by charging exorbitant fees.
The member must use every reasonable resource available, including referral to other specialists as needed, to effect as great improvement as possible in the persons served.
The member must take every precaution to avoid injury to each person served professionally.

SECTION B. Professional Relationships

The duties of individual members related to other professional workers are many.

Each individual member should seek participation in open and significant professional discussion of all theoretical and practical issues but avoid personal invective directed toward professional colleagues or members of allied professions.
Each member should establish harmonious relations with members of other professions. Others should be informed concerning the services that can be rendered by members of the speech and hearing profession and, in turn, information should be sought from members of related professions. Each member should strive to increase knowledge within the field of speech and hearing.

Section C. Other Responsibilites

The member has other special responsibilities.

Each individual member must guard against conflicts of professional interest.
Compensation, in any form, must not be accepted from a manufacturer or a dealer in prosthetic or other devices for recommending any particular product.
Individuals may announce and/or may make known professional clinical services in a manner consistent with professional standards established in the State of Michigan for medical, dental, psychological and related professions. Services for which an individual has not received professional training may not be stated or offered. Individuals may announce and/or make known consultative services in published listings under the categories for which adequate professional training has been completed and in a manner consistent with professional standards established in the State of Michigan for medical, dental, psychological and related professions.
Individuals must not engage in commercial activities that conflict with responsibilities to the persons served professionally or to colleagues.
Individuals who dispense products to persons served professionally shall observe the following standards:
(1)Products associated with professional practice must be dispensed to the person served as a part of a program of comprehensive habilitative care.
(2)Fees established for professional services must be independent of whether a product is dispensed.
(3)Persons served must be provided freedom of choice for the source of services and products.
(4)Price information about professional services rendered and products dispensed must be disclosed by providing to or posting for persons a complete schedule of fees and charges in advance of rendering services, with differentiation between fees for professional services and charges for products dispensed.
(5)A program to assure the effective use of the product dispensed must be provided to the client.
(6)The individual dispensing such products must comply with the requirements of the State of Michigan for dispensing such product
Individuals should help in the education of the public regarding language, speech, and hearing problems and other matters within their area of professional competence.
It is incumbent upon the member to make every reasonable effort to be certain that public information materials are accurate and complete in their reference to professional services and facilities.
Each member should seek to provide and expand services to persons with language, speech and hearing handicaps, and to assist in establishing high professional standards for such programs.
Individuals must not discriminate on the basis of national origin, religion, sex, or color in their professional relationships with colleagues or clients.

SECTION D. Specialized Codes

The adherence to this code by the membership does not prohibit the development of specialized Codes of Ethics related to specific areas of professional activity.

SECTION E. Revision of the Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics of the Michigan Speech-Language-Hearing Association may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the membership present at a regular Association Business meeting. The proposed amendments shall be announced to each member in writing at least 30 days prior to such a meeting. Proposed amendments/changes may be submitted by the Executive Council or by any member in good standing.