Code of Ethical Conduct for Jets Behavioral Clinic

Background of Health Facility 

Jets Behavioral Clinic was formed in 2015 and provides psychiatric and mental health services for the community. The clinic focuses on the treatment of psychological as well as behavioral disorders . It is located in Southfield Michigan. The clinic’s mission is to safeguard the community by engaging in the tasks of mental disease prevention, health promotion, and protect the local environment. This mission accompanies its vision of being Michigan’s leader in behavioral health. The original goal of the clinic was to treat behavioral disorders and improve the welfare of women and children. The services were later expanded to cover a wide spectrum of mental health conditions. 

The treatments at Jets Clinic focus on the underlying circumstances in a patient rather than brutal physical treatments. Numerous factors dictate the treatment given to patients with psychological and behavioral disorders. The most common factors include the very individual, the type of situation, and the problem from which one is suffering. As more discoveries are made, treatments are also beginning to include a person’s familial and socioeconomic factors. 

Aside from its core duties, Jets clinic performs various duties including examining health trends to determine risk factors specific to communities, advocacy with the authorities, and designing and deploying health education activities and campaigns. The clinic uses an emergency prepared plan that elaborates on the protocols that each staff should follow in the case of an emergency. The plan also states how patients should be handled in emergency situations. 

Organizational Structure 

Jets Behavioral Health Clinic is headed by a Chief Executive Officer who oversees the overall operations of the clinic. The next level features various high-ranking officers including the clinical services director, the finance director and human resource services director. The clinical services director manages the provision of medical services by the organization, and ensures all nurse and physicians provide quality intervention services. The finance director plans the clinics budget and allocates finances as needed. He/she is also in charge of the clinics logistics function. The human resource director is in charge of recruitment, training, and remuneration of employees. 

The third level features two departments that ensure the smooth functioning of the clinic. First, the clinical department encompasses the physicians and nurses who work at the department. Second, the administrations department includes workers who perform pertaining to finance, human resources, IT, and marketing. While the departments can operate independently, they are interwoven to enable interdisciplinary collaboration that increases productivity and efficiency at the clinic. 

Ethical Dilemmas 

The ethical dilemmas involve hypothetical situations that might happen to the clinic. The first ethical dilemma pertains to employee conduct. Since Jets Clinic encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, it is common for employee to be placed in groups to accomplish a particular mission. In this instance, while other members of the groups are working hard to achieve a set purpose, Jane, a nurse, is seen slacking on the job since she is distracted with personal issues. She does not contribute to the group and appears to ride on their success. While the group leader has continuously requested Jane to increase her output, she has failed to do so. The leader has also asked Jane if she needs help to solve her personal issues but she has not responded. Due to this, the group leader is thinking about reporting Jane to the organization’s management for further action. However, he knows that if he reports Jane, she will likely lose her job since this is not her first violation. On that note, the group leader is thinking about the action he could take. 

The second case pertains to the relationship between a patient and counselor. Jasmine is a patient who is highly reliant on her professional counselor for advice, even when it comes to small decisions. It is apparent that Jasmine does not believe in her decision making skills and usually attempts to think about what the counselor might act when placed in the same situation. She even inquires about the clinician’s personal life. Jasmine has esteemed counselor to the point that she is trying to copy her. Consequently, she always asks the counselor to make her decisions when faced with tough circumstances. The counselor finds that she likes it when Jasmine asks for her advice and being offering it unsolicited, and she is pondering how she should proceed with this relationship with the patient. 

Ethical Standards 

Ethical Code for Management 

The ever-changing world has contributed to a corresponding change in leadership such that what is acceptable today in various organizations might have had no significant value in the past years. The presence of a strong leadership in various organizations is a sure way of enhancing transparency. Ethical leadership allows for higher sensitivity on any responsibility, and as a result, it gives an organization the direction that it deserves. Ethical leadership is inseparable from corporate social responsibility. It is the responsibility of management and leadership to set an example to be followed by the rest of the employees. The actions of the executive leadership of the company should be spotless and ensure that legal and ethical undertones influence their every action. The actions of executive officers in these institutions must set a culture that encourages ethical behavior and which promotes compliance with the Code of Ethics and Conduct (Young, 2016). The management, in addition to abiding to the rules for all workers, are required to: 

Ensure that their actions portray ethical standards so as to lead by example 

Deal swiftly and fairly with any cases regarding unethical practices and code violation 

Stress the importance of the code and adhering to its principles to the employees 

Ensure that those who report cases of code violation are protected and that no retaliation is enacted against them 

Ethical Code for Clinicians 

Professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and nurses are driven by one purpose, which is finding ways to enhance human wellbeing and help them meet their basic needs. Professionals should be able to conduct themselves with integrity, wisdom, and dignity; they are required to maintain a non-personal relationship with the client to avoid having conflicts of interest which would put them in a compromising situation and may possibly cause them their jobs (Young, 2016). The only way to ensure this is by having a structured set and recognized professional code of ethics. The code provides a basis for decision making when ethical issues come up. 

Generally, clinicians have the ethical responsibilities to clients; this generally means that the client’s interests are primary and should be put first. Clinicians have the responsibility to contribute to the emotional and physical wellbeing of clients ( Adeusi, 2018) . However, they should be aware to circumvent conflicts of interests that reduce the ability to make rational and professional judgments. They should be able to inform their clients when such a conflict develops, and some cases may require terminating the contract with the client if he or she feels she has been put in a compromising position ( Adeusi, 2018) . Also, clinicians should strive to understand a person’s background and respect cultural differences. A relationship between clinicians and patients should be therapeutic and within the hospital set up. 

Due to the ever-changing and diverse needs of clients, it is important for clinicians to be professional at all times. Moreover, clinicians need to abide by the set ethical standards. The ACA Code of ethics provides guidelines for instructors with regards to professionalism. Professionalism in counseling involves not only counselor-client relationships but the family and community as well. 

As a clinician, one should be aware that the well-being of patients is largely dependent on their relationships with a counselor. Therefore, fostering good relationships with patients is important and should be a top priority for counselors. The counseling profession is an ever-changing field, and counselors are expected to adequately address the needs of clients from different backgrounds ( Adeusi, 2018) . Based on this, there is a constant need for clinicians to review their philosophies so that one’s values reflect the changing nature of the profession . T hus, there should be an effort to work collaboratively with r peers and other relevant stakeholders to come up with current and meaningful intervention for a client (Riaz et al., 2017). The code of ethics provides guidelines for the responsibilities borne by counselors. Thus, a professional should strive to put the needs of clients above mind, to understand the needs of the patient and to respect the patient’s autonomy. A professional should strive to handle situations to the best of knowledge of the ethical code and also with the client’s best interests at heart. 

Ethical Code for Administrative Staff 

The professional code of conduct that guides the members of the administrative staff is designed in such a way that the members themselves have to conform to the stated ethical standards. Such codes include the following; holding a predominant safety and welfare of the patients in the process of discharging professional duties ( Schultz et al., 2020) . This code of conduct allows employees to act with utmost care and concern for other people who may be affected by the unethical practices of these professionals. The employees do handle a complex and technical workload that it is possible to cause safety, health, and other related problems ( Schultz et al, 2020) . Therefore, this ethical code serves as a reminder of their obligation to maintain a duty of care during 

Aside from the stipulations mentioned above, every worker will be personally accountable for all their actions. Therefore, these actions must be done with the outmost respect for fellow colleagues as well as the company in general. Every worker will be required to: 

Read the Code of Ethics and understand it and abide by the principles enshrined in it 

Treat other employees with respect and dignity always 

Always seek clarification in instances where there are ambiguities concerning the Code, especially before undertaking any actions where there are doubts about compliance to the Code 

Report any instances of actions which violate the Code of Ethics to the relevant supervisors or authorities for further action. 

Implementation of Ethical Code 

Jets Clinic should create key documents that enable implementation of the ethical code. The code of conducts and the code of ethics are two documents issued by organizations which establish and regulate employee behavior within the organization and determine the public image of the organization (Congress, 2017). While both regulate employee behavior, the difference arises in the manner of regulation. The code of ethics regulations decision making, that is, it contains a set of principles which govern decision making. The code of conduct regulates actions by outlining those specific actions and behavior which are allowed for company employees and those actions which are prohibited for employees such as outlawing racial discrimination in the workplace. 

When formulating a code of ethics, the most important step is to determine the relevant principles which necessitate the development of the code. These principles should be determined by involving all the necessary people, that is, the employees and stakeholders who contribute to defining the principles that should be in the code (Congress, 2017). Ensure that these principles are clearly defined and that they leave no room for ambiguity which could be exploited later on. Once these principles have been determined, they should be outlined in a document which clearly outlines them. Articulating the differences between the two codes help employees understands both their differences and similarities and how these work together to regulate and encourage good behavior in the workplace (Congress, 2017). The overall effect of these codes is to foster good employee behavior in organizations which then provides a good public image for the company. This helps to improve the standing of the company in the public eye and improves their reputation considerably. 

Policies to Protect Users 

Each professional code of conduct should include policies which protect the rights and dignities of every employee in the workplace, no matter their position or level of seniority. These policies should be ironclad and must clearly spell out the appropriate and required rights of every professional in the workplace. Computer system designers must design computer systems which ensure that an employee’s personal and confidential information remains private and free from unauthorized access ( O’Halloran & Glosoff, 2020) . Systems which have loopholes that can be exploited by those in management are unfit for operation and ethically unacceptable. Prevention of Harm 

Every professional is also supposed to ensure that the actions they take do not harm other employees. Harm in the professional workplace refers to actions which produce negative consequences such as physical injury and loss of reputation. 

Honesty in All Dealings 

Ethical standards require honesty. Professional ethics are no different. A professional should strive to ensure that they are honest in their dealings and actions which helps them establish reputations as trustworthy people ( O’Halloran & Glosoff, 2020) . The importance of showing honesty in professional dealings cannot be understated. It is vitally important that clients and employees area able to trust their executives. Honesty is an essential component of trust and once that has been destroyed, it is very difficult to recover it. 

Respect of Privacy of Others 

Employee privacy is a right which must be protected. Professionals have the right to ensure that their dealings remain private and confidential. Whatever they work on which directly involves the company’s work is property of the company and should be available for open access ( O’Halloran & Glosoff, 2020) . However, any other information is not proprietary to the company and as such is private. An example would be an employee researching on sound investment techniques for themselves. Such information is not relevant to the company and should therefore remain private. Breaching an employee’s right to privacy over allegations which may prove to be false represents a hugely unethical practice by an organization. Every professional has their right to privacy which must be respected. 

Respect for Customers 

The customers of any organization are integral to its success and therefore must be treated ethically and with respect and dignity. The customer service provided by the organization must strive to achieve excellence and quality. The business shall commit to these regulations: 

Protection of customer privacy: each business must put measures in place that will protect the sensitive personal information of their customers from unauthorised access including their financial information. Also the business will ensure that any personal information provided by the customer is used strictly for purposes of business (Riaz et al., 2017). Any breach of such will result in the business being held liable for breach of conduct. 

The business must also ensure that at all times, customers are provided with complete, accurate and truthful information about the products that they purchase, including posts sales information. This will allow the customers to make well informed decisions in choosing the product they want to purchase. Withholding information about products is unethical and illegal. 

Discrimination of customers is also prohibited under Tennessee and national laws. All customers will be treated respectfully and shall not be discriminated upon based on characteristics such as their race, gender, religion, disability or sexual preference (Riaz et al., 2017). At all times, customers will be treated with respect and made to feel welcome within the premises of the business. The refusal to provide services to any customer due to their discrimination based on these characteristics is illegal and prohibited. 

The business will also commit to ensuring that the message they pass across to their viewers is truthful and accurate. The business shall not misrepresent information by making their products seem more superior than they are. Advertisements shall always be truthful and comply with the existing advertising laws. 

Consequences of Ethical Violation 

Every employee must be made aware that it is their responsibility to report instances of unethical behavior and that they should also be willing to assist fully any investigations that arise due to these violations. When it comes to reporting these cases, the most effective manner would be to report to the immediate supervisor, although following the chain of command is not a requirement in this situation (Young, 2016). There must also be mechanisms set up in each business that would allow employees to report their concerns anonymously if they wish to do so including hotlines. If cases are reported anonymously, it is up to the business to take steps to ensure that effective investigations are conducted and all concerns raised are addressed. The employees who report these instances must be protected from all forms of retaliations. This regulation applies especially to those workers who reveal their identities when reporting these cases. These workers should be protected from harassment and threats against them by other co-workers and even management. 

Violation of the code of ethics will have serious consequences for both the employee and the organization. This is especially so if the ethical violation pertains to a patient. Aside from loss of reputation and job, the organization can lose its credibility. Further, it can lead to loss of productivity and general morale of other employees. Also, since Jets Clinic is regulated by a state body, the violation of the code can have grave consequences for the organization (Young, 2016). Not only will it lead to significant fines and financial loss, it can lead to termination of the organization’s right to operate and operation license. 

Overall, professional ethics are a crucial component for Jets. The medical industry especially requires such standards since the treatment of patients requires a high level of professionalism and care. It is extremely important therefore that there are well defined and articulated professional ethical codes that each employee should adhere to in the organization. Professional ethics helps to clearly define both appropriate and inappropriate behavior in the company. These behaviors will help guide employee conduct in the workplace and will also help enhance the levels of personal responsibility each employee takes for their actions. Professional ethics will also help protect the reputations of both company employees and the company itself. Anyone caught participating in professional misconduct likely faces imprisonment terms and the total destruction of their careers. The ethical standards help provide a guideline to employees on actions expected from them and the standards that they have to adhere to. 

References 

Adeusi, S. O. (2018). Roles and Importance of Ethics in the Counseling Profession. In  Ensuring Research Integrity and the Ethical Management of Data  (pp. 98-111). IGI Global. 

Baer, R., & Nagy, L. M. (2017). Professional ethics and personal values in mindfulness-based programs: A secular psychological perspective. In  Practitioner's Guide to Ethics and Mindfulness-Based Interventions  (pp. 87-111). Springer, Cham. 

Congress, E. P. (2017). What social workers should know about ethics: Understanding and resolving practice dilemmas.  Social work ethics ,  1 (1), 1909-35. 

NASW. (2015). Code of ethics . Report Journal. Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp?print=1& . 

O’Halloran, K. C., & Glosoff, H. (2020). Multidisciplinary community mental health clinics: opportunities and challenges for counselor educators.  Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy ,  7 (1), 55-67. 

Riaz, S., Khan, E. A., & Jafar, T. (2017). Ethics in health care settings: practices of healthcare professionals and perceptions of patients regarding informed consent, confidentiality and privacy at two tertiary care hospitals of Islamabad, Pakistan.  Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad ,  29 (3), 472-476. 

Schultz, T., Yoo, H., Kellums Baraka, M., & Watson, T. (2020). Does this apply here?: Ethical considerations in transnational supervision settings.  Ethics & Behavior , 1-14. 

Young, G. (2016). A broad ethics model for mental health practice.  Ethics, Medicine and Public Health ,  2 (2), 220-237.