STANDARD 1: Professionalism

Human services professionals will:

      I.         Have human services knowledge and skills, with an evidence, such as a human services degree or diploma from an accredited school.

    II.         Practice according to ethical standards, evidence-best practices, and profession’s scope.

  III.         Adhere to agency’s policies where they are employed or provide services.

 IV.         Be self-aware of limitations, health and expertise. 

   V.         Engage in ongoing professional, health and personal development.

 VI.         Be professional, accountable and responsible for their actions.

STANDARD 2: Respect for Humans

Human services professionals will:

      I.         Respect self and all humans, regardless of their gender, sex, sexual orientation, age, race, culture, religion, colour, ability or disability, economic status and other social statuses. 

    II.         Acknowledge and respect the client as an autonomous agent and has own self-determination and dignity.

  III.         Identify themselves as a human services professional and the purpose of providing services or helping/engaging with the client. 

 IV.         Obtain consent from the client or legal representative (when appropriate).  

   V.         Provide informed consent to the client. Before consent is obtained from the client, human services professionals must provide pertinent information (informed consent) about the services to be offered to the client, which should include the purpose and nature of services; duration of services; client’s benefits and risks involved in receiving the services; reasonable ways to mitigate/prevent these risks; the right to withdraw at any time from services; as well as other/alternative services available to the client. 

N.B. Consent from the client must be voluntary and free of coercion. The client must be competent to make this voluntary decision.

Standard 3: Beneficence

Human services professionals will:

      I.         Engage in maximizing benefits, preventing/reducing risks in their scope of practice.

    II.         Utilize a client-centered approach in delivering services, according to clients’ needs and wishes.

  III.         Follow privacy and confidentiality rules. Human services professionals will protect clients’ confidentiality, and their privacy, and obey federal and provincial privacy laws.

•  Confidentiality can be broken when there is an imminent danger of harm to the client or others, or when the human services has knowledge/information concerning the client about causing harm or crime. 

•  Confidentiality can be also broken when the client gives consent to disclose their information, or when subpoena /court order is issued to the human services professional to disclose information about the client.

•  Human services professionals are obligated to keep confidentiality within limits of the law. Human services professionals should strive to help clients to understand that certain actions or information can be reported to proper authorities. 

 IV.         Not engage in dual relationships. Engaging in dual relationship is forbidden unless, there is no alternative resources in helping the client, such as keeping the client safe and preventing harm to self or others. When dual relationship is foreseen and recognized, the professional should disengage with the client and should help the client to find alternatives and explain to the client the reasons for seeking alternative resources and refraining from further engagement with the client. 

Standard 4: Social Justice

Human services professionals will:

      I.         Strive to provide equitable, and fair, quality services to the client.

    II.         Respect and promote human rights.

  III.         Advocate for client’s needs, resources that promote client’s wellbeing.

 IV.         Advocate for the human services values and mission in bettering individual and community wellbeing. 

   V.         Make efforts to help the vulnerable people to meet basic needs and live a healthy life

 VI.         Strive for cultural competency: this includes being aware of your privileges and limitations, such as socio-economic status, literacy, and racial/cultural privilege and impact on others; be familiar with multiculturalism and human rights issues, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Have basic knowledge about other cultures especially those you are helping /providing services.

VII.         Fight against discrimination and promote values of diversity and inclusion for all, regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, sex, ability or disability, marital status, socio-economic status and social statuses.

VIII.         Recognize your own values, beliefs and culture and do not impose them on others.

Definitions

▪    The Client is the person/s receiving services from the human services professional.

▪    Human services professionals are certified and approved members of the association.

Revised November 2019.