Ethical Boundaries: Staying in Your Lane

Recovery support professionals know that they have worked too hard and have come too far in their career to mess up now.

Here are some tips for maintaining healthy boundaries with those you serve:

• Use touch therapeutically and appropriately, AND always ask if it is okay to touch the resident before you touch them.
• Treat all residents equally, maintaining a respectful attitude and being courteous to everyone.
• Never give your personal contact information to a resident, including your cell or home phone number, email address or home address, if you live outside the recovery home.

Of course, being a recovery “sponsor” may have different boundaries.

• Do not give or receive gifts, money, loans or anything of value to or from your residents.
• Never use offensive or inappropriate language around your residents, or at least know the limits within your recovery home community as to what’s appropriate to say.

Never make inappropriate sexual comments or jokes.