Ethical Boundaries: Staying Within Ethical Boundaries

Staying Within Ethical Boundaries

Peer support programs pose several key ethical challenges. Although peer support specialists typically receive extensive OhioMHAS training about their unique roles, most haven’t received formal social work education or comprehensive ethics education.

• Ethics are especially important in health and human services.
• Peer support programs, with their unique recovery roles, require skilled judgments related to resident privacy, confidentiality, boundaries, dual relationships, informed consent, client abandonment and more.

Reference: mha.ohio.gov/supporting-providers/housing-providers/training-learning-series/ethics-and-boundaries-for-peer-recovery-supporters

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Residents may perceive the recovery house staff, especially a peer supporter, as the authority in the resident’s recovery.

Consequently, there is a power differential in the relationship.

Established ethical boundaries help the recovery support personnel and the resident create a safe space where openness and trust can be produced to minimize this power differential structure.

And the recovery supporter must acknowledge this power differential and maintain appropriate boundaries so that constructive and healthy recovery can be achieved.

As an example, the peer supporter’s code of ethics, established by Ohio MHAS, says that Peer Recovery Supporter (PRS) are prohibited from receiving gifts from residents.

PRS must also report certain situations, such a child abuse, to the appropriate authority.

Reference: ebasedacademy.org/learn/course/151/play/1953:686/ethics-and-boundaries