Every job comes with a set of responsibilities. Most of the time, how well you handle them dictates whether your employment is short or long and whether you ever see a raise. And it’s rare for your responsibilities to impact a paying customer directly in a very negative way. After all, a bad customer service experience isn’t likely the end of the world. But things are a bit different for substance abuse counselors.
Unlike other career paths, the responsibilities of the professional substance abuse therapist directly impact very vulnerable, very susceptible people. We already discussed five major impacts counselors have on their clients, but the NC Code of Ethics has an entire section dedicated to client welfare. It is your job to safeguard the well-being of your patients from day one, and you can nail this responsibility in three distinct ways.
#1: State and Keep Your Commitments
When you were little, did someone who meant the world to you break a promise? Maybe they didn’t mean to, but life threw them a huge, curveball. It hurt, didn’t it? Regardless of whether they intentionally or unintentionally broke that promise, you trusted their word a little less.
Counselors safeguard client welfare by stating the nature and direction of their loyalties and responsibilities up front. From day one you make that sure your clients know what to expect. And then you keep them and any other involved parties informed of these commitments. If something changes, you immediately update them. You state and keep your promises. If a curveball hits, you come clean to preserve some amount of trust because substance abuse counseling does nothing if a foundation of trust is missing.
#2: You Focus on What’s Best…
…for your client. This is HUGE!
Think of the person you trust the most. Chances are you would put your life on the line without question if they told you it would all be okay. Why does anyone trust someone that much? Because that person has always focused on what’s best for you.
Safeguarding client welfare starts and ends with always opting for what is best for your client. Textbooks be…well, you know.
Professional conflict will arise. Challenges will appear. Obstacles will seemingly teleport in front of your client and you. But if you always focus on their needs and act to focus on what is best for them, their welfare will always flourish—even when they disagree.
#3: You Collaborate
Repeat after me: You don’t have all the answers.
You’re sober. You’re clean. You’re already one to two steps ahead of the people seeking your professional help. Oh, and you have an inclusive education plus real world experience. But you still don’t have all the answers.
Collaboration is an integral part of safeguarding client welfare. You’re going to put your head together with other health care professionals, substance abuse counselors, and maybe some professionals you weren’t anticipating ever rubbing shoulders with, let alone temples. But providing treatment and support services demands a team approach because…you know it…you don’t have all the answers!
Client outcome—their welfare—is directly impacted by your actions. Use these three simple ways to safeguard their well-being, and you will be on your way to successful and ethical counseling practices.