Facilitator Code of Ethics

Each of our volunteer facilitators has agreed to abide by the following Code of Ethics. These principles will guide Facilitators in their various roles, relationships, and levels of responsibility.

Statement of Values

Our primary responsibility as Facilitators is to empathetically guide peers in healthy, confidential, and purposeful discussions that strive to improve the lives of people living with mental illness. As Facilitators, we are not superiors, experts, or therapists. We will not diagnose or suggest a course of treatment. We are peers who Aid, Support , and Encourage others in helping themselves.

As Facilitators, we affirm that “Recovery” (Procovery) and/or Wellness is possible and that each person’s path to wellness is uniquely their own. We affirm that wellness is each individual’s own personal responsibility and will Assist and Support, each individual in his or her own  pursuits of wellness.

As group Facilitators, we believe in the inherent value of the individual and the collective wisdom of the group. We believe that collaborative and cooperative interaction leads individuals in the direction of recovery and wellness. We strive to help the group make the best use of the contributions and gifts of each of its members. We set aside our personal opinions and support each group member’s right to make their own choices and decisions. We ensure and protect an environment of Respect, Safety, Equality, and Trust in every group session. We will respect the Privacy and Confidentiality of those we serve.

We continuously learn and grow. We seek opportunities to improve our knowledge and facilitation skills to better assist individuals in their pursuit of wellness. We remain current in the field of mental health through educational opportunities, facilitator training, and ongoing personal development.

Code of Ethics

·         Facilitators will maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.

·         Facilitators will also conduct themselves in a manner that fosters their own recovery.

·         Facilitators will carefully and selectively share with consumers and colleagues their recovery stories from mental illness as appropriate for the situation in order to promote and support recovery and resilience.

·         Facilitators will, at all times, respect the rights and dignity of those they serve.

·         Facilitators will not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate in any form of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, political belief, mental or physical disability, or any other preference or personal characteristic, condition, or state.

·         Facilitators will strive to engender an environment of respect and safety where all participants trust that they can speak freely and where individual boundaries are honored.  We use our skills, knowledge, tools, and wisdom to elicit and honor the perspectives of all.

·         Facilitators will ensure that all participants have an opportunity to examine and share their thoughts and feelings.

·         Facilitators will observe confidentiality of all member information shared in the group.  Therefore, we do no share information about a member outside of the group or within the organization.  We do not reveal group content or the individual opinions or behavior of members of the group without consent.

·         Facilitators will follow the support group guidelines as guides, not rules, and will apply them with understanding and compassion.

·         Facilitators will promote and support services and programs that foster full integration of individuals into the communities of their choice, and that promote the inherent value of those individuals to those communities.

·         Facilitators will follow the Code of Conduct and enforce it in their groups.

·         Facilitators will never engage in inappropriate sexual/intimate activities with the consumers they serve.

This document was derived from the following sources: the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance’s  Facilitator Guide, Tennessee Department of Mental Health’s Certified Peer Specialist Code of Ethics as found on the Tennessee Mental Health Consumers Association’s website, and the International Association of Facilitator’s Code of Ethics.