MPA Society’s Code of Ethics guides the actions of management, staff, volunteers and students in their treatment of persons served. MPA Society’s service delivery will be characterized by integrity in decision-making, freedom of choice for program participants and the priority of professional responsibilities over personal interests.

All employees, volunteers and students of MPA Society will conduct themselves consistent with the following ethical principles:

1. Respect for the uniqueness of the people we serve, including their values and beliefs as well as their potential for growth and development.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Ensure that individual differences including values and beliefs are respected.
   —Maintain a strength and solution oriented perspective in our approach to service delivery consistent with MPA Society’s mission, vision and philosophy.
   —Support service users to develop to their full potential.
2. Respect for, honoring of, and upholding of the rights of people living with mental illness.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Recognize and respect participant confidentiality.
   —Protect and promote legal and human rights of persons living with mental illness.
   —Ensure that client self-determination is respected to the greatest extent possible.
   —Engage in actions that prevent the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of individuals.
   —Ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to provide informed consent to services to the greatest extent possible.
3. Promoting the health, safety and well-being of the people we serve, their support networks, and the communities they live in.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Promote the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual health of the people we serve.
   —Ensure that safety is a priority in the delivery of all MPA Society programs consistent with Health and Safety policy.
   —Where possible and appropriate, to participate in activities that promote the health and safety of the community consistent with our mission, vision and philosophy.
4. Practice that emphasizes partnerships with the people we serve, their support networks, and the community including other community agencies.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Where possible, to take a collaborative approach to service delivery that emphasizes shared responsibility.
   —Endeavour to include and consult families and support networks of the people we serve while respecting their wishes and confidentiality.
   —Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with community partners.
   —Develop and promote the expectations and choices of the people we serve.
   —Follow up with all community complaints, where possible.
   —Involvement on Boards and Committees by senior management team.
   —Maintain an open dialogue regarding services and the outcomes MPA Society is anticipating.
5. Respect for diversity, cultural heritage, and spiritual beliefs.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Showing sensitivity to the impact of cultural heritage and spiritual belief in the delivery of services.
   —Accommodating cultural and spiritual practices and beliefs where possible and reasonable within the context of the service we provide.
   —Take reasonable action to prevent and eliminate discrimination in all forms including age, race, skin color, gender, income, sexual orientation, and disability.
6. Commitment to competent and accountable practice that is both ethical and responsible.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Practice our professions to the best of our ability.
   —Practice within the policies and procedures of the agency.
   —Identify and avoid all conflicts of interest.
   —Promote ethical conduct within MPA Society and in the community.
   —Recognize when personal problems or needs can interfere with professional effectiveness and act to eliminate or minimize the impact through setting firm professional boundaries.
   —Demonstrate integrity in all professional relationships.
   —Act with diligence, efficiency, and conscientiousness.
   —Abstain from activities that might result in the actual or perceived exploitation of participants for advantage or personal gain, including accepting or exchanging gifts, money, and gratuities or engaging in personal fund raising while at work.
   —Maintain accountable reporting practices including reporting all incidents of abuse or neglect and all instances where harm or the potential for harm to the people we serve is present.
   —Ensure that any situations involving the witnessing of documents is consistent with agency policy and in the best interest of the people we serve.(create witnessing documents guidelines)
7. Commitment to professional and organizational excellence through an accountable, transparent and results oriented approach to delivering services.
   
   Practice Requirements:
   —Strive to provide the most effective service possible by participating in activities designed to improve the services we deliver.
   —Continuously pursue improvement in our ability to provide services through seeking out and implementing best practices, taking actions to enhance the knowledge, skills, and self-awareness necessary to be competent, and evaluating our efforts.
   —Value participant input to the greatest extent possible.
   —Ensure that human resource practices are fair, transparent, respect equality and are conducted in the best interests of the people served.
   —Ensuring the honest representation of the organization in any business, marketing or promotional efforts.
   —Ensuring that all contracts entered into by the agency are consistent with the best interests of the people served and that contractual relationships avoid conflicts of interest.
   —Ensure all financial practices of MPA Society are handled in accordance with the applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws.
   —Abstain from any act of professional misconduct, including activity or practices that involve intentionally wasting or misusing of resources, committing fraud, engaging in intimidating or abusive behavior or any other wrong doing.