Ethical Standards for Anger Management Professionals

The following ethical standards are relevant to the work related activities of all anger management professionals. These standards concern (1) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities to clients, (2) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities to colleagues, (3) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities in practice settings, (4) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities as professionals, (5) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities to the Anger Management profession, and (6) anger management professionals' ethical responsibilities to the broader society.

Some of the standards that follow are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct, and some are inspirational. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards.

1. Anger management professionals' Ethical Responsibilities to Clients

1.01 Commitment to Clients

Anger management professionals' primary responsibility is to promote the well-being of clients. In general, clients' interests are primary. However, anger management professionals' responsibility to the larger society or specific legal obligations may on limited occasions supersede the loyalty owed clients, and clients should be so advised. (Examples include when a Anger Management professional is required by law to report that a client has abused a child or has threatened to harm self or others.)

1.02 Self-Determination

Anger management professionals respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals. Anger management professionals may limit clients' right to self-determination when, in the anger management professionals' professional judgment, clients' actions or potential actions pose a serious, foreseeable, and imminent risk to themselves or others.

1.03 Informed Consent

(a) Anger management professionals should provide services to clients only in the context of a professional relationship based, when appropriate, on valid informed consent. Anger management professionals should use clear and understandable language to inform clients of the purpose of the services, risks related to the services, limits to services because of the requirements of a third-party payer, relevant costs, reasonable alternatives, clients' right to refuse or withdraw consent, and the time frame covered by the consent. Anger management professionals should provide clients with an opportunity to ask questions.

(b) In instances when clients are not literate or have difficulty understanding the primary language used in the practice setting, anger management professionals should take steps to ensure clients' comprehension. This may include providing clients with a detailed verbal explanation or arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator whenever possible.

(c) In instances when clients lack the capacity to provide informed consent, anger management professionals should protect clients' interests by seeking permission from an appropriate third party, informing clients consistent with the clients' level of understanding. In such instances anger management professionals should seek to ensure that the third party acts in a manner consistent with clients' wishes and interests. Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to enhance such clients' ability to give informed consent.

(d) In instances when clients are receiving services involuntarily, anger management professionals should provide information about the nature and extent of services and about the extent of clients' right to refuse service.

(e) Anger management professionals who provide services via electronic media (such as computer, telephone, radio, and television) should inform recipients of the limitations and risks associated with such services.

(f) Anger management professionals should obtain clients' informed consent before audiotaping or videotaping clients or permitting observation of services to clients by a third party.

1.04 Competence

(a) Anger management professionals should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received, supervised experience, or other relevant professional experience.

(b) Anger management professionals should provide services in substantive areas or use intervention techniques or approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision from people who are competent in those interventions or techniques.

(c) When generally recognized standards do not exist with respect to an emerging area of practice, anger management professionals should exercise careful judgment and take responsible steps (including appropriate education, research, training, consultation, and supervision) to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients from harm.

1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity

(a) Anger management professionals should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.

(b) Anger management professionals should have a knowledge base of their clients' cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients' cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups.

(c) Anger management professionals should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.

1.06 Conflicts of Interest

(a) Anger management professionals should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. Anger management professionals should inform clients when a real or potential conflict of interest arises and take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes the clients' interests primary and protects clients' interests to the greatest extent possible. In some cases, protecting clients' interests may require termination of the professional relationship with proper referral of the client.

(b) Anger management professionals should not take unfair advantage of any professional relationship or exploit others to further their personal, religious, political, or business interests.

(c) Anger management professionals should not engage in dual or multiple relationships with clients or former clients in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. In instances when dual or multiple relationships are unavoidable, anger management professionals should take steps to protect clients and are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries. (Dual or multiple relationships occur when anger management professionals relate to clients in more than one relationship, whether professional, social, or business. Dual or multiple relationships can occur simultaneously or consecutively.)

(d) When anger management professionals provide services to two or more people who have a relationship with each other (for example, couples, family members), anger management professionals should clarify with all parties which individuals will be considered clients and the nature of anger management professionals' professional obligations to the various individuals who are receiving services. Anger management professionals who anticipate a conflict of interest among the individuals receiving services or who anticipate having to perform in potentially conflicting roles (for example, when a Anger Management er is asked to testify in a child custody dispute or divorce proceedings involving clients) should clarify their role with the parties involved and take appropriate action to minimize any conflict of interest.

1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality

(a) Anger management professionals should respect clients' right to privacy. Anger management professionals should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential to providing services or conducting Anger Management evaluation or research. Once private information is shared, standards of confidentiality apply.

(b) Anger management professionals may disclose confidential information when appropriate with valid consent from a client or a person legally authorized to consent on behalf of a client.

(c) Anger management professionals should protect the confidentiality of all information obtained in the course of professional service, except for compelling professional reasons. The general expectation that anger management professionals will keep information confidential does not apply when disclosure is necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and imminent harm to a client or other identifiable person. In all instances, anger management professionals should disclose the least amount of confidential information necessary to achieve the desired purpose; only information that is directly relevant to the purpose for which the disclosure is made should be revealed.

(d) Anger management professionals should inform clients, to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences, when feasible before the disclosure is made. This applies whether anger management professionals disclose confidential information on the basis of a legal requirement or client consent.

(e) Anger management professionals should discuss with clients and other interested parties the nature of confidentiality and limitations of clients' right to confidentiality. Anger management professionals should review with clients circumstances where confidential information may be requested and where disclosure of confidential information may be legally required. This discussion should occur as soon as possible in the Anger Management professional-client relationship and as needed throughout the course of the relationship.

(f) When anger management professionals provide counseling services to families, couples, or groups, anger management professionals should seek agreement among the parties involved concerning each individual's right to confidentiality and obligation to preserve the confidentiality of information shared by others. Anger management professionals should inform participants in family, couples, or group counseling that anger management professionals cannot guarantee that all participants will honor such agreements.

(g) Anger management professionals should inform clients involved in family, couples, marital, or group counseling of the Anger Management professional's, employer's, and agency's policy concerning the Anger Management professional's disclosure of confidential information among the parties involved in the counseling.

(h) Anger management professionals should not disclose confidential information to third-party payers unless clients have authorized such disclosure.

(i) Anger management professionals should not discuss confidential information in any setting unless privacy can be ensured. Anger management professionals should not discuss confidential information in public or semipublic areas such as hallways, waiting rooms, elevators, and restaurants.

(j) Anger management professionals should protect the confidentiality of clients during legal proceedings to the extent permitted by law. When a court of law or other legally authorized body orders anger management professionals to disclose confidential or privileged information without a client's consent and such disclosure could cause harm to the client, anger management professionals should request that the court withdraw the order or limit the order as narrowly as possible or maintain the records under seal, unavailable for public inspection.

(k) Anger management professionals should protect the confidentiality of clients when responding to requests from members of the media.

(l) Anger management professionals should protect the confidentiality of clients' written and electronic records and other sensitive information. Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients' records are stored in a secure location and that clients' records are not available to others who are not authorized to have access.

(m) Anger management professionals should take precautions to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted to other parties through the use of computers, electronic mail, facsimile machines, telephones and telephone answering machines, and other electronic or computer technology. Disclosure of identifying information should be avoided whenever possible.

(n) Anger management professionals should transfer or dispose of clients' records in a manner that protects clients' confidentiality and is consistent with state statutes governing records and Anger Management licensure.

(o) Anger management professionals should take reasonable precautions to protect client confidentiality in the event of the Anger Management professional's termination of practice, incapacitation, or death.

(p) Anger management professionals should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients for teaching or training purposes unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information.

(q) Anger management professionals should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients with consultants unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information or there is a compelling need for such disclosure.

(r) Anger management professionals should protect the confidentiality of deceased clients consistent with the preceding standards.

1.08 Access to Records

(a) Anger management professionals should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning the clients. Anger management professionals who are concerned that clients' access to their records could cause serious misunderstanding or harm to the client should provide assistance in interpreting the records and consultation with the client regarding the records. Anger management professionals should limit clients' access to their records, or portions of their records, only in exceptional circumstances when there is compelling evidence that such access would cause serious harm to the client. Both clients' requests and the rationale for withholding some or all of the record should be documented in clients' files.

(b) When providing clients with access to their records, anger management professionals should take steps to protect the confidentiality of other individuals identified or discussed in such records.

1.09 Sexual Relationships

(a) Anger management professionals should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such contact is consensual or forced.

(b) Anger management professionals should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with clients' relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a close personal relationship when there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the client. Sexual activity or sexual contact with clients' relatives or other individuals with whom clients maintain a personal relationship has the potential to be harmful to the client and may make it difficult for the Anger Management professional and client to maintain appropriate professional boundaries. Anger management professionals--not their clients, their clients' relatives, or other individuals with whom the client maintains a personal relationship--assume the full burden for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.

(c) Anger management professionals should not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with former clients because of the potential for harm to the client. If anger management professionals engage in conduct contrary to this prohibition or claim that an exception to this prohibition is warranted because of extraordinary circumstances, it is anger management professionals--not their clients--who assume the full burden of demonstrating that the former client has not been exploited, coerced, or manipulated, intentionally or unintentionally.

(d) Anger management professionals should not provide clinical services to individuals with whom they have had a prior sexual relationship. Providing clinical services to a former sexual partner has the potential to be harmful to the individual and is likely to make it difficult for the Anger Management professional and individual to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

1.10 Physical Contact

Anger management professionals should not engage in physical contact with clients when there is a possibility of psychological harm to the client as a result of the contact (such as cradling or caressing clients). Anger management professionals who engage in appropriate physical contact with clients are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern such physical contact.

1.11 Sexual Harassment

Anger management professionals should not sexually harass clients. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

1.12 Derogatory Language

Anger management professionals should not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about clients. Anger management professionals should use accurate and respectful language in all communications to and about clients.

1.13 Payment for Services

(a) When setting fees, anger management professionals should ensure that the fees are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed. Consideration should be given to clients' ability to pay.

(b) Anger management professionals should avoid accepting goods or services from clients as payment for professional services. Bartering arrangements, particularly involving services, create the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in anger management professionals' relationships with clients. Anger management professionals should explore and may participate in bartering only in very limited circumstances when it can be demonstrated that such arrangements are an accepted practice among professionals in the local community, considered to be essential for the provision of services, negotiated without coercion, and entered into at the client's initiative and with the client's informed consent. Anger management professionals who accept goods or services from clients as payment for professional services assume the full burden of demonstrating that this arrangement will not be detrimental to the client or the professional relationship.

(c) Anger management professionals should not solicit a private fee or other remuneration for providing services to clients who are entitled to such available services through the anger management professionals' employer or agency.

1.14 Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity

When anger management professionals act on behalf of clients who lack the capacity to make informed decisions, anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to safeguard the interests and rights of those clients.

1.15 Interruption of Services

Anger management professionals should make reasonable efforts to ensure continuity of services in the event that services are interrupted by factors such as unavailability, relocation, illness, disability, or death.

1.16 Termination of Services

(a) Anger management professionals should terminate services to clients and professional relationships with them when such services and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients' needs or interests.

(b) Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services. Anger management professionals should withdraw services precipitously only under unusual circumstances, giving careful consideration to all factors in the situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects. Anger management professionals should assist in making appropriate arrangements for continuation of services when necessary.

(c) Anger management professionals in fee-for-service settings may terminate services to clients who are not paying an overdue balance if the financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to the client, if the client does not pose an imminent danger to self or others, and if the clinical and other consequences of the current nonpayment have been addressed and discussed with the client.

(d) Anger management professionals should not terminate services to pursue a social, financial, or sexual relationship with a client.

(e) Anger management professionals who anticipate the termination or interruption of services to clients should notify clients promptly and seek the transfer, referral, or continuation of services in relation to the clients' needs and preferences.

(f) Anger management professionals who are leaving an employment setting should inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of services and of the benefits and risks of the options.

2. Anger management professionals' Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues

2.01 Respect

(a) Anger management professionals should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues.

(b) Anger management professionals should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues' level of competence or to individuals' attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.

(c) Anger management professionals should cooperate with Anger Management colleagues and with colleagues of other professions when such cooperation serves the well-being of clients.

2.02 Confidentiality

Anger management professionals should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions. Anger management professionals should ensure that such colleagues understand anger management professionals' obligation to respect confidentiality and any exceptions related to it.

2.03 Interdisciplinary Collaboration

(a) Anger management professionals who are members of an interdisciplinary team should participate in and contribute to decisions that affect the well-being of clients by drawing on the perspectives, values, and experiences of the Anger Management profession. Professional and ethical obligations of the interdisciplinary team as a whole and of its individual members should be clearly established.

(b) Anger management professionals for whom a team decision raises ethical concerns should attempt to resolve the disagreement through appropriate channels. If the disagreement cannot be resolved, anger management professionals should pursue other avenues to address their concerns consistent with client well-being.

2.04 Disputes Involving Colleagues

(a) Anger management professionals should not take advantage of a dispute between a colleague and an employer to obtain a position or otherwise advance the anger management professionals' own interests.

(b) Anger management professionals should not exploit clients in disputes with colleagues or engage clients in any inappropriate discussion of conflicts between anger management professionals and their colleagues.

2.05 Consultation

(a) Anger management professionals should seek the advice and counsel of colleagues whenever such consultation is in the best interests of clients.

(b) Anger management professionals should keep themselves informed about colleagues' areas of expertise and competencies. Anger management professionals should seek consultation only from colleagues who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and competence related to the subject of the consultation.

(c) When consulting with colleagues about clients, anger management professionals should disclose the least amount of information necessary to achieve the purposes of the consultation.

2.06 Referral for Services

(a) Anger management professionals should refer clients to other professionals when the other professionals' specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when anger management professionals believe that they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and that additional service is required.

(b) Anger management professionals who refer clients to other professionals should take appropriate steps to facilitate an orderly transfer of responsibility. Anger management professionals who refer clients to other professionals should disclose, with clients' consent, all pertinent information to the new service providers.

(c) Anger management professionals are prohibited from giving or receiving payment for a referral when no professional service is provided by the referring Anger Management professional.

2.07 Sexual Relationships

(a) Anger management professionals who function as supervisors or educators should not engage in sexual activities or contact with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over whom they exercise professional authority.

(b) Anger management professionals should avoid engaging in sexual relationships with colleagues when there is potential for a conflict of interest. Anger management professionals who become involved in, or anticipate becoming involved in, a sexual relationship with a colleague have a duty to transfer professional responsibilities, when necessary, to avoid a conflict of interest.

2.08 Sexual Harassment

Anger management professionals should not sexually harass supervisees, students, trainees, or colleagues. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

2.09 Impairment of Colleagues

(a) Anger management professionals who have direct knowledge of a Anger Management colleague's impairment that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.

(b) Anger management professionals who believe that a Anger Management colleague's impairment interferes with practice effectiveness and that the colleague has not taken adequate steps to address the impairment should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NAMA, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.

2.10 Incompetence of Colleagues

(a) Anger management professionals who have direct knowledge of a Anger Management colleague's incompetence should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.

(b) Anger management professionals who believe that a Anger Management colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, agencies, NAMA, licensing and regulatory bodies, and other professional organizations.

2.11 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues

(a) Anger management professionals should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.

(b) Anger management professionals should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues' unethical behavior. Anger management professionals should be familiar with national, state, and local procedures for handling ethics complaints. These include policies and procedures created by NAMA, licensing and regulatory bodies, employers, agencies, and other professional organizations.

(c) Anger management professionals who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive.

(d) When necessary, anger management professionals who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should take action through appropriate formal channels (such as contacting a state licensing board or regulatory body, an NAMA committee on inquiry, or other professional ethics committees).

(e) Anger management professionals should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct.

3. Anger management professionals' Ethical Responsibilities in Practice Settings

3.01 Supervision and Consultation

(a) Anger management professionals who provide supervision or consultation should have the necessary knowledge and skill to supervise or consult appropriately and should do so only within their areas of knowledge and competence.

(b) Anger management professionals who provide supervision or consultation are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.

(c) Anger management professionals should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with supervisees in which there is a risk of exploitation of or potential harm to the supervisee.

(d) Anger management professionals who provide supervision should evaluate supervisees' performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.

3.02 Education and Training

(a) Anger management professionals who function as educators, field instructors for students, or trainers should provide instruction only within their areas of knowledge and competence and should provide instruction based on the most current information and knowledge available in the profession.

(b) Anger management professionals who function as educators or field instructors for students should evaluate students' performance in a manner that is fair and respectful.

(c) Anger management professionals who function as educators or field instructors for students should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are routinely informed when services are being provided by students.

(d) Anger management professionals who function as educators or field instructors for students should not engage in any dual or multiple relationships with students in which there is a risk of exploitation or potential harm to the student. Anger Management educators and field instructors are responsible for setting clear, appropriate, and culturally sensitive boundaries.

3.03 Performance Evaluation

Anger management professionals who have responsibility for evaluating the performance of others should fulfill such responsibility in a fair and considerate manner and on the basis of clearly stated criteria.

3.04 Client Records

(a) Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to ensure that documentation in records is accurate and reflects the services provided.

(b) Anger management professionals should include sufficient and timely documentation in records to facilitate the delivery of services and to ensure continuity of services provided to clients in the future.

(c) Anger management professionals' documentation should protect clients' privacy to the extent that is possible and appropriate and should include only information that is directly relevant to the delivery of services.

(d) Anger management professionals should store records following the termination of services to ensure reasonable future access. Records should be maintained for the number of years required by state statutes or relevant contracts.

3.05 Billing

Anger management professionals should establish and maintain billing practices that accurately reflect the nature and extent of services provided and that identify who provided the service in the practice setting.

3.06 Client Transfer

(a) When an individual who is receiving services from another agency or colleague contacts a Anger Management professional for services, the Anger Management professional should carefully consider the client's needs before agreeing to provide services. To minimize possible confusion and conflict, anger management professionals should discuss with potential clients the nature of the clients' current relationship with other service providers and the implications, including possible benefits or risks, of entering into a relationship with a new service provider.

(b) If a new client has been served by another agency or colleague, anger management professionals should discuss with the client whether consultation with the previous service provider is in the client's best interest.

3.07 Administration

(a) Anger Management administrators should advocate within and outside their agencies for adequate resources to meet clients' needs.

(b) Anger management professionals should advocate for resource allocation procedures that are open and fair. When not all clients' needs can be met, an allocation procedure should be developed that is nondiscriminatory and based on appropriate and consistently applied principles.

(c) Anger management professionals who are administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that adequate agency or organizational resources are available to provide appropriate staff supervision.

(d) Anger Management administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment for which they are responsible is consistent with and encourages compliance with the NAMA Code of Ethics. Anger Management administrators should take reasonable steps to eliminate any conditions in their organizations that violate, interfere with, or discourage compliance with the Code.

3.08 Continuing Education and Staff Development

Anger Management administrators and supervisors should take reasonable steps to provide or arrange for continuing education and staff development for all staff for whom they are responsible. Continuing education and staff development should address current knowledge and emerging developments related to Anger Management practice and ethics.

3.09 Commitments to Employers

(a) Anger management professionals generally should adhere to commitments made to employers and employing organizations.

(b) Anger management professionals should work to improve employing agencies' policies and procedures and the efficiency and effectiveness of their services.

(c) Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to ensure that employers are aware of anger management professionals' ethical obligations as set forth in the NAMA Code of Ethics and of the implications of those obligations for Anger Management practice.

(d) Anger management professionals should not allow an employing organization's policies, procedures, regulations, or administrative orders to interfere with their ethical practice of Anger Management . Anger management professionals should take reasonable steps to ensure that their employing organizations' practices are consistent with the NAMA Code of Ethics.

(e) Anger management professionals should act to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the employing organization's work assignments and in its employment policies and practices.

(f) Anger management professionals should accept employment or arrange student field placements only in organizations that exercise fair personnel practices.

(g) Anger management professionals should be diligent stewards of the resources of their employing organizations, wisely conserving funds where appropriate and never misappropriating funds or using them for unintended purposes.

3.10 Labor-Management Disputes

(a) Anger management professionals may engage in organized action, including the formation of and participation in labor unions, to improve services to clients and working conditions.

(b) The actions of anger management professionals who are involved in labor-management disputes, job actions, or labor strikes should be guided by the profession's values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. Reasonable differences of opinion exist among anger management professionals concerning their primary obligation as professionals during an actual or threatened labor strike or job action. Anger management professionals should carefully examine relevant issues and their possible impact on clients before deciding on a course of action.

4. Anger management professionals' Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals

4.01 Competence

(a) Anger management professionals should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence.

(b) Anger management professionals should strive to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions. Anger management professionals should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to Anger Management . Anger management professionals should routinely review the professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to Anger Management practice and Anger Management ethics.

(c) Anger management professionals should base practice on recognized knowledge, including empirically based knowledge, relevant to Anger Management and Anger Management ethics.

4.02 Discrimination

Anger management professionals should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability.

4.03 Private Conduct

Anger management professionals should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfill their professional responsibilities.

4.04 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception

Anger management professionals should not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.

4.05 Impairment

(a) Anger management professionals should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.

(b) Anger management professionals whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others.

4.06 Misrepresentation

(a) Anger management professionals should make clear distinctions between statements made and actions engaged in as a private individual and as a representative of the Anger Management profession, a professional Anger Management organization, or the Anger Management professional's employing agency.

(b) Anger management professionals who speak on behalf of professional Anger Management organizations should accurately represent the official and authorized positions of the organizations.

(c) Anger management professionals should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, education, competence, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. Anger management professionals should claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others.

4.07 Solicitations

(a) Anger management professionals should not engage in uninvited solicitation of potential clients who, because of their circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence, manipulation, or coercion.

(b) Anger management professionals should not engage in solicitation of testimonial endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client's prior statement as a testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other people who, because of their particular circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence.

4.08 Acknowledging Credit

(a) Anger management professionals should take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed and to which they have contributed.

(b) Anger management professionals should honestly acknowledge the work of and the contributions made by others.

5. Anger management professionals' Ethical Responsibilities to the Anger Management Profession

5.01 Integrity of the Profession

(a) Anger management professionals should work toward the maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice.

(b) Anger management professionals should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. Anger management professionals should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.

(c) Anger management professionals should contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the Anger Management profession. These activities may include teaching, research, consultation, service, legislative testimony, presentations in the community, and participation in their professional organizations.

(d) Anger management professionals should contribute to the knowledge base of Anger Management and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics. Anger management professionals should seek to con-tribute to the profession's literature and to share their knowledge at professional meetings and conferences.

(e) Anger management professionals should act to prevent the unauthorized and unqualified practice of Anger Management .

5.02 Evaluation and Research

(a) Anger management professionals should monitor and evaluate policies, the implementation of programs, and practice interventions.

(b) Anger management professionals should promote and facilitate evaluation and research to contribute to the development of knowledge.

(c) Anger management professionals should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to Anger Management and fully use evaluation and research evidence in their professional practice.

(d) Anger management professionals engaged in evaluation or research should carefully consider possible consequences and should follow guidelines developed for the protection of evaluation and research participants. Appropriate institutional review boards should be consulted.

(e) Anger management professionals engaged in evaluation or research should obtain voluntary and written informed consent from participants, when appropriate, without any implied or actual deprivation or penalty for refusal to participate; without undue inducement to participate; and with due regard for participants' well-being, privacy, and dignity. Informed consent should include information about the nature, extent, and duration of the participation requested and disclosure of the risks and benefits of participation in the research.

(f) When evaluation or research participants are incapable of giving informed consent, anger management professionals should provide an appropriate explanation to the participants, obtain the participants' assent to the extent they are able, and obtain written consent from an appropriate proxy.

(g) Anger management professionals should never design or conduct evaluation or research that does not use consent procedures, such as certain forms of naturalistic observation and archival research, unless rigorous and responsible review of the research has found it to be justified because of its prospective scientific, educational, or applied value and unless equally effective alternative procedures that do not involve waiver of consent are not feasible.

(h) Anger management professionals should inform participants of their right to withdraw from evaluation and research at any time without penalty.

(i) Anger management professionals should take appropriate steps to ensure that participants in evaluation and research have access to appropriate supportive services.

(j) Anger management professionals engaged in evaluation or research should protect participants from unwarranted physical or mental distress, harm, danger, or deprivation.

(k) Anger management professionals engaged in the evaluation of services should discuss collected information only for professional purposes and only with people professionally concerned with this information.

(l) Anger management professionals engaged in evaluation or research should ensure the anonymity or confidentiality of participants and of the data obtained from them. Anger management professionals should inform participants of any limits of confidentiality, the measures that will be taken to ensure confidentiality, and when any records containing research data will be destroyed.

(m) Anger management professionals who report evaluation and research results should protect participants' confidentiality by omitting identifying information unless proper consent has been obtained authorizing disclosure.

(n) Anger management professionals should report evaluation and research findings accurately. They should not fabricate or falsify results and should take steps to correct any errors later found in published data using standard publication methods.

(o) Anger management professionals engaged in evaluation or research should be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest and dual relationships with participants, should inform participants when a real or potential conflict of interest arises, and should take steps to resolve the issue in a manner that makes participants' interests primary.

(p) Anger management professionals should educate themselves, their students, and their colleagues about responsible research practices.