Introduction
The Pike County Agency for Developmental Disabilities (PCADD) strives to provide high quality programs and services for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in an effort to improve the quality of life for these individuals served by our organization. The stated mission of PCADD as an organization is “to help Pike County citizens with developmental disabilities succeed.”
The manner in which PCADD conducts its services and the expectations of staff, board members, and volunteers is every bit as important as ultimately accomplishing our mission. As a recipient of public funds and as a nonprofit organization with a stated public purpose, it is crucial that PCADD as an organization conduct its services with transparency, integrity, and accountability.
The following Code of Ethics outlines the behavioral expectations of PCADD staff, board members, contractors, and volunteers. We ask that all staff, board members, volunteers, and contractors take this pledge and comply with its provisions.
As an employee, board member, contractor, or volunteer with PCADD, I hereby pledge to:
- Conduct myself in a manner that upholds PCADD’s integrity; promotes its mission; upholds its bylaws; and merits the trust and support of the public.
- Treat all people with dignity and respect, including persons served, coworkers, supervisors, board members, staff with affiliated agencies, and other stakeholders.
- Safeguard the public’s confidence in PCADD by being honest, fair, truthful, loyal, caring and respectful in my actions within the workplace.
Professional Responsibilities
- Encourage the larger community to accept individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through personal interaction, participation in community events, and by acting as concerned and responsible advocates.
- Respond promptly to any and all concerns brought forward by parents, community members, funders, or other stakeholders.
- Incorporate feedback from individuals served, family members, employees, and other stakeholders into quality improvement efforts.
- Act as a role model for the greater public by respecting and treating individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the same respect and dignity we give to all other people.
- Promote principles of self-determination with regard to the individuals we serve and their families.
- Preserve confidentiality to ensure that all information which is privileged, confidential, or nonpublic is properly safeguarded.
- Provide persons served with information on their rights, methods of filing complaints and grievances, information about due process, and safeguards against reprisal.
Conflicts of Interest, Gifts, & Gratuities
- Avoid any relationship or influence with vendors, contractors, persons served, their families or guardians that might create an environment of favoritism or otherwise impair our ability to make fair and credible decisions in the workplace.
- Decline all monetary and tangible gifts, regardless of value or form, from vendors and contractors.
- Decline monetary gifts, regardless of value or form, from persons served, their families or guardians.
- Decline tangible gifts with a value greater than $5.00 from persons served, their families or guardians.
- Fully disclose all facts in situations where we are aware of a possible conflict of interest.
Business Practices & Marketing
- Practice accountability by conducting organization business with high professional standards. PCADD is responsible to its stakeholders, funders, donors, and others who have placed faith in us.
- Comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations of federal, state, and local government.
- Ensure the responsible use and control all organization assets, resources and information.
- Use PCADD resources in accord with the intentions of funders and donors.
- Establish and maintain strong internal fiscal and management controls compliant with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
- Conduct marketing and promotional activities with honesty and integrity, and in concert with our mission and core values.
Fraud, Waste, & Abuse Of Funds
- Not engage in- nor tolerate from others- fraud, waste, or abuse of organization funds, property, or assets.
- Maintain proper documentation and billing practices with regard to billing of Medicaid waiver services and other services PCADD bills for in full compliance with state and federal regulations.
- Immediately report known violations of documentation and/or billing practices, or theft/fraud/abuse of organization funds, property, or assets to PCADD’s Corporate Compliance Officer.
Contractual Relationships
- Understand and respect applicable laws, rules and regulations, going beyond the letter of the law to protect and/or enhance PCADD’s ability to accomplish its mission.
- Maintain a dialogue with regulatory agencies on the application and interpretation of existing laws.
- Adhere to all conditions imposed contractually by funders and referral sources.
Human Resources
- Strive for personal and professional growth to improve the quality and effectiveness of the services I provide on behalf of PCADD.
- Strive to remain current with federal and state employment laws and regulations, and to increase the skills and abilities relevant to my role with PCADD.
- Recognize PCADD’s efforts as an organization to employ, train, promote, terminate and otherwise treat any and all employees and job applicants strictly based on merit, qualifications and competence, and without regard to an individual’s sex, race, religion, national origin, pregnancy, age, marital status, physical handicap, veteran status, sexual orientation or disability.
- Recognize PCADD’s efforts to operate in a fair and ethical manner
- Take advantage of ongoing opportunities to give and receive feedback on my performance both formally and informally.
Use of Social Media
- Consider carefully the public perception of my personal and professional actions, and the effect my actions could have, both positively and negatively, on PCADD’s reputation in the community and elsewhere, especially as this relates to posts on social media.
Service Delivery
- Engage in personal solicitations and fundraising in an appropriate manner. Personal fund raising in the workplace for school and not for profit organizations is permitted but sales to persons served are not allowed.
- Respect and safeguard the personal property of individuals we serve, visitors, and other personnel as well as the property of PCADD. Theft and destruction of property may be addressed through disciplinary action and/or by contacting law enforcement, as appropriate.
- Recognize and maintain personal and professional boundaries that establish appropriate limits to relationships with individuals we serve. An appropriate relationship is one that allows PCADD employees to apply their professional knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences towards meeting the needs of the individual services. All staff-person served relationships must be formed for professional purposes only.
- When requested by an individual being served or his/her representative, staff members who are trained and have a solid understanding of the processes can witness documents that require a witness, such as powers of attorney, guardianship, advance directives.
- Personnel are authorized to countersign documents such as intake forms, authorizations (i.e., release of information form), treatment plans, informed consent documents, etc. as directly related to their job duties.
- Employees who are certified as Notary Publics may notarize or witness documents such as powers of attorney, guardianship, advance directives, and/or agency contracts for individuals, families, personnel, and other stakeholders in accordance with applicable state laws.
- Act as guardian, agent for powers of attorney, or take on any other legal responsibility for an advance directive for a person connected in any way with PCADD services only if they are a family member. Exceptions will require the written approval of the Executive Director.