Executive Director Update
December 20, 2010
This is another in a series of occasional ASHA Executive Director updates. These updates are intended to provide ASHA members with a more in-depth view of various ASHA programs and National Office units, their key member services and initiatives, and the names and roles of ASHA staff. Information about staff changes and ASHA National Office recognitions/awards is also included.
Many thanks to those of you who have provided feedback regarding the previous updates (posted on the ASHA website) or suggestions for future Executive Director updates.
ASHA's Ethics Program
The Ethics Program directly supports and sets the ethical foundation for the clinical and professional practice of audiology and speech-language pathology. Activities relating to ethics matters are the primary responsibilities of the Board of Ethics, the Director of Ethics, and/or the National Office Ethics Team. The Ethics Program consists of a number of subprograms explained below.
Professional Consultation
Information and advice are provided to members, certificate holders, clinical fellows, students, faculty, employers, state regulatory agencies, and consumers who contact the National Office by phone or by e-mail. In 2010, more than 1,000 members and other interested constituents have contacted ASHA for ethics-related information. Recurring themes of ethics inquiries to the National Office include employer demands, supervision, issues associated with support personnel, and provision of services to linguistically and culturally diverse populations.
Development and Monitoring of ASHA's Code of Ethics
Emerging ethical issues within the professions are monitored to ensure that the Code of Ethics provides appropriate direction to the professions in a manner that serves the best interests of consumers and protects the reputation and integrity of the professions. The Code of Ethics is monitored by the Board of Ethics on an ongoing basis and revised whenever changes are required. The most recent changes are reflected in a new Code of Ethics that went into effect on March 1, 2010. Among the changes, two entirely new rules (i.e., not updates or revisions of old rules) were created in 2010:
Principle of Ethics I, Rule R
R. Individuals shall not discontinue service to those they are serving without providing reasonable notice.
Principle of Ethics IV, Rule L
L. Individuals shall not file or encourage others to file complaints that disregard or ignore facts that would disprove the allegation, nor should the Code of Ethics be used for personal reprisal, as a means of addressing personal animosity, or as a vehicle for retaliation.
All the recent revisions to the Code can be seen in this resolution adopted by the Board of Directors.
Complaint Processing and Adjudication
A system of procedures is maintained to ensure that a mechanism is available to the membership and the public for handling alleged violations of the Code of Ethics. Due process considerations are an important aspect of the process. To assist anyone who wants to understand more about this process, ASHA has developed a statement of the Board of Ethics on the principles associated with the code's enforcement. It provides information about a variety of ethics processes, including the process for enforcing the ASHA Code of Ethics, the role of ASHA's Board of Ethics, the jurisdiction of the Board of Ethics, the process for filing a complaint, the process for adjudication of complaints, and the procedure for sanctions and disclosure. In the past 12 months, the Board of Ethics has adjudicated 27 Initial Consideration Hearings and eight Further Consideration Hearings (first-level appeals).
Ethics Education
The development of ethics education materials is an important tool in assisting members and certificate holders to understand and adhere to their ethical responsibilities. The goal is to inform and thus help members and certificate holders either avoid or cure ethical problems that arise in their clinical practice and other professional activities. For example, Stephanie Davidson, chair of the Board of Ethics, and David Denton, Director of Ethics, recently cowrote an article for Division 4's November 2010 Perspectives issue titled "Ethics Compliance: Enforcing ASHA's Code of Ethics." This issue of Perspectives is devoted to ethics. In addition, the ethics web page includes the wealth of ethics education materials available to members and the public.
Student Ethics Essay Award
In 2011, the sixth annual Student Ethics Essay Award (SEEA) competition will be held. This program is conducted by the Board of Ethics as part of the Association's efforts to enhance ethics education activities. The SEEA is designed to provide opportunities for National Student Speech Language Hearing Association members who are undergraduate or graduate students in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) to think about ethical decision making as they prepare to start careers in audiology, speech-language pathology, or speech, language, and hearing sciences. The goal of the SEEA is to create greater awareness of potential ethical dilemmas that individuals in CSD careers may encounter and options for addressing these dilemmas. Information about the competition and an application form [PDF] are on the ASHA website. The website also has essays selected for this award from previous years.
Demonstrating Your Support
I would encourage all members to consider downloading the Principles of Ethics Poster [PDF] that includes the four ethical principles which form the foundation of ASHA's Code of Ethics. The poster is suitably sized for framing and demonstrates your support for the importance of ethics in our professions.
National Office Staff Updates Since October 2010
The following individuals are new to the ASHA staff:
- Gary Dunham – Director, Publications
- Erin King – Meeting Support Specialist
The following individual is in a new position:
- Steve Ritch – Manager, Associate Level Membership Program
The following individuals have left ASHA to pursue other opportunities:
- Terrell Hayes – Account Manager, Membership & Sales
- Cheryl Russell – Director of Convention and Meetings (Retired)
Recent ASHA and ASHA National Office Awards
"Buds In The Schools Week" in Philadelphia schools was designated by Philadelphia's mayor, Michael A. Nutter, during ASHA National Convention week in Philadelphia. ASHA held concerts in six city schools and worked with a number of ASHA members in the schools to present the Buds campaign message about safe listening.
The Next Executive Director Update
2010 ASHA National Office Cost Savings and Efficiencies