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Rehab Center Ethical Issues

The antics of celebrities keep drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in the news, but the majority of rehab centers provide important recovery services for people with substance abuse or related mental health issues. Reputable rehab centers adhere to the strictest of ethical standards.

  1. Equitable Treatment

    • Rehabilitation centers should provide equitable treatment to clients based on their specific needs, regardless of the reason they have entered the facility, according to a white paper from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and published by the website Physiatry. Drug addicts, particularly, can face stereotyping, stigma and blame, but the institute says that kind of value judgment has no place in an ethical treatment center and that all clients deserve the same level--though, of course, not necessarily the same type--of care.

    Rights, Responsibilities, Confidentiality

    • Before a client enters a rehab program, he should be made aware of his rights and responsibilities. Rehabilitation requires the willingness of the client to actively participate in all aspects of the program. The client has the right to be treated respectfully and have his treatment remain confidential.

      Confidentiality requirements are set forth in Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. U.S. law allows patient information to be disclosed to secondary and third parties only with the client's consent, or without the client's consent when it is a medical emergency or when such disclosure is required by the criminal justice system.

      An ethical rehab facility should explain confidentiality laws to clients prior to treatment.

    Informed Consent

    • A rehab center should obtain the written informed consent of the client prior to her entry into the facility, even when treatment is mandated by court order, says Jeffrey Carlisle of Carlisle Rehabilitation Services in Lutz, Florida. Failure to obtain informed consent could result in malpractice liability regardless of the outcome of the treatment. Most states require rehab centers to obtain the informed consent of their clients.

    Termination of Treatment

    • Terminating a client's participation in a program can create ethical issues because of potential relapse problems, so a rehab center must establish clear criteria for termination and make the client aware of them.

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