The Rules of Conduct are effective January 1, 2002, and the Disciplinary Procedures shall apply to all disciplinary proceedings beginning on or after January 1, 2002.

PREAMBLE

The Florida Certification Board (referred to herein as "the Board" or "FCB") provides certification for substance abuse counselors, prevention specialists, and criminal justice professionals in the State of Florida. The purpose of the FCB's voluntary certification process is to assure consumers, the public, and employers that individuals certified by FCB are capable and competent, have been through a certain organized set of experiences, and have been judged to be qualified. FCB is dedicated to the principle that professionals in the field of alcohol and drug treatment must conform their behavior to the highest standards of ethical practice. To that end, the FCB has adopted this Certified Professional Code of Conduct (referred to herein as "the Code" or "the Code of Conduct"), to be applied to all professionals, certified or seeking certification.

The Code is divided into three sections: (1) a Glossary of key terms used in the Code; (2) the Rules of Conduct, which sets forth the standards that certified professionals or those seeking certification are required to observe and discussions of selected standards; and (3) the Disciplinary Procedures that will be followed by the Board in investigating suspected or alleged violations of the Rules. The Board is committed to investigate and sanction those certified professionals or those seeking certification who breach this Code. Certified professionals or those seeking certification are therefore encouraged to thoroughly familiarize himself/herself with the Code and to guide their behavior according to the Rules set forth within this Code.

If you wish to file a complaint against a certified addiction professional, please review the section about Complaints.

You may also download the Certified Professional Code of Conduct (65K) for printing.