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Code of Ethics for your Psilocybin Facilitator(s)

Underneath you read about the rules of me and my partners, during the program in relation to you and your safety

  1. General principle.
    Beneficence and nonmaleficence: All facilitators shall strive to benefit others, to do no harm, and to
    safeguard the welfare of clients.
  2. Fiduciary Duties.
    Fiduciary duties are intended to protect the more vulnerable parties in relationships where one party has
    greater expertise and influence. Facilitators owe clients fiduciary duties including, but not limited to, the
    duties of loyalty, care, and confidentiality.
    Duty of Loyalty: While acting in the role of fiduciary, facilitators have a duty to put their clients’
    interests above their own. When soliciting a client’s consent for psilocybin services, facilitators
    shall have a duty to disclose all information that is material to the client’s decision, including but
    not limited to, any personal or financial interests unrelated to the client’s welfare that may affect
    the facilitator’s judgement. Should such information arise after consent is obtained, the facilitator
    has an ongoing duty to disclose it to the client.
    Duty of Care: Facilitators have a duty to use the degree of skill, knowledge, and care that other
    reasonably careful licensed facilitators would use in the same or similar circumstances.
    Facilitators shall understand the laws and regulations governing the provision of psilocybin
    services, comply with the facilitator’s professional code of conduct, and complete the continuing
    education necessary to maintain the requisite level of skill, knowledge, and care.
    Duty of Confidentiality: Facilitators have a duty to maintain the confidentiality of client
    information. When disclosure of client information may be permitted under Section 56 of the
    Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, facilitators should attempt to maintain the confidentiality of
    client information to the greatest extent possible, and if compliance can be achieved without
    disclosing client information, the facilitator should avoid disclosure.
  3. Misconduct and Responsibility for the Acts of Others
    It is professional misconduct for a facilitator to:
    a. Violate this code of conduct, knowingly induce another to do so, or to do so through the acts of
    another;
    b. Commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the facilitator’s honesty, trustworthiness or
    fitness to provide psilocybin services;
    c. Engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation;
    A facilitator shall be responsible for another facilitator’s violation of this code of conduct if:
    a. The facilitator orders or, with the knowledge of the specific conduct, observes, condones, or
    approves the conduct involved; or
    b. The facilitator has direct supervisory authority over the other facilitator and knows of the conduct
    at the time when its consequences can be avoided or mitigated but fails to take reasonable
    remedial action.
  4. Privacy and Confidentiality.
    Facilitators have an obligation to protect confidential client information obtained during their work.
    Unless required by law, disclosures of client information shall be made only with a client’s written
    consent. Facilitators shall not disclose confidential client information when consulting with colleagues or
    with other clients.
    Limits of confidentiality should be discussed with clients, including under what conditions confidential
    information is legally required to be released.
  5. Contacting Emergency Services.
    Facilitators shall acknowledge that due to the stigmatization and current legal status of psilocybin,
    contacting police and other emergency responders can pose unique risks to client safety and privacy.
    Accordingly, facilitators shall have safety plans in place that reduce the need to contact emergency
    responders. Nevertheless, facilitators must learn to distinguish benign side effects of psilocybin services
    from medical emergencies, and when true emergencies arise, they shall contact emergency responders. In
    those circumstances, facilitators have ongoing fiduciary duties to clients requiring facilitators to minimize
    potential harms to clients associated with contacting and involving first responders.
  6. Dual/Multiple Relationships.
    When a facilitator sees a client with whom they have an existing relationship, or sees a person closely
    associated with a client, this creates a dual relationship. The conflation of personal relationships with the
    provision of psilocybin services can be problematic and may impair the facilitator’s objectivity or
    effectiveness.
    Facilitators should not provide services to people over whom they have supervisory, evaluative, or other
    authority (e.g., students, employees).
    When a facilitator serves a client with whom they have a previous or existing relationship, great care
    should be taken to delineate between professional and personal roles and respect and understand the
    vulnerable position of clients receiving psilocybin services.
    A facilitator shall not offer or render psilocybin services as a means of establishing a personal relationship
    with clients.
  7. Fees and Financial Arrangements.
    Agreement between client and facilitator regarding fees, and any other financial arrangements, shall be
    recorded in writing prior to the provision of psilocybin services.
  8. Advertising and other public statements.
    Facilitators shall not make false, deceptive, or misleading statements and shall take reasonable efforts to
    prevent others from making false, deceptive, or misleading statements on their behalf.
    Facilitators providing public advice (in person, in print, or on the internet, etc.) shall take precautions to
    ensure statements are based on training and experience and are consistent with this code of ethics.
    Facilitators shall not solicit testimonials from clients.
  9. Special considerations for non-ordinary states of consciousness
    Clients may be especially open to suggestion, manipulation, or exploitation, and because the effects of
    psychedelics can persist for months, this state of vulnerability may be prolonged, which requires
    increased attention to safety and consent.
    Psilocybin facilitation has the potential for stronger, more subtle, more complicated transference (strong
    feelings a client projects onto a provider; for example, as a parental figure) and counter transference
    (strong feelings a provider feels toward a client). This potential dynamic requires facilitators to be selfawareness, to engage in self-reflection and self-examination, and when possible, to participate in
    supervision/peer support for facilitators.
  10. Non-Directive Approach to Facilitation of Psilocybin Services
    Facilitators shall provide psilocybin services, which consist of preparation, administration, and integration
    sessions, in a non-directive manner. The non-directive approach to facilitation is characterized by
    maintenance of a consistent, warm, and affirming disposition with clients, while avoiding giving clients
    direct advice or directly interpreting their statements or behaviors. The goal of nondirective facilitation
    is for clients to discover things about themselves for themselves with only minimal guidance from a
    facilitator. The pace and direction of facilitation are controlled by clients, while facilitators serve in a
    supportive role. An exception would be when safety is at stake, at which point facilitators shall become
    directive only in the service of safety.
  11. Use of Touch
    Clients may want or benefit from a facilitator’s reassuring touch during the administration session.
    Facilitators shall complete training regarding the appropriate use of touch and demonstrate an acceptable
    level of understanding regarding the context and boundaries for appropriate touch. Facilitators shall
    discuss the use of touch with clients before the start of each administration session, and permission to use
    touch shall be requested and recorded.
  12. Romantic and Sexual Relationships
    No romantic relationships, sexual contact, or sexual intimacy with clients is permitted during any stage of
    psilocybin services including preparatory, administration, and integration sessions. In addition, sexual
    contact or romantic relationships with clients, or their partners or immediate family members, is
    prohibited for one year after the facilitator-client relationship has been formally terminated.