Dear NOMC,
The NBPCB has been fervently working during the past several months to
securely ensure that our Procedures and Code of Conduct transparently
reflect the expectations and standards of behavior that the Board demands
from all of its certificants. Because of this, we wanted to reach out and
give you an update on all the changes we have made, and we invite any
questions you may have for us. Our goal is for all of us, working together,
to provide the most beneficial training and protection for our consumers in
the safest and most engaging environment possible.
Our Board has adopted a new Code of Conduct for all of our Structured
Discovery (SD) professionals. The new code went into effect in April of this
year, and everyone, even if they have not already signed, is obligated (by
virtue of holding one of our SD certifications) to abide by this new code.
Our 2021 code is based on many of the tenants of our previous code, that of
CRC, and the American Counseling Association. We also sought feedback from
both the professionals and centers we certify. In addition to the actual
Code of Conduct, we have also revised our grievance process and reporting
mechanisms. All of these documents have been thoroughly reviewed by legal
counsel and can be found in their entirety on our website,
http://www.nbpcb.org http://www.nbpcb.org/ . We encourage each of you to
familiarize yourself with these documents and to reach out to us if you have
questions or just want a little more clarification.
We would like to point out one very important change that we feel will help
us ensure that we are in a much better position to obtain information
regarding possible infractions to our code. SD professionals who hold
certification from NBPCB must now allow us to speak to both present and
former employers; colleagues; current or former consumers; schools,
colleges, or institutions of higher education; vocational rehabilitation
agencies; groups; programs; volunteer organizations; and membership
organizations regarding relevant details necessary to investigate possible
violations to our code. This will ensure that we can seek information
without someone invoking privacy laws that prohibit them from sharing
information.
Moreover, those seeking Structured Discovery certification or
recertification will now undergo background checks. Although this will be a
new practice for us, we want to be sure that everyone understands that
background checks will only indicate if someone has a criminal history and
will not inform the board if someone has engaged in behavior that either has
not been reported to authorities or that does not rise to a violation of the
laws of a particular state.
Our website will soon have the option to search the status of any SD
professional we have currently or previously certified. Only the
professional's name, state on file, certification status, and expiration
date will be displayed. Therefore, the only information that will be
publicly displayed about an individual's certification is that it is active,
expired, or revoked.
NBPCB has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the National
Federation of the Blind to share information regarding any persons being
investigated for possible violations of the NFB or NBPCB codes of conduct to
facilitate clear and consistent information sharing. This was necessary
because NBPCB and NFB are two distinct organizations with no legal ties to
one another. We will be entering into similar agreements with any center
which we certify so that there will be no delays in reporting possible
violations to our Code of Conduct and information can be shared with greater
assurance that no privacy laws interfere with this necessary flow of
communication.
All NBPCB board members, NOMCT committee members, and certified center
directors underwent training by RAINN-the nation's largest anti-sexual
misconduct organization-and another organization, WEEVE, another
organization working in the area of sexual misconduct prevention.
Information regarding how to contact RAINN has been included on our website
and in our grievance documents for anyone who may be a victim of sexual
misconduct.
We continue to encourage each of you to reach out either on this listserv or
to us directly at our admin at nbpcb.org address with any questions or
concerns. We want to be sure that you are informed as to what we have been
doing and the rationale behind our efforts to protect the certification that
each of you has worked so hard to obtain and maintain while also providing
protections and remedies for those whom we serve.
Respectfully,
Members of the NBPCB Board
NBPCB Office
PO Box 2373
Ruston LA 71273
318 299-7340
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