The primary obligation of leaders, supervisors, and administrators of rehabilitation programs is to insure the best possible services to individuals with disabilities who are clients of such programs. All conduct by leaders, supervisors and administrators in carrying out their job responsibilites must, directly or indirectly, further that goal.
The members of the National Association for Rehabilitaiton Leadership have agreed upon the following set of principles governing the conduct of the professional rehabilitation manager:
PRINCIPLE I - Maintaining the honor of the profession - Professional Rehabilitation Managers/Leaders will consistently uphold the honor of their profession in all relations with clients, subordinates, colleagues, supervisors, and the public. At all times they will speak, act, and write in a manner that will reflect positively on the field of rehabilitation.
PRINCIPLE II - Respect for individual dignity - Professional Rehabilitation Managers/Leaders shall respect the work and dignity of each individual with who they deal. They will exhibit courtesy and temperance in situations of conflict, whether with organization personnel or with persons or groups outside the organization.
PRINICIPLE III - Respect for subordinates - Professional Rehabilitaiton Managers/Leaders must be easily available to subordinates for counseling, advice, assistance, complaints, or greivances, Any criticism of an employee must be handled in private and in constructive terms; disciplinary action involving demotion or termination must be fully explained. They must respect the right of subordinates to complain. They accept responsibiiity for hearing such complaints, judging them fairly, taking action to correct the problems, and maintaining an impartial and unbiased attitude torward the complainant. They will not take reprisals, indulge in covert harassment of employees, or allow others to do so.
PRINCIPLE IV - Competency - Professional Rehabilitation Managers/Leaders must demonstrate competency in managing their conduct, their time, their assignments, as well as the personnel under their supervision and the organizations"s work environment. They must inform employees clearly of their responsibilities and of any changes that may occur therein; they must relay to employees all information that concerns them directly or indirectly; they must assist emoloyees in the best performance of their job; and they must take corrective action when employees fall short of standards.
PRINCIPLE V - Impartiality - Professional Rehabilitation Managers/Leaders, regardless of whether they are public or private employees, do not allow partisan politics to interfere with the impartial delivery of services; and they allow no special consideration or favors to any person or group.
PRINCIPLE VI - Conflict of Interest - In the event of a conflict between the Professional Rehabilitation Manager's/Leader's private and personal interests and those of the organization's clients, the latter shall take precedence over the former.
