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Code of Ethics

The NADTA mission is to serve its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence in the field of drama therapy. All drama therapists who are members of the NADTA are responsible to ensure that they are familiar with this Code of Ethics, understand its application to their professional conduct, and strive to adhere to its principles and standards. To achieve this goal, drama therapists work together to resolve conflicts and maintain open and constructive communication.

Click Here for the North American Drama Therapy Association
Code of Ethical Principles

Ethics Questions

The Ethics Chair and Ethics Committee are available to answer ethics questions from members. Questions can be sent via email to: ethics@nadta.org.

Submitting an Ethics Complaint

This information is intended to inform the public along with members of the NADTA of the steps to filing an ethics complaint. This information should be consulted alongside the NADTA Code of Ethical Principles.

An ethics complaint may be filed by anyone who witnesses an ethics violation. A complaint, however, may only be filed against a member of the NADTA. Prior to submitting an ethic complaint, we encourage you to address the drama therapist in question directly and/or their supervisor. If this is not possible or if mediating conversations have not successfully addressed the behavior in question then proceed with filing an ethics complaint. To file an ethics complaint against a member of the NADTA, please send the following information to the NADTA office by fax or postal mail:

• Name of the NADTA member
• Your name and mailing address
• A simple 1-line statement that you are interested in filing an ethics complaint
• A brief statement of the behavior at issue.

Send to:
       Patrick Hughes, MA, RDT, LHMC
       Ethics Chair, NADTA
       230 Washington Ave Extension, Suite 101
       Albany, NY 12203

Shortly after having received this information, the Ethics Chair will be in contact with you. Please note, to maintain confidentiality the Ethics Chair/ Committee does not communicate by email regarding ethics complaint matters. Please use fax or postal mail. Please continue to use email, in addition to phone or fax, if you have an ethics related question (ethics@nadta.org).

Following submission of the complaint:

1. The complaint will be reviewed by the Ethics Committee and will either be deemed to have merit (i.e. the actions or behaviors observed are deemed to be a violation of Code) or unfounded. If the complaint is deemed to lack merit the complainant and the Board of Directors will be notified within 30 days that the case has been closed.
2. If the case is found to have merit, the complaint subject will be sent a copy of the complaint. The complaint subject has 30 days to respond in writing to the allegations. The complaint subject may seek the assistance of counsel, however, the documentation and/or evidence must be submitted in writing by the complaint subject and not a lawyer.
3. Both the complaint and the response are forwarded to the Ethics Committee for review. The committee will determine if further investigation is needed or make a recommendation(s) to the Board of Directors.
4. In the case that further investigation is needed, the Ethics Committee will gather the information necessary.
5. Upon completion of the investigation, the committee will determine the action to recommend to the Board of Directors and will write a report summarizing the committee’s findings, conclusions and recommendation(s).
6. The complaint, response, and Ethics Committee report are then reviewed by the Board of Directors. The Board, by majority vote will determine what action, if any, is to be taken with respect to the complaint. Actions may include but are not limited to: formal mediation, mandatory supervision and/or suspension of one’s membership or registered status (RDT).