We do not treat addictions, we treat people. We offer each patient the opportunity to participate in their own recovery by assisting them to put together an individualized plan or “map” to establish themselves in recovery, based on their own unique needs. One of the first questions we ask each individual walking in the door, is “What does recovery mean to you?” They are allowed to identify their own needs by being treated with dignity and respect, no matter how they define recovery. We offer ethical care by abiding by professional and personal codes of ethics. The four pillars of ethics we abide by include:

1. Beneficence: we define beneficence as kindness and charity toward all. This requires the staff members to take actions to benefit patients. An example this may include a peer support person accompanying a patient at the food shelf.

2. Non-Maleficence: this essentially means “to do no harm.” This means that our staff will never do something to intentionally harm a patient. An example of this is to maintain strict confidentiality of patient information.

3. Autonomy: this includes acknowledging the decision making capabilities of each patient individually and respecting their decisions, even when they contradicts the staff members’ recommendations. This also includes staff applying professional knowledge to patient care and clinical decision making to guide them to make appropriate decisions about their care. An example of this would be respecting a patient’s
decision to defer treatment and opt for peer support services only.

4. Justice: this means being impartial and fair; treating each patient fairly regardless of their recovery ideas, pathway to recovery, ability to pay, and not withholding information based on staff members’ own bias. An example of this would be treating an individual on Methadone the same as someone using Vivitrol.

By offering this level of ethical care for each individual who walks through our door, we are able to provide services to all individuals regardless of how the individual identifies themselves. As a company, we have adopted a policy to continually evaluate our practices by soliciting feedback from those served. Sage Prairie has attempted to mimic the population served by creating an environment that represents those served. By ensuring diverse staff, we are attempting to ensure each population that is served is properly represented within the decision making process. The future of Sage Prairie is dependent on its individuality and creativity of its staff; to ensure a successful future, the succession plan is dependent on this. To further diversity and inclusion efforts, Sage Prairie has partnered with others in the local recovery continuum who are dedicated to serving specific communities, with a goal to better understand the cultural dynamics of those served.

Sage Prairie uses, and will continue to use, this information to put systems in place to better serve similar cultural groups in the future. Conversations and feedback from others will be elicited to gain a better understanding of best practices when it comes to equitable polices, practices and services. These conversations will ensure reduction or elimination of any systems in place that promote negative biases and/or discriminatory practices.