code of conducts :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  GUARDIAN AD LITEM CODE OF CONDUCT The Guardian ad Litem shall: 1. maintain high standards of conduct in carrying out his or her duties and obligations; 2. diligently represent and be guided solely by the best interests of the child; 3. report honestly and impartially to the court on what is in the best interests of the child; 4. respect the privacy of the child and family; 5. hold confidential all information obtained in the course of service as a guardian ad litem, as required by law and these Standards; 6. decline appointment, withdraw, or request assistance when the volunteer recognizes that he or she may not have the time or ability to effectively advocate for a child; 7. affirmatively advise the Program if he or she is charged with or convicted of a criminal offense, or becomes involved in any other court proceeding, as this may cause a conflict of interest or adversely affect the guardian ad litem’s ability to effectively advocate for a child; 8. report any new incident of child abuse or neglect to his or her supervisor and the abuse hotline; 9. comply with local circuit Program policies; 10. notify the Program director if the guardian ad litem or any member of the guardian ad litem’s immediate family becomes involved in a case with allegations of child abuse or neglect; 11. discuss all recommendations concerning the case with Program staff prior to submitting recommendations to the court; 12. obtain review/approval from Program staff before submitting any document to the court or other parties; 13. monitor the child regularly pursuant to any policies established by the local Program; 14. return identification cards and all case files and related materials to the Program office upon discharge from the case or dismissal from the Program; 15. discuss case progress and guardian ad litem activity at least every sixty (60) days with Program staff and regularly submit case activity sheets; and 16. complete six hours of inservice training annually. Guardian ad Litem staff and volunteers shall not: 1. take action which: a. endangers the child, a party, a witness or other person; b. is outside the powers or role of the guardian ad litem; or c. Violates state or local law, court rule, Program policy or court or Program procedure; 2. contravene staff or court direction; 3. repeatedly or significantly fail to perform a responsibility as a guardian ad litem; 4. falsify or fail to disclose information on the guardian ad litem application form, misrepresent facts during the screening interview or commit an act which results in a substantial alteration of the individual’s qualifications to serve in the GAL Program;