International Mental Health Management Association (China Representative Office) Code of Ethics

• File Number: IMHMA-RO-2025-01

• Version: V 1.0

• Effective Date: [March] [22], 2025

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  Scope of Application: All registered professionals, certified psychological consultants, mental health managers, supervisors, and contracted practitioners at provincial/municipal workstations managed by this Representative Office.

   

Preamble

The International Mental Health Management Association (China Representative Office) (hereinafter referred to as "the Office") is dedicated to promoting scientific, standardized, and human-centered mental health services in China. To regulate the professional conduct of personnel registered and certified by the Office, protect the lawful rights and interests of clients/seekers of professional services (hereinafter referred to as "Clients"), and maintain the reputation of the industry, this Code is formulated in accordance with the Mental Health Law of the People's Republic of China, the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors, and internationally accepted ethical standards for psychological consulting.

All registered, certified, and contracted practitioners of the Office (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Practitioners") must unconditionally abide by this Code when engaging in professional activities.

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 [Legality and Compliance]

Practitioners conducting any business within mainland China must strictly abide by national laws and regulations. Practitioners shall clearly distinguish the boundaries between "Psychological Consulting/Mental Health Management" and "Psychiatric Medical Treatment/Psychotherapy".

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  Strictly Prohibited: Practitioners without medical qualifications are prohibited from engaging in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders or prescribing medications.

   

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  Referral Obligation: For Clients whose needs exceed the scope of consulting, Practitioners must fulfill the obligation of referral.

   

Article 2 [Core Principles]

Practitioners shall follow these core principles in their professional work:

1.  

   Beneficence: Prioritize the welfare of the Client and avoid causing harm.

    

2.  

   Responsibility: Maintain professional trust, keep promises, and be responsible for professional conduct.

    

3.  

   Integrity: Be honest and fair; avoid exaggerated publicity or fraud.

    

4.  

   Respect: Respect the Client's dignity, privacy, values, and right to self-determination.

    

Chapter II Professional Competence

Article 3 [Boundaries of Competence]

Practitioners shall provide services only within the boundaries of their training, professional certification, and competence. For issues where they have not received specialized training (e.g., crisis intervention, trauma therapy, consulting for specific populations), they shall not rashly undertake the work.

Article 4 [Continuing Education]

Psychological consulting and health management are professions requiring lifelong learning. Practitioners must fulfill continuing education obligations and regularly participate in professional training and supervision recognized by the Office or the industry to maintain updated professional knowledge and skills.

Article 5 [Self-Care]

Practitioners should pay attention to their own mental health status. When personal physical or psychological problems (e.g., professional burnout, major life changes) affect the quality of professional services, they should suspend work and seek professional help or supervision.

Chapter III Privacy and Confidentiality

Article 6 [Confidentiality Obligation]

Practitioners have a responsibility to strictly protect the private information of Clients obtained during professional activities (including oral information, written records, audio/video recordings, etc.).

• Paper files shall be stored in designated secure cabinets at the Office or workstation.

   

• Electronic data shall comply with the requirements of the Data Security Law of the People's Republic of China and adopt encrypted storage measures.

   

• Without the written authorization of the Client, information shall not be disclosed to any third party (including family members).

   

Article 7 [Exceptions to Confidentiality (Mandatory Reporting)]

In the following special circumstances, to protect life and comply with the law, Practitioners must breach confidentiality and report to relevant departments, guardians, or the Office's crisis intervention team:

1. The Client has clear ideation, plans, or behaviors regarding suicide, and the crisis is imminent;

    

2. The Client poses a clear and serious threat to the life safety of others;

    

3. Cases involving minors suffering from sexual assault, abuse, domestic violence, or severe school bullying (in accordance with the Mandatory Reporting System of the Law on the Protection of Minors);

    

4. Other circumstances where disclosure is required by laws and regulations.

    

Article 8 [Confidentiality in Teaching and Research]

When using cases for teaching, supervision, or writing, Practitioners must fully "de-identify" the case information to ensure that outsiders cannot identify the specific Client, unless explicit written authorization has been obtained.

Chapter IV Professional Relationships

Article 9 [Multiple Relationships]

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  Strictly Prohibited: Practitioners are prohibited from establishing any form of sexual or romantic relationship with current Clients.

   

• Practitioners should avoid establishing commercial, lending, or private social relationships (dual relationships) with Clients outside of consulting/management services.

   

• If a dual relationship is unavoidable (e.g., in a small community), Practitioners should take preventive measures, such as signing an informed consent form, to reduce conflicts of interest.

   

Article 10 [Informed Consent]

Before establishing a service relationship, Practitioners must present and explain the Informed Consent Form to the Client, clearly informing them of:

• The nature, goals, methods, and limitations of the service;

   

• Charging standards, refund policies, and related fees;

   

• The principle of confidentiality and its exceptions;

   

• Channels for complaints and appeals.

   

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  This process requires the Client's signature for confirmation.

   

Article 11 [Prohibition of Exploitation]

Practitioners shall not use their professional advantage to exploit Clients, students, supervisees, or subordinates (including emotional, sexual, or economic exploitation).

Chapter V Psychological Measurement and Assessment

Article 12 [Norms for Tools]

When conducting psychological assessments, Practitioners must use genuine scales that have been professionally reviewed, possess good reliability and validity, and have been revised with Chinese norms. The use of assessment tools from unknown sources or that are unverified is strictly prohibited.

Article 13 [Interpretation of Results]

When explaining assessment results, language that is easy to understand should be used.

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  Strictly Prohibited: Do not issue a "diagnosis" conclusion (e.g., "You have depression") based solely on a single assessment result.

   

• It should be standardized as: "The assessment results indicate a tendency towards depressive emotions... It is recommended to visit a medical institution for a confirmed diagnosis."

   

Chapter VI Training, Supervision, and Certification

Article 14 [Training Promotion]

The Office and Practitioners must truthfully describe course content, faculty background, and the nature of certificates when promoting training courses. The use of false or misleading promotional language is strictly prohibited.

Article 15 [Certificate Management]

Certificates issued by the Office only represent that the holder has completed the corresponding training hours and passed the professional assessment. Practitioners shall not misrepresent this certificate as a "National Vocational Qualification Certificate" or a "Medical Practice License".

Chapter VII Ethics Complaints and Handling

Article 16 [Supervision Mechanism]

The Office establishes an "Ethics and Discipline Committee" responsible for receiving and handling ethical complaints against registered/certified Practitioners.

Article 17 [Handling of Violations]

For Practitioners who violate this Code, after investigation and verification by the Ethics Committee, the following penalties will be imposed depending on the severity of the circumstances:

1. Written warning and order for rectification;

    

2. Mandatory ethics training or additional supervision;

    

3.  

   Suspension of certification status and practice privileges within the Office's system;

    

4.  

   Permanent expulsion, cancellation and public annulment of held certificates, and listing on the industry blacklist.

    

• Cases involving suspected illegal crimes will be transferred to judicial authorities in accordance with the law.

   

Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions

Article 18

The right to interpret this Code belongs to the International Mental Health Management Association and its China Representative Office.

Article 19

This Code shall be effective from the date of publication.