Ethics & the CSA Designation
You can't really serve seniors... unless you deserve to serve seniors.
The Society of Certified Senior Advisors (SCSA) wants only ethical, honest and
principled professionals as members. Those are the only kind of people who should
be working with seniors.
Just as working with seniors requires additional skills and knowledge, it also
requires a higher ethical standard. We must give seniors not just the best of
our professional abilities, but we must also act with integrity and in a manner
that recognizes an aging client’s circumstances.
To be a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) means you willingly accept and vigilantly
uphold the standards in the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility. These standards
define the behavior that we owe to seniors, to ourselves, and to our fellow
CSAs. The reputation built over the years by the hard work and high standards
of CSAs flows to everyone who adds the designation to their name. Conversely,
any CSA who acts unethically diminishes the value of the designation for everyone.
How does SCSA ensure that CSAs are maintaining a high level of professional
conduct?
- We devote a lot of time to ethics – 'Ethics in Doing Business with
Seniors' is a distinct part of our curriculum, and we supply continuing education
on the topic for all CSAs.
- Every CSA is required to sign the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility
– At the time of application for the CSA designation and every year
upon renewing their CSA designation, they must sign this document and complete
an ethics quiz testing them on their understanding of it.
- We continuously verify high professional standards – Each CSA must
pass a background check when initially becoming a member and every subsequent
year of membership, we check to ensure no new transgressions have occurred.
- We also communicate regularly with state regulatory bodies regarding allegations
of inappropriate or illegal actions by CSAs.
SCSA is unique in the senior market because of this approach to ensuring a
high level of professional conduct and is absolutely committed to helping everyone
apply high ethical practices when working with seniors.
What is the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility?
Ensuring that our CSAs continually act in the highest possible professional
manner, the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility was created to provide high
ethical standards and rules of conduct for all persons who are certified by
SCSA to use the Certified Senior Advisor ® designation. It is based on the
standards of competence, honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and professionalism.
In addition to the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility, CSA designees must
also follow all rules and regulations for their profession that are promulgated
by state and federal law, licensing boards, state agencies, companies, and industry
organizations of which the CSA designee is a member.
Enforcing the CSA Code of Professional Responsibility
The CSA Board of Standards (the “Board” or “BOS”),
an independent, nonprofit corporation established in the State of Indiana in
October 2001, investigates formal complaints lodged against CSAs for alleged
violations of the Code. The Board reviews all complaint cases and disciplines
of CSAs when appropriate.
SCSA Disclosure Policy
In accordance with disclosure authority maintained by the CSA Board of Standards,
SCSA may release to certain federal and state licensing and credentialing bodies
and governmental regulatory agencies or may publish on its website, details
of a current or former CSA’s disciplinary history, if any, resulting from
complaints heard by the CSA Board of Standards. SCSA also reserves the right
to divulge to such bodies or agencies, or to publish on its website, information
in connection with wrongful use or other actions taken by SCSA, or on its behalf,
against certain individuals or entities.
SCSA Disclosure Statement
Certified Senior Advisors (CSA)s have supplemented their individual professional
licenses, credentials and education with knowledge about aging and working with
seniors. The CSA designation alone does not imply expertise in financial, health
or social matters.
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