Agreement to One Another

At Soundview, we believe that healthy culture, ethical practice, and service-oriented leadership are the foundation of excellent client care. The following principles help keep Soundview grounded in humility, clarity, and unity. We adopt them (not in a spiritual sense, but as ethical and cultural guidance) to shape how we communicate, collaborate, and serve clients and one another.

This handbook explains how each Tradition informs the way we work together.

1. We put the wellbeing of clients and our team first.

  • We take care of each other so we can take great care of clients.

  • We communicate openly, ask for support when needed, and work to maintain a positive, safe environment.

  • If something affects the health of the team or client care, we address it quickly and respectfully.

2. Our primary purpose guides everything we do.

  • Every decision—big or small—should ultimately help clients move toward wellness, stability, and growth.

  • If something does not support client wellbeing or ethical practice, it doesn’t belong at Soundview.

3. Everyone seeking help is welcome here.

  • We do not gate-keep, judge, or create barriers to care.

  • We work from compassion and meet people where they are, regardless of background, identity, readiness, or recovery pathway.

4. We manage our own house—and take responsibility for how we impact others.

  • We follow our policies, maintain our own professional standards, and operate independently.

  • At the same time, we collaborate respectfully with external partners, referral sources, schools, and other providers because coordinated care benefits clients.

5. Clinical and ethical decisions must remain free from outside influence.

We practice with integrity—even when it’s inconvenient. Insurance companies, partner agencies, or outside stakeholders never dictate:

  • diagnosis

  • documentation

  • treatment planning

  • billing or coding

  • clinical judgment

6. We partner ethically and avoid conflicts of interest.

Our job is to protect clients and uphold integrity. We collaborate with others when it supports clients, but we do not participate in:

  • referral kickbacks

  • exclusive agreements

  • pressured partnerships

  • marketing that overpromises or misrepresents

7. We practice transparent, ethical financial stewardship.

  • We bill only for what we do

  • We document accurately

  • We explain fees clearly

  • We maintain compliance

  • We avoid overbilling and upcoding

  • We keep finances aligned with ethical standards

  • We understand that financial integrity is a clinical issue.

8. We lead with service, not ego or status.

  • Our professionalism serves the mission.

  • We support each other, share knowledge, and help clients without competition or territorial behavior.

  • We check our egos at the door.

9. Our leadership model is stewardship, not control.

  • Leaders exist to support staff—not the other way around.

  • Supervision is collaborative, supportive, and transparent.

  • We aim for clear systems, fair expectations, and respectful communication.

10. We avoid public controversy.

  • Soundview stays out of divisive issues unrelated to care.

  • We do not use public forums to discuss internal matters or client concerns.

  • We communicate professionally, carefully, and in alignment with our mission and values.

11. Privacy and confidentiality are non-negotiable.

We protect client anonymity and dignity in all communications: internal, external, online, and in documentation.

We never use client stories for:

  • marketing

  • social media

  • personal promotions

  • HIPAA is the minimum—respect is the standard.

12. We focus on principles, not personalities.

  • No one person is the “face” of Soundview.

  • We operate as a team with shared values.

  • We practice humility, kindness, and clarity.

  • We assume good intentions and address concerns respectfully and directly.

What This Means in Daily Practice

  • We show up with compassion

  • We ask for help instead of struggling in silence

  • We communicate clearly and directly

  • We maintain ethical standards even under stress

  • We make decisions based on values, not convenience

  • We practice restorative conflict resolution

  • We prioritize quality care over volume

  • We treat each other with dignity and professionalism

We Do Not:

  • Gossip

  • Engage in power struggles

  • Compromise ethics for productivity

  • Tolerate boundary violations

  • Manipulate documentation, coding, or diagnosis

  • Market in ways that mislead or exploit

This is our agreement with one another

We choose to work in a place grounded in integrity, transparency, and heart.
By following these Traditions in spirit, we maintain a healthy, ethical culture that protects clients and supports each other..

  • Soundview’s guiding principle is that all decisions must support client health and wellbeing.
    Clinical, administrative, and financial choices are evaluated by how well they serve client needs and support ethical, evidence-based care.

  • Our common welfare comes first; clients well-being depends agency unity.

    Soundview operates as a unified team grounded in shared purpose. Staff work collaboratively, practice transparent communication, and prioritize the health of the organization’s culture so clients receive consistent, stable support.

  • (Tradition 3: “The only requirement… is a desire…”)

    Soundview welcomes all clients regardless of insurance status, identity, socioeconomic background, diagnosis, or stage of recovery.
    There are no barriers based on stigma, moral judgment, or labels.

  • (Tradition 4: “Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or AA as a whole.”)

    Soundview independently governs its programs, policies, and clinical standards.
    However, it engages responsibly with community partners, care teams, and public systems when coordination benefits clients.

  • (Tradition 6: “A group… ought never endorse, finance, or lend the AA name to any outside enterprise…”)

    Clinical judgment and ethical decision-making remain completely independent.
    No payer, partner, business interest, or external entity may influence:

    • clinical recommendations

    • documentation

    • diagnostic decisions

    • billing practices

    This protects integrity and client-centered care.

  • (Tradition 7 & Tradition 6 in combination)

    Soundview collaborates with outside professionals when it enhances care but avoids:

    • referral kickbacks

    • exclusive partnerships

    • marketing relationships that create bias

    • affiliations that could misrepresent services

    All partnerships must be free from coercion, conflicts of interest, or compromise of mission.

  • (Tradition 7: “Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”)

    Soundview maintains sustainable operations through its own revenue streams—never through arrangements that bias care.
    Financial principles:

    • Transparent fee schedules

    • Ethical billing

    • No claims for services not rendered

    • No “creative documentation” or upcoding

    • Honest representation of credentials and services

    Financial integrity sustains trust and long-term viability.

  • (Tradition 8: “Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional…” interpreted as service before profit)

    While Soundview employs licensed professionals, the spirit of this Tradition guides the culture:
    the heart of the work is service, not status or revenue.

    Operational decisions—hiring, growth, contract choices—are guided by what best supports clients and the clinical team, not by expansion for its own sake.

  • (Tradition 9: “AA, as such, ought never be organized; but… may create service boards… directly responsible to those they serve.”)

    Leadership at Soundview serves the organization, not the other way around.
    Supervisors and directors are responsible for:

    • ensuring ethical & regulatory compliance

    • supporting staff

    • maintaining transparent structures

    • facilitating restorative conflict resolution

    • evaluating policies collaboratively

    Leadership is stewardship, not authority.

  • (Tradition 10: “AA has no opinion on outside issues…”)

    Soundview maintains a neutral public stance on divisive or political matters unrelated to direct client care.
    Public communication emphasizes:

    • education

    • transparency

    • ethics

    • wellness

    • accessibility

    Internal issues are handled professionally—not through public channels or reactive messaging.

  • (Tradition 11: “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion… anonymity at the level of press, radio, film.”)

    Soundview is committed to privacy and responsible representation:

    • Strict HIPAA-compliant communication

    • No sharing of client stories for marketing

    • Confidentiality prioritized in all settings

    • Marketing focused on clarity and accessibility, not sensationalism

    • Clinicians do not promote themselves using client outcomes or identities

    Anonymity is sacred, especially in mixed MH/SUD settings.

  • (Tradition 12: “Anonymity is the spiritual foundation… principles before personalities.”)

    Soundview’s identity is grounded in its values, not individual clinicians.
    No single staff member is the “face” of the practice.
    Policies, programs, and culture are meant to:

    • outlast specific personnel

    • prevent hierarchy or “celebrity clinician” dynamics

    • foster a humble, team-oriented environment

    This provides long-term stability and reduces risks of dependency on any one provider.