Ethical Challenge: Voluntary Support vs. Duty to Act

Scenario: A peer you are supporting suddenly stops attending meetings and does not respond to calls or messages. You suspect they may be relapsing or struggling, but they previously stated they do not want check-ins if they disengage. Do you reach out anyway?

Ethical Conflict: 

• The voluntary participation principle says we must respect the peer’s choice not to engage. 

• The harm reduction and ethical duty principle says that early intervention can prevent crisis situations. 

Best Practice Strategy: 
This situation requires ethical balance. Rather than aggressively pursuing contact, the peer specialist can send a neutral, non-intrusive message that reminds the individual that support is available whenever they are ready. This approach respects both autonomy and ethical care.