OVERVIEW OF CODE OF ETHICS
TheBMSproject expects its staff, partners and affiliates to subscribe to high standards of ethical conduct. The health, safety and well-being of athletes of all ages depend on this. Further, theBMSproject is committed to high ethical standards. There are the principles to which theBMSproject is committed and from which our Code of Ethic emanate.
While theBMSproject aspires to service, generosity and other goals, it also seeks to fulfill the core
mandate of beneficence and non-malfeasance — or simply stated, to
“DO NO HARM.”
Open and clear commitments and communications. TheBMSproject avoids secrecy and advances information that increases the likelihood that all related/associated persons and organizations, such as coaches, parents, athletic leagues, official and others, will have the necessary information to make informed ethical, legal, and good serving decisions that will contribute to the safety and well-being of athletes of all ages and their families.
Instead of achieving business and organizational success, doing the right thing, will always be the most important marker of success. “Doing the right thing” stands at the top of the values to which theBMSproject is committed. The associated values are described, below.
TheBMSproject will refuse to participate in or condone activities that hold potential for harm to athletes or others, or that otherwise might violate normative ethical standards of positive sports advocacy, health care professionals or health care organizations.
TheBMSproject commits to “service” as an ethical standard, placing a subordinate value on its own interests and a premium value on the welfare of those who need and use its services.
Along with the values described above, our ethical commitments will define and guide the best intentions, decisions, and actions of theBMSproject.org. They are published here to encourage all of our affiliates, partners and sports’ advocates to also integrate similar values into their decision-making and actions. theBMSproject.org concludes that the ethics and values described herein hold relevance to our staff, parents, coaches, official and others, while recognizing that each individual will adapt them to specific circumstances.
theBMSproject.org believes that openness about our ethics and values will serve as an invitation for others to share our mission. The ethics and values provide a picture of our grounding in our commitment to the welfare of athletes, their families’ safety and well-being, as well as participants in non-athletic activities and competition as well.
Inherent in the ethical commitments already described, several other values further describe the aspirations of theBMSproject. Among them,
THE NEEDS OF ATHLETES COME FIRST: Clearly, theBMSproject joins with parents and coaches and officials, along with others to form a team to share our collective and individual efforts toward meeting the safety and well-being needs of athletes of all ages. Thus, even when athletes are not directly involved in our activities, such as educational sessions for parents and coaches, every decision is made in the best interest of individual athletes.
GENEROSITY: The view of theBMSproject is that we will make others’ lives better, because of what we give them. This includes our website and all of its materials, but also the services that our staff and associates voluntarily provide.
HEALTH: Health is better than sickness. This is to say that theBMSproject wishes to advance the cause of good health in its operation, it seeks to share its information about good health and to help others to move toward achieving their best experience of good health – mentally, physically and spiritually (Body, mind and spirit). While theBMSproject’s emphasis is on mental health and contributing to self-harm intervention, we also strive to contribute to physical and spiritual health and the well-being and life satisfaction of our all of our stakeholders
SAFETY: In a world replete with lurking risks and dangers, we assume a moral obligation to strive to contribute to shield and protect young athletes and their families, mature athletes, officials and members of our communities from the ever present threats that plague society. We do so by providing “concierge-like” early safety messaging, educational resources and advised suggestions to assist when members of our constituencies are confronted with unprecedented, harmful situations and incidents.
DISCIPLINE: TheBMSproject exercises every good intention to enjoy life and to respond to its inevitable burdens in ways that affirm the splendors and joy of living; while simultaneously acknowledging and recognizing that all of our responses require applied discipline and difficult decision too. And, insofar as it can focus its discipline, theBMSproject will do its best to ensure that others benefit from our relationships and ineeractions with them.
ENJOYMENT: All of us know that life brings burdens—worries, disappointments, crises, and much more — but we know that life is for living and that this means living in ways that evoke laughter, hugs, pleasure, fulfillment, and many other positive and life-affirming moments. TheBMSproject promotes enjoyment, including the enjoyment of physical health, team relationships, and athletic competition.
INTEGRITY: As flawed as human beings are, very little of what we do or aspire to do may be characterized by absolute integrity. Nevertheless, believing that we should aspire to come as close to absolute integrity as we are able, theBMSproject chooses to hold this value as tightly as we are able and to fulfill it in the operation of our organization.
RESOURCEFULNESS: The premium resource of theBMSproject is each individual and group that share our values, vision and mission. Together, we seek to prize one another. And, while they may not personally know everyone who may come into contact with theBMSproject, all of them are positively valued. Expanding this way of valuing, theBMSproject believes that it should cautiously risk placing its aspirations before you and invite you to collaborate with theBMSproject staff in making theBMSproject a shared resource and in creating new resources.
POSITIVE AND LASTING RESULTS: TheBMSproject recognizes that parents, coaches, and officials; along with others have enormous influence on the development and future of young and athletes of all ages. Therefore, we seek to interact with all positive sports’ advocates and athletes in ways that likely result in positive and long term results.
CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT: The staff of theBMSproject—all volunteers and donors—understand that the work is always evolving toward improved effectiveness. Thus, it welcomes feedback from parents, coaches, athletes, officials, sports organizations, other nonprofits and businesses and others who share theBMSproject values, mission and vision. Together… here for our youth!
Ethics and values guide the decisions of theBMSproject. Published codes of ethics may be easily located in an Internet search. All major healthcare associations publish their codes of ethics.
Values also guide decisions. Virtually all of us recognize that our personal values guide many of our decisions, even when we do not self-consciously remind ourselves about what these values are. Without reminding ourselves, we recognize that personally held values, such as loyalty, humility, honesty, kindness, compassion, integrity, family, freedom, and others, enable us to live well, knowing that we have enhanced our self-regard and elevated the importance of others. This is what theBMSproject aspires to do.
As theBMSproject aspires to elevate the importance of others, with special attention given to athletes, their parents, coaches and officials, theBMSproject recognizes that it relates with individuals from different backgrounds, ages and varied interests. With this in mind, theBMSproject welcomes everyone who shares its mission and commits to honor differences, while sharing a common interest. Together, all of us can be a force for good.
Code of Ethics
AUTONOMY: theBMSproject commits to foster the right of athletes to control the direction of their lives. In the case of minor children, we support the role of parents and legally appointed guardians to determine what is best for their children’s well-being. theBMSproject is not affiliated with any religious and/or political organizations.
NON-MALEFICENCE: We shall strive to avoid actions that might cause harm.
BENEFICENCE: We shall work for the good of individuals and society to promote physical, mental health awareness and spirituality, contribute to suicide intervention and assist sports’ advocates to create and maintain positive, safe competitive environments and experiences that will add to the overall well-being of athletes of all ages and their families.
JUSTICE: We shall treat individuals equitably, while fostering fairness and equality.
FIDELITY: We shall honor commitments and strive to, in good faith, keep promises’ extended in both personal and professional relationships.
VERACITY: We shall deal truthfully with individuals and organizations with whom we come into personal and professional contact.
OPEN AND CLEAR COMMITMENTS AND COMMUNICATION: We shall strive to operate in an open fashion and to communicate our values and actions as succinctly as possible.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS: We shall not participate in or condone activities that otherwise would violate normative ethical standards of youth and adult sports organizations, healthcare professionals or healthcare organizations.
THE NEEDS OF ATHLETES AND THEIR FAMILIES COME FIRST: We shall endeavor to only engage in activities that are in the best interest of each competitor and their family.
GENEROSITY: We shall endeavor to make others’ lives better, because of what we provide to them. This includes the website and all of its materials, but also the suggested services that theBMSproject provides.
HEALTH: We shall strive to advance the cause of good overall health in our operations, seek to share our information and suggestions about both mental and physical health and to help others to move toward achieving their best experience of health.
SAFETY: We shall in good faith endeavor to offer early next-step suggestions, provide educational programs, messaging and other resources to enable all participants in sports activities – as well as communities at-large — to access knowledgeable resources to begin to solve their own problems in an informed manner.
DISCIPLINE: We shall, in a disciplined fashion, do our best to ensure that others benefit from our relationships with them.
ENJOYMENT: We shall promote enjoyment, including the enjoyment of physical health, team relationships, athletic as well as other forms of competition.
INTEGRITY: What we shall be characterized by absolute integrity. We commit to hold this value as tightly as we are able and to fulfill it in our operations.
RESOURCEFULNESS: The premium resource of theBMSProject.org are individuals and the collaboration with like-minded groups that share our mission, values and mission. We invite you to join with us in making our offerings a shared resource and to assist us as we strive to create new resources to fulfill our joint, shared missions.
POSITIVE AND LASTING RESULTS: We seek to interact with sports’ advocates and athletes in ways that will contribute to positive, long-term results.
CONSTANT LISTENING AND IMPROVEMENT: We—our staff, volunteers, affiliates, advocates and donors—understand that our work must be collaborative and always evolving toward improved effectiveness. We welcome feedback from all stakeholders in the pursuit of our mission. We stand together… here for our youth and athletes of all ages.
Together… here for our youth!