Ethics Quiz Prpjet Flashcards
Dr. Schneider’s new clients are a single mother and her two daughters, ages 13 and 15. The family moved to the United States from Venezuela six years ago and they were referred to therapy by the high school counselor because the girls are having problems with their peers and teachers. Although both daughters are fluent in English, the mother is not, and the oldest daughter has volunteered to translate for her mother since Dr. Schneider does not speak Spanish. Having the daughter act as a translator:
A. is acceptable since she’s receiving therapy with her mother.
B. is acceptable as long as the daughter is fluent in both Spanish and English.
C. is acceptable as long as Dr. Schneider has had experience working with a translator.
D. is not acceptable.
Answer D is correct. Standard 2.05 requires psychologists to avoid delegating work to others “who have a multiple relationship with those being served that would likely lead to exploitation or loss of objectivity.” Having the daughter act as translator may affect the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and family members, and the daughter’s translations may be biased because of her relationship with her mother.
The receptionist at the mental health clinic where you work tells you she’s concerned about the behavior of another psychologist who works at the clinic. When she describes the behavior to you, you believe it violates ethical requirements. You:
A. may ignore the violation if you believe it hasn’t caused or is not likely to cause substantial harm.
B. may ignore the violation if you believe it’s not likely to occur again.
C. should discuss the matter with the involved client(s) to confirm that an ethical violation has actually occurred.
D. should attempt to resolve the situation informally by talking to the psychologist if it seems appropriate to do so.
Answer D is correct. Standards 1.04 and 1.05 of APA’s Ethics Code state that, when psychologists believe another psychologist has acted unethically, they attempt to resolve the problem. This requires first considering the confidentiality rights of the involved parties and, if confidentiality is not an issue, addressing the issue informally by discussing the situation with the psychologist when appropriate or reporting the violation to the appropriate authorities. Since none of the answers address confidentiality, this is the best answer.
You receive a request for information about a former client of yours from the APA’s Ethics Committee which it needs for its investigation of a complaint the client has filed against you. You:
A. can refuse to provide the information if doing so will violate your right against self-incrimination.
B. can refuse to provide the information if doing so is likely to be harmful to the client.
C. must cooperate with the request as long as the client has signed an authorization to release confidential information.
D. must cooperate with the request whether or not the client has signed an authorization to release confidential information.
Answer C is correct. This situation is addressed in Standard 1.06 of the APA’s Ethics Code. It requires psychologists to cooperate with investigations and proceedings of the APA and affiliated state psychological associations to which they belong but also states that, before doing so, psychologists must “address any confidentiality issues.” The latter requirement includes ensuring that the client who filed the complaint has signed an authorization to release confidential information.
When psychologists think their own personal problems may impair their ability to provide therapy in a competent manner, the best course of action is to:
A. obtain the professional help they need to resolve their personal problems.
B. suspend their work activities until their personal problems have been resolved.
C. seek consultation to determine whether to limit or suspend their work-related activities.
D. monitor their effectiveness by seeking feedback from clients about their satisfaction with therapy.
Answer C is correct. This answer is most consistent with Standard 2.06(b) of the Ethics Code. It states that, “when psychologists become aware of personal problems that may interfere with their performing work-related duties adequately, they take appropriate measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance, and determine whether they should limit, suspend, or terminate their work-related duties.” Seeking professional help for a personal problem may be beneficial (answer A), but it would not address any immediate problems related to competence when working with clients.
You’ve just been asked to provide mental health services to residents of a small town who have been traumatized by a shooting at the elementary school. To be consistent with ethical requirements, you should provide the requested services:
A. only if you have relevant training and experience.
B. even if you don’t have relevant training and experience as long as you’re able to obtain appropriate consultation while providing the services.
C. even if you don’t have relevant training and experience as long as alternative services are unavailable and you inform clients of their options during the informed consent process.
D. even if you don’t have relevant training and experience as long as alternative services are unavailable and you discontinue providing services when the emergency ends or appropriate services become available.
Answer D is correct. This answer is most consistent with the requirements of Standard 2.02 of APA’s Ethics Code. It states that psychologists may provide services in emergency situations when they do not have the necessary training if alternative mental health services are unavailable and “the services are discontinued as soon as the emergency has ended or appropriate services are available.”
____________ are the standards used in the APA’s Ethics Code to define sexual harassment.
A. Quid pro quo and reasonable woman
B. Hostile environment and reasonable person
C. Quid pro quo and hostile environment
D. Tangible detriment and reasonable person
Answer B is correct. Standard 3.02 of APA’s Ethics Code distinguishes between two types of behavior that constitute sexual harassment: behaviors that create a hostile work environment and behaviors that are sufficiently severe or intense “to be abusive to a reasonable person.”
When consulting with a colleague about a client who’s not responding to treatment, you:
A. must get authorization from the client before doing so.
B. must get authorization from the client before doing so if you cannot disguise her identity while discussing the situation with the colleague.
C. do not need to get authorization from the client as long as you disclose only confidential information that’s pertinent to the purpose of the consultation.
D. do not need to get authorization from the client as long as the colleague is a licensed mental health professional.
Answer B is correct. This answer is most consistent with Standard 4.06 of APA’s Ethics Code. It states that, when consulting with a colleague about a client, psychologists do not disclose confidential information “that reasonably could lead to the identification of a client/patient … unless they have obtained the prior consent of the person.”
Which of the following is true about privilege?
A. It can be claimed and waived only by the client.
B. It can be claimed by the client and the client’s legal representative but waived only by the court.
C. It can be claimed and waived by the client, the client’s legal representative, and the therapist.
D. It can be claimed and waived by the client and the client’s legal representative and claimed by the therapist on behalf of the client.
Answer D is correct. The client or the client’s legal representative is the holder of the privilege, which means that the client or his/her representative decides when to claim or waive the privilege. However, psychologists may claim the privilege on behalf of a client when asked to disclose confidential client information in a legal proceeding.
Dr. Bharara, a licensed psychologist, saw Mr. and Mrs. D’Andrea and their two children in therapy for four months before the parents suddenly decided to get a divorce and stopped coming to therapy. One month later, Dr. Bharara receives a phone call from Mrs. D’Andrea who asks if he would be willing to conduct a custody evaluation of the children. As an ethical psychologist, Dr. Bharara:
A. should agree to do so only with the permission of both Mrs. and Mr. D’Andrea.
B. should agree to do so only if he believes his previous therapeutic relationship with the family will not interfere with his objectivity.
C. should agree to do so as long as he’s able to evaluate all family members.
D. should not agree to do so and provide Mrs. D’Andrea with an appropriate referral.
Answer D is correct. Multiple relationships are addressed in Standard 3.05 of APA’s Ethics Code and Paragraph II.7 of APA’s Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings. Both prohibit psychologists from becoming involved in a multiple relationship that might impair their objectivity, competence, or effectiveness, and the Guidelines identifies conducting a child custody evaluation with current or former therapy clients as a multiple relationship that should be avoided.
Psychologists delivering mental health services in military settings should keep in mind that members of the military:
A. have the same confidentiality rights as other therapy clients.
B. have the same confidentiality rights as other therapy clients only when they were self-referred for therapy.
C. should be informed at the beginning of therapy about the military’s disclosure policies that affect confidentiality.
D. do not have any of the ethical or legal protections regarding confidentiality that other therapy clients have.
Answer C is correct. Client confidentiality is not handled in exactly the same way in the military as it is elsewhere because psychologists providing therapy to members of the military must adhere to Department of Defense rules that limit the confidentiality of mental health information. Informing members of the military about these limitations is consistent with the requirements of Standard 4.02 of APA’s Ethics Code. Note that answer D is incorrect because members of the military have some confidentiality rights – e.g., they have the right to be told about the limits of confidentiality.
Dr. Horowitz learns that a current therapy client has started dating one of Dr. Horowitz’s close friends. To be consistent with ethical guidelines, Dr. Horowitz should:
A. reduce her interactions with her best friend.
B. discuss the situation with her client to help determine the best course of action.
C. do nothing unless she notices that the situation is affecting her effectiveness as a therapist.
D. say nothing to the client or friend but take special precautions to protect the client’s confidentiality.
Answer B is correct. This answer is most consistent with Standard 3.05(b) of APA’s Ethics Code. It states that when, “due to unforeseen factors, a potentially harmful multiple relationship has arisen, the psychologist takes reasonable steps to resolve it with due regard for the best interests of the affected person and maximal compliance with the Ethics Code.” Of the answers given, the most reasonable step would be to discuss the situation with the client to help determine the best course of action.
You receive a written request from a colleague asking you to forward a copy of the file of a former client of yours who is now seeing him in therapy. To expedite receiving the file, the colleague asks you to send it to him as an attachment to an email. The colleague’s request is accompanied by an authorization to release information signed by the client. You should send the colleague the file as an attachment to an email:
A. since the client has signed an authorization.
B. after confirming that you have the correct email address for the colleague.
C. only if you are able to remove all information that identifies the client from the electronic copy of the file.
D. only if you’re able to clearly label each page of the record “confidential.”
nswer C is correct. Of the answers given, this is the best one because it’s most consistent with the requirements of Standard 6.02(b) of the Ethics Code. It states that, “if confidential information concerning recipients of psychological services is entered into databases or systems of records available to persons whose access has not been consented to by the recipient, psychologists use coding or other techniques to avoid the inclusion of personal identifiers.” When information is faxed or otherwise transferred electronically, it’s not possible to guarantee that it will not be accessed by unauthorized individuals. Therefore, removing identifying information is the best course of action.
With regard to ethical requirements, which of the following is true about referral fees?
A. They are unacceptable in any circumstance.
B. They are acceptable as long as a referred client’s fee is not increased to compensate for the fee paid for the referral.
C. They are acceptable as long as both parties agree that the amount of the fee is equitable.
D. They are acceptable as long as they’re for the actual services provided by the person who made the referral.
Answer D is correct. This answer is most consistent with the requirements of Standard 6.07. It states that, “when psychologists pay, receive payment from, or divide fees with another professional … the payment to each is based on the services provided (clinical, consultative, administrative, or other) and is not based on the referral itself.”
Which of the following best describes ethical requirements regarding psychologists’ use of client testimonials in brochures and other statements describing their professional services?
A. They may use only unsolicited testimonials from former and current therapy clients.
B. They may use solicited or unsolicited testimonials from former and current therapy clients as long as the clients are not compensated for them.
C. They may use solicited testimonials from former therapy clients who are not vulnerable to undue influence.
D. They may use solicited testimonials from former therapy clients as long as they do not include misleading information.
Answer C is correct. This answer is most consistent with the requirements of Standard 5.05 of the Ethics Code. It prohibits psychologists from soliciting testimonials from current therapy clients and from others “who because of their particular circumstances are vulnerable to undue influence.” Of course, psychologists would not want to use testimonials that provide misleading information (answer D) but, even if the information is accurate, they would not use solicited testimonials from former therapy clients if those clients are vulnerable to undue influence.
Routinely waiving the insurance co-payments of therapy clients is acceptable:
A. only when the insurance company has approved of this arrangement.
B. as long as it’s justified by the clients’ inability to pay the co-payment.
C. only if the insurance company is not charged an increased fee to make up for the co-payment.
D. because it’s a “standard practice.”
Answer A is correct. Routinely waiving the co-payments of clients means that the insurance company is paying 100% of the therapist’s fee for those clients, but most insurance companies agree to pay a certain percentage (e.g., 50%) of the fee. Therefore, this practice constitutes insurance fraud if the insurance company has not agreed to it and is both illegal and unethical.