Legal & ethics final

Question 1

We, as professional counselors, do not interfere if a person genuinely has the capacity to decide is which principal:

A. justice
B. nonmaleficence
C. beneficence
D. autonomy

Answer 1

d

Question 2

Acting in the best interest of another to promote the well-being of a person is which ethical principal?

A. beneficence
B. autonomy
C. nonmaleficence
D. all of the above

Answer 2

a

Question 3

You work in a small private practice with two other therapists. Many of your clients are wealthy professionals in your small town. You have been seeing a single young attorney for several months to deal with a variety of issues, mostly around relationships. She has been fairly successful professionally, but recently has experienced a period of financial reverses. She is unable to afford your fee, and offers to trade her time-share week at an expensive resort for a few sessions of therapy.

A. You see no harm in an even barter. You calculate the monetary value of the therapy and the week at the resort to determine how many sessions will be covered. Then you make your vacation plans.
B. You explain that it is unethical to barter in this kind of circumstance. You offer to allow her to continue therapy, and pay the bill “when she can.
C. Since she is not currently in acute distress, you suggest that you cease therapy for a time until she can better afford the fees.
D. You refer her to a colleague who you know often barters therapy for a variety of things.

Answer 3

c

Question 4

As your session progresses, snow is beginning to fall. By the time the session is over, there are several inches of snow. You own a 4-wheeled drive vehicle. Your client, who lives 2 miles away, is afraid to drive home because she has slick tires on her car. You offer to take her home. This scenario presents which ethical dilemma?

A. boundary crossing
B. boundary violation
C. dual relationship
D. all of the above
E. none of the above

Answer 4

a

Question 5

Your client is a banker. In the initial chit-chat of your session, he offers advice concerning investments. He offers to manage your investments for you, free of charge. This scenario represents which ethical dilemma?
A. boundary crossing
B. boundary violation
C. dual relationship
D. all of the above
E. none of the above

Answer 5

c

Question 6

Your client invites you to lunch at an exclusive restaurant, saying she wants to thank you for all you have deone for her. This scenario represents which ethical dilemma?

A. boundary crossing
B. boundary violation
C. dual relationship
D. all of the above
E. none of the above

Answer 6

b

Question 7

Your client comes to the office where you practice with 3 other therapists. It is to be her last appointment. She has done very well in therapy. She brings a plate of home made brownies. This scenario represents which ethical dilemma?

A. boundary crossing
B. nonmalficence
C. dual relationship
D. all of the above
E. none of the above

Answer 7

e

Question 8

According to the ACA code of ethics, counselors do not have any type of sexual intimacies with clients within a minimum of:

A. 2 yrs following termination of counseling
B. 5 yrs following termination of counseling
C. 10 yrs following termination of counseling
D. a lifetime; it is always inappropriate to have any type of sexual intimacies with former clients

Answer 8

b

Question 9

You are working with a single mom, and she has a teenaged son who needs help with depression and a number of accompnaying issues. The mom has no insurance, does not earn a lot of money, but she badly wants you to see her son. She offers to clean your house every week for as long as her son is in therapy.

A. You know that you won’t be at home when she comes to clean, and that her son really does need your help. Furthermore, this mom is trying so hard to deal with overwhelming problems. You are already paying an agency a lot of money to clean your house, and they don’t always do a good job. This seems like a good arrangement, which will benefit everyone.
B. As much as you want to help, you know that bartering therapy for housework is not a good idea. A client, or a client’s family member, has no business coming into your home, and there is some risk that such an arrangement could be seen as exploiting the client. You gently explain to the mom that you cannot accept her offer, and suggest she go to a public mental health clinic.
C. You do a certain number of probono cases every year, and this looks like a good client for providing much-needed therapy fratis.
D. both b & c
E. none of the above

Answer 9

d

Question 10

Your client has struggled for years, holding down a job and going to college at night. She has been in therapy off and on for several years, but you have seen her regularly for the past 6 months. Now she is about to graduate from college, and sends you an invitation to graduation. She also asks you at her last session to please attend her graduation as well as a party for her afterwards.

A. You explain that you are so pleased for her and proud of her good work, but it would be unethical to attend her graduation.
B. You tell her you would be honored to attend, and you do indeed attend the graduation. But you tell her that you cannot make the party, offering no explanation.
C. you buy her nice gift, attend graduation, and enjoy the party w/ her friends and family
D. none of the above

Answer 10

b

Question 11

After a week away from your office, you return to find a new client scheduled for Monday morning. You do not recognize the name. It turns out that the client, Sue, is a sister-in-law of a man, Bernie, who has been in therapy with you for a few months. Not only have you heard him talk about this woman, his relationship with her has been a problem for him, and you know intimate details about her life. Sue does not realize that Bernie, her brother-in-law, is in therapy.

A. You explain that her brother-in-law, Bernie, is your client; therefore, it is unethical for you to see her for therapy. You offer to refer her to 2 or 3 other therapists.
B. You may not reveal the confidential information that her brother-in-law is a client. You simply tell her that for ethical reasons which you are not at liberty to explain, you cannot see her for therapy. You offer to refer her to 2 or 3 other therapists.
C. You keep quiet about your information. After all, maybe you can help this whole family if you are working with both of these individuals. You can gain information that will help both Sue and Bernie. And you certainly won’t tell either of them that the other is coming to see you.

Answer 11

b

Question 12

Last year your son was involved with the Odyssey of the Mind program at his school. His team did very well, and you enjoyed watching the competition. His coach was a parent volunteer. Now that parent wants to come to you for therapy.

A. As your son worked with this man for months, a close and frienly relationship developed. Your son speaks fondly of his coach. It would be wise to avoid thearpy with this man for another year or so, giving your son time to move on and be less attached to the coach.
B. you explain to him that you cannot see him b/c he coached your son’s team
C. You had no direct contact with this man except when you saw him at competition time, which was not frequent. You had no occasions to speak to him by phone, to make plans for the team, or be involved in any other way. Hence, it is ethically acceptable for you to see him.

Answer 12

c

Question 13

A client has a right to confidentiality at all times.

A. true
B. false: therapists have a legal duty to warn someone if a threat of harm is made
C. false: therapists have a legal duty to report abuse to a child
D. false: therapists have a legal duty to report abuse to an elderly person
E. b, c, and d are correct

Answer 13

e

Question 14

You have been treating Kristy for over two years for serious PTSD. She is progressing very well. You are invited to present at a workshop on PTSD for local clergy. Knowing that you will be addressing a specialized audience (as opposed to the general public) you are considering asking Kristy if she will join you for an interview so that the group may learn from her experience.

A. You discuss the possibility with Kristy, including a possible relapse, and you both decide she is at a point in therapy where such an experience could be beneficial. You give her the option of participating.
B. You fear that such an experience would constitute exploiting Kristy, even though it would be a very effective presentation. You do not mention it to Kristy.

Answer 14

a

Question 15

Bob has recently been divorced and is quite despondent. He has begun taking medication for his depression, but he can’t imagine that his life will ever be good again. He comes in for a session, and he tells you that he has bought a gun and is thinking of “just ending it all.”

A. You tell him him to stay in your office while you go tell the receptionist to call the police.
B. You try to talk him out of hurting himself, reminding him of all the good times ahead.
C. You talk with him and inform him that his threat to harm himself constitutes a situation in which you are ethically and legally bound to act to protect him. Hence, you must take action to inform authorities.

Answer 15

c

Question 16

Ron is a new client and owns the local car dealership. He is a jovial fellow, dealing with some marital issues. After a few sessions, he offers to get a really great deal for you on a new car. He isn’t asking to barter, just offering you a break.

A. You would love a new car at a good price, but you have to tell Ron that you cannot ethically accept his offer.
B. You take the deal and buy the car for your spouse; therefore, you aren’t personally benefiting, only your spouse is benefiting.
C. You think about it and realize that you would not be exploiting Ron; he has made an offer which won’t actually coast him anything personally. In fact, it will boost his ego to enable him to help you as he is grateful for your help. So you take him up on the offer, thinking that you are helping him.

Answer 16

a

Question 17

Your client George has died. You knew him for many years and worked with him off and on over the years. One of the issues you and he had discussed concerned a long-time extra-marital affair. Now George has died, and his widow has made an appointment to see you. She is calm and composed and says, “I need to know, for my own peace of mind, if he really was involved with that other woman all these years.”

A. George’s widow is experiencing distress because she doesn’t know what really went on in her husband’s life. She is seeking peace, and whether or not he had the affair seems less important than that she finally know the truth. So you gently tell her the truth.
B. You can see that if you tell her the truth she will be upset, disappointed in George, and leave your office believing all her years of marriage were a lie. So you simply tell her that George always loved her and was always faithful to her. After all, the truth could cause harm to her.
C. In the kindest possible way, you explain that George’s death does not cancel your obligation to keep confidentiality. You talk with her about her question, offer good therapeutic counsel, but you cannot answer her question.

Answer 17

c

Question 18

Your new client turns out to be your old college girlfriend. For two years, you and she had a serious relationship, including sexual contact. You lost touch with her after college and didn’t recognize her married name on your appointment book.

A. Codes of ethics are clear about therapy with persons with whom the therapist had a sexual relationship in the past. Simple social contact might not be a problem, but in this case there is significant risk of harm to the client as old feelings may be aroused. There is risk of this relationship escalating in inappropriate ways. So you chat with her briefly and in a kind way explain that your past relationship precludes any possibility of therapy. You refer her to someone else.
B. She hadn’t realized that you were going to be the therapist, as your is a fairly common name. She just moved here and didn’t know you were a therapist here. She is delighted to see you, and when you explain the ethical dilemma, she tells you not to worry about it; there won’t be any problems. So, since she made the autonomous decision, you schedule a follow up appointment.
C. You know that after all these years, you couldn’t possibly feel anything for her, so you don’t even mention the possible ethical issues, and proceed with therapy.

Answer 18

a

Question 19

You are a counselor at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. You are seeing a nurse in an inpatient setting due to a recent crisis involving her drug addiction. During an inpatient counseling session, the nurse reveals she has frequently in the past taken drugs meant for her hospital patients; she admitted she occasionally took the drugs from the patients’ rooms after they had been assigned to the patient. Thus, the patient did not get his/her medication. You also are aware that this nurse is planning on returning to her job immediately, or as soon as she can, after her inpatient stay, which will be in a few days. You are concerned about the safety of the patients due to the confession of the nurse sometimes taking the patients’ medications. This case addresses the ethical principles and codes of:

A. autonomy
B. confidentiality
C. fidelity
D. all of the above

Answer 19

d

Question 20

Denise, a practicum student, demonstrates excellent counseling skills during the first half of the semester. After spring break, however, her supervisor notices that she is struggling to attend to clients and seems preoccupied during sessions. The supervisor shares her observations with Denise, who reveals that her husband asked for a divorce a short time ago. The supervisor and Denise talk about how her impending divorce is likely to affect her work with her clients, especially her counseling with couples. Denise asks the supervisor to counsel her through this difficult time. The supervisor:

A. makes an appointment at her office for a counseling session with Denise the next week.
B. tells Denise she needs to buckle down and do her best through this practicum and then decide whether or not to continue in the program.
C. offers to treat her to dinner and discuss her options.
D. explains that she cannot serve as both her counselor and her supervisor and provides her with names of other counselors.

Answer 20

d

Question 21

Warren is a counselor intern who wants to tell Wilma, his supervisor, that he wants to be assigned to a different supervisor because of some major personality differences that he thinks are negatively affecting their working relationship. According to the ACA code of ethics, which of the following is NOT a step to be taken?

A. Warren provides Wilma adequate notice of his desire to terminate their supervisory relationship.
B. Warren offers no explanation for the termination
C. Wilma refers Warren to alternative supervisors

Answer 21

b

Question 22

Sally was beginning her practicum at a local agency. She was instructed by the site supervisor to not reveal that she was a student, but simply to say that she was a part of the agency’s treatment staff. Sally should:

A. tell her faculty supervisor of this, and the faculty supervisor should inform the agency that this was not ethical and clients need to be informed of Sally’s student status.
B. comply with her site supervisor’s request as he is the one to sign off on her hours needed to complete the program.
C. tell her faculty supervisor of this, and the faculty supervisor can discuss the reasons the agency requested this with them to determine if it is appropriate.
D. quit her practicum placement immediately with no explanation.

Answer 22

a

Question 23

Phil, a doctoral student, plans to conduct research with first graders. After obtaining permission from the principal to conduct the study, he:

A. explains the study to the parents of the first graders and obtains written consent.
B. explains the study to the first graders in language they can understand and obtains their consent.
C. both a & b
D. neither a nor b

Answer 23

c

Question 24

The guidance counselor and a counselor in a school system collaborate on a research study investigating school dropout rates. The guidance director summarizes the data on the past year’s dropouts and publishes the results in a report to the school board. The counselor learns that some schools have included summer droupouts in their reports whereas others have not. The counselor tells the guidance director about this discrepancy. Their next step should be:

A. to notify their participants
B. revise the data analysis and submit a corrected report to the school board.
C. to not say anything; the difference wasn’t significant.
D. to resign

Answer 24

b

Question 25

If ethical responsibilities conflict with law, regulations, or other governing legal authority, counselors should:

A. make known their commitment to the ACA code of ethics and take steps to resolve the conflict
B. follow the law or governing legal authority
C. resign
D. hire a lawyer

Answer 25

a

Question 26

Olivia is a counselor who conducts court-ordered child custody evaluations. She has been asked to evaluate 6-year-old Tiffany, who is the subject of a custody dispute. Tiffany currently lives with her mother and her mother’s live-in boyfriend and stays with her father every other weekend. Both parents have made allegations of physical abuse; the father has accused the mother’s boyfriend, and the mother has accused the father. As a forensic interviewer, ACA code of ethics states what about Olivia’s primary obligation?

A. to produce objective findings that can be substantiated based on information and techniques appropriate to the evaluation
B. individual examination of Tiffany and review records if any exist
C. form professional opinion based on her professional knowledge and expertise that can be supported by her interview(s)
D. a & b only
E. all of the above

Answer 26

e

Question 27

Candace, a marriage and family therapy counselor, tells all couples at the outset of the counseling relationship that she will usually work with them as a couple in conjoint sessions, but occasionally she will wish to see each of them individually. She explains that she will not disclose information that either of them may share during an individual session, but that it is important that they do not keep secrets from one another. Considering the ethical code related to couples and family counseling, Candace has defined her “client” in terms of confidentiality as:

A. just the couple
B. the individuals
C. both the couple and the individuals when seen separately

Answer 27

c

Question 28

Darla has been counseling Walt for 3 weeks. Walt brings to his fourth session the results of an HIV test he took, which confirms that he is HIV positive. He is agitated, angry, and wanting revenge. From his perspective, he is a victim and doesn’t see why he should be concerned about anybody but himself. Knowing that Walt has a new romantic parner, Darla asks him about his intentions to inform his partner of his HIV status. Walt adamantly states that he has no intention, now or in the future, of telling him or even of adopting safe sex practices. The counselor:

A. informs him this is his choice and reviews her statement of confidentiality with him
B. agrees that this is the best decision as his partner may abandon him if he tells him of his positive test result
C. informs him that if he holds to this decision, she will feel ethically compelled to inform his partner
D. informs him that she is no longer about to see him for counseling

Answer 28

c

Question 29

Patrick is counseling Joe at the local community mental health center. Joe has recently “found Jesus” and “been saved”. Even though this has not been their habit for the first 3 sessions, Joe announces at the 4th session that he wants Patrick to pray with him at the beginning and end of their sessions “to invite the Holy Spirit in the session with them”. Joe ethically considers this request and decides:

A. he does not feel this is ethically appropriate at the community mental health center
B. he can allow Joe to lead the prayer and thus consider this ethically under the multicultural diversity code
C. he needs to refer Joe because Patrick himself does not practice the same religion
D. to inform Joe that inviting the Holy Spirit into the session is not appropriate mental health practice

Answer 29

b

Question 30

Which of the following would aid in the appropriate transferring of a client who is moving to another city?

A. helping the client locate a therapist in the new city
B. obtaining a release of information prior to the move and transfer
C. making a plan for the interim time in terms of who to contact in a mental health emergency
D. all of the above
E. none of the above are within the role of the counselor

Answer 30

d

Question 31

Naomi, a career counselor, begins to interpret a career interest inventory to a client. When the client sees the computer-generated scores and narrative report, he remarks, “This is really impressive! Now I can find out what career I should choose.” Naomi should inform the client:

A. the inventory cannot tell the client what he should do; the results are only one tool for helping him to make his own decision.
B. this inventory has proven validity and reliability and therefore has shown the client the best career choice.
C. the inventory is greatly influenced by the client’s mood that day, and therefore, on another given day, the inventory may show different results.

Answer 31

a

Question 32

Suzanne, a counselor who works on the cancer unit of a hospital, has been counseling Gloria, who has been diagnosed as terminally ill. Gloria has been evaluated by a psychiatrist on staff who is experienced in working with terminally ill clients. The psychiatrist concluded that Gloria is mentally capable of making decisions regarding her end-of-life care. Suzanne explores with Gloria a range of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual issues that are important to Gloria. This exploration:

A. meets the ethical guidelines under quality of care in the ACA code of ethics
B. gives the client autonomy to make the end-of-life decisions
C. goes against the ACA code of ethics
D. both a & b

Answer 32

d

Question 33

At a community clinic, Sylvia, who is 38, tells you that she is an alcoholic. During the intake interview she says, “I feel bad because I’ve tried to stop my drinking and haven’t succeeded. I am fine for a while, and then I egin to think that I could do a lot better. I see all the ways in which I do not measure up- how I let my kids down, the many mistakes I’ve made with them, the embarrassment I’ve caused my husband- and then I get so down I start drinking again. I know that what I am doing is self-destructive, but I’m not able to stop. I very much want your advice on what I should do.” Several concerns may be raised in this intake. One ethical concern may be:

A. the competency of the counselor to provide substance abuse counseling
B. the ability of the counselor to give the right advice to Sylvia
C. whether or not Sylvia is culturally matched with the intake counselor
D. whether or not Sylvia has any legal charges pending

Answer 33

a

Question 34

Your client, Shirley, is extremely dependent on you for advice in making even minor decisions. It is clear that she does not trust herself and often tries to figure out what you might do in her place. She asks you personal questions about your marriage and your family life. She has elevated you to the position of someone who makes wise choices, and she is trying to emulate you. At other times she tells you that her decisions typically turn out to be poor ones. Consequently, when faced with a decision, she vacillates and becomes filled with self-doubt. Although she says she realizes that you cannot give her the answers, she keeps asking you what you think about her decisions. If you give her advice and keep her dependent on therapy, you have violated which ethic?

A. confidentiality being primary
B. client autonomy being primary
C. boundary violations
D. fidelity being primary

Answer 34

b

Question 35

Lucia is a Latina counselor who has been seeing Thelma, who is also a Latina. Thelma’s presenting problem was her depression related to an unhappy marriage. Her husband, an alcoholic, refuses to come to counseling with Thelma. She works full time in addition to caring for their three children. Lucia is aware that she is becoming increasingly irritated and impatient with her client’s “passivity” and lack of willingness to take a strong stand with her husband. During one of the sessions, Lucia says to Thelma: “You are obviously depressed, and yet you seem unwilling to take action to change your situation. You have been talking about the pain of your marriage for several months and tend to blame your husband for how you feel. You keep saying the same things, and nothing changes. Your husband refuses to seek treatment for himself or to cooperate with your therapy, yet you are not doing anything to change your life for the better.” Lucia says this with a tinge of annoyance. Thelma seems to listen but does not respond. When Lucia reflects on this session, she becomes aware that she has a tendency to be more impatient and harsh with female clients from her own culture, especially over the issue of passivity. She realizes she has not invited Thelma to explore ways that her cultural background and socialization have influenced her decisions. In talking about this case with a supervisor, Lucia explores why she seems to be triggered by women like Thelma. She recognizes that she has a good deal of unfinished business with her mother, whom she experienced as extremely passive. What is/are the ethical dimension(s)in this case?

A. cultural competency of the counselor
B. avoiding harm and imposing values
C. boundary violations
D. all of the above

Answer 35

b

Question 36

Ruby is counseling Henry, who expresses extremely hostile feelings toward homosexuals and toward people who have contracted AIDS. Henry is not coming to counseling to work on his feelings about gay people; his primary goal is to work out his feelings of resentment over his wife, who left him. In one session, he makes derogatory comments about gay people. He thinks they are deviant and that it serves them right if they do get AIDS. Ruby’s son is gay, and Henry’s prejudice affects her emotionally. She is taken aback by her client’s comments, and she finds that his views are getting in the way as she attempts to work with him. Which ethical principle may be of primary concern in this situation?

A. autonomy of client
B. fidelity of counselor
C. confidentiality of counselor’s son
D. maleficence of client

Answer 36

d

Question 37

Eduardo, a young counselor, encourages his clients to call him at home when they need to. He expects to be on call at all times. He frequently lets sessions run overtime, lends money to clients when they are destitute, and devotes many more hours to his job than are required. He says that he lives for his work and that it gives him a sense of being a valuable person. The more he can do for people, the better he feels. Which ethical issue(s) do you see?

A. beneficence or maleficence
B. autonomy
C. boundaries
D. all of the above

Answer 37

d

Question 38

After five sessions, your client Jesse asks: “Do you think I’m making any progress toward solving my problems? Do I seem any different to you now than I did 5 weeks ago?” Before you give him your impressions, you ask him to answer his own questions. He replies: “Well, I’m not sure whether coming here is doing that much good or not. I suppose I expected resolutions to my problems before now, but I still feel anxious and depressed much of the time. It feels good to come here, and I usually continue thinking about what we discussed after our sessions, but I’m not coming any closer to decisions. Sometimes I feel certain this is helping me, and at other times I wonder whether I’m just fooling myself.” What ethical principle DOES seem to be guiding this session and counselor?

A. autonomy of client
B. boundary violation
C. competency of counselor
D. all of the above

Answer 38

a

Question 38

Candy is a 14 year-old student who is sent to you because of her problematic behavior in the classroom. Her parents have recently divorced, and Candy is having difficulty coping with the breakup. Eventually, she tells you that she is having sexual relations with her 15 year-old boyfriend without using any form of birth control. And, she declares that she is pregnant. She has decided to have an abortion but feels anxious about following through with it. What ethical dilemma(s) do you face?

A. imposing your own moral values in the counseling session
B.overriding the client’s autonomy if you cannot accept her decision
C.maleficence if you abruptly stop seeing Candy
D. all of the above

Answer 38

d

Question 39

Bettina lives at boarding school and has made several suicidal attempts. Because these attempts were judged to be primarily attention-getting gestures, her counselor feels manipulated and does not report them to Bettina’s parents. During the last of these attempts, however, Bettina seroiusly hurts herself and ends up in the hospital. What ethical principle was not attended to in this illustration?

A. maleficence
B. confidentiality
C. boundary violations
D. imposing moral values on the client

Answer 39

a