Professional Issues Flashcards
You receive a subpoena requesting you to appear in court from the attorney to provide information about a former client. Assuming that the subpoena is valid and that you do not have authorization from the client to release confidential information, you should:
A. appear in court as requested and provide only information you believe is relevant to the court case.
B. appear in court as requested and provide only information that you believe is in the best interests of the client.
C. appear in court as requested but assert the privilege on behalf of the client.
D. refuse to appear in court as requested without authorization from the client.
Answer C is correct. There are several things you would want to do in this situation but, of the answers given, this is the best one. You need to respond to the subpoena (you can’t just refuse to appear in court) but, since you don’t have the client’s authorization to release confidential information, you would want to assert the privilege on behalf of the client.
Which of the following is identified as a “paramount goal” of supervision in the ASPPB’s Supervision Guidelines for Education and Training Leading to Licensure as a Health Service Provider?
A. acting as a gatekeeper
B. protecting the public
C. preparing the supervisee for independent practice
D. mentoring the supervisee
Answer B is correct. The ASPPB’s Supervision Guidelines identifies “the protection of and accountability to the public … [as the] paramount goals of supervision” (p. 1), and it lists the following as additional goals: protecting the supervisee, acting as a gatekeeper by assessing the supervisee’s readiness for autonomous practice, facilitating the supervisee’s professional development, remediating areas where the supervisee is not meeting the criteria for competence or ethical standards, and preparing the supervisee for independent practice.
You have been hired by the court to evaluate a defendant’s competency to stand trial. The focus of your evaluation of the defendant will be on determining the defendant’s:
A. mental state at the time he committed the crime.
B. ability to testify in court on his own behalf.
C. current DSM diagnosis.
D. ability to understand the charges against him.
Answer D is correct. Competency to stand trial refers to the current mental status of defendants and their ability to “cooperate with their attorneys and… to understand the charges and proceedings against them” (Gardner & Anderson, 2015, p. 128).
Which of the following descriptions of research participants is consistent with guidelines provided in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association?
A. adult males
B. white and non-white participants
C. participants suffering from a stroke
D. participants with personality disorders
Answer D is correct. “Participants with personality disorders” is consistent with APA guidelines. However, “adult males” (answer A) is incorrect because it violates the requirement that “males” and “females” not be used as nouns except when a group includes individuals with a broad range of ages. Since the group indicated in this answer includes only adults, the appropriate term would be “adult men.” “White and non-white participants” (answer B) is incorrect because “non-white” implies a judgment and White should be capitalized, and the word “suffering” in “participants suffering from a stroke” (answer C) should not be used because it has a negative connotation.
Interjurisdictional telesupervision occurs when a supervisor who resides in one state, province, or country provides supervision to an intern who is temporarily or permanently residing in a different state, province, or country via phone, videoconferencing, or other telecommunication technology. The ASPPB Supervision Guidelines for Education and Training Leading to Licensure as a Health Service Psychologist:
A. does not address interjurisdictional telesupervision.
B. prohibits interjurisdictional telesupervision except in emergency situations.
C. allows interjurisdictional telesupervision only when the supervisor is licensed in all jurisdictions.
D. permits interjurisdictional telesupervision for delegated (but not primary) supervisors.
Answer B is correct. This is the best answer because the Supervision Guidelines explicitly states that interjurisdictional telepsychology supervision is not permitted except in emergency situations.
The ASPPB’s E.Passport is:
A. a requirement for providing telepsychology services across jurisdictional lines.
B. a requirement for providing in-person, face-to-face services in other jurisdictions.
C. an online application management system used to store credentials.
D. a method for helping licensed psychologists obtain licensure in other jurisdictions.
Answer A is correct. For psychologists licensed in a PSYPACT jurisdiction to provide telepsychology services to clients in other PSYPACT jurisdictions, they must obtain an E.Passport from the ASPPB and an Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) from the PSYPACT Commission. [Answer C describes PSY|PRO, and answer D describes the Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ).]
Which of the following is not required for a malpractice claim?
A. professional relationship
B. standard of care
C. intent to harm
D. dereliction or breach of duty
Answer C is correct. The following are required for a claim of malpractice: (a) The psychologist must have had a professional relationship with the client that established the psychologist’s duty to conform to a professional standard of care. (b) There was a dereliction or breach of the duty on the part of the psychologist. (c) The client suffered injury or harm as a result of this dereliction or breach. (d) The psychologist’s dereliction or breach of duty was the direct or proximate cause of the person’s harm or injury. “Intent to harm” is not one of the four conditions.
As a fact witness in a legal proceeding, a psychologist:
A. is expected to offer his/her opinion about a defendant’s potential for future violence.
B. can offer his/her opinion about a defendant’s potential for future violence only with authorization from the defendant.
C. can offer his/her opinion about a defendant’s potential for future violence only if he/she has relevant education, training, and experience to do so.
D. cannot offer his/her opinion about a defendant’s potential for future violence.
Answer D is correct. Fact witnesses testify about the facts – i.e., about what they have observed. It is expert witnesses who offer opinions.
The APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) accredits:
A. undergraduate and graduate programs.
B. graduate programs.
C. graduate programs and doctoral internships.
D. graduate programs, doctoral internships, and postdoctoral residencies.
Answer D is correct. The APA-CoA accredits (a) doctoral programs in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, school psychology, and other developed practice areas; (b) doctoral internships in the aforementioned areas; and (c) postdoctoral residencies in the aforementioned areas and in specialty practice areas in health service psychology.
