Professional Orientation & Ethics Flashcards
What does the NBCC Code of Ethics say about continuing education?
A. Certified counselors must seek continuing education to assure competent services
B. Certified counselors recognize the need for and seek continuing education to assure competent services
C. Certified counselors recognize the need for and seek continuing education to assure competent services, as well as provide continuing education to other counselors
D. Nothing
B. Certified counselors recognize the need for and seek continuing education to assure competent services
You have begun treating the Hamilton family, including 16-year-old Shelly, who is suffering from bulimia nervosa. You request and receive a copy of Shelly’s medical file. The report includes a notation that Shelly has genital herpes. After you read the file, you:
A. Return the file to the doctor
B. Put it in your file
C. Discreetly destroy it
D. Give the report to Shelly in a private session
B. Put it in your file
Since your records are confidential and kept in a safe place, the medical records should be placed in this file. You may need to refer to them later.
You are a counselor working in private practice. You have been seeing a client weekly for 6 months and it is apparent that no progress is being made. With regard to seeking consultation from another counseling professional, which of the following statements is true:
A. Because you work in private practice, you cannot consult with another professional
B. You can seek consultation without telling your client
C. You can seek consultation as long as you notify your client
D. You can seek consultation only if you receive written consent from your client
C. You can seek consultation as long as you notify your client
You are not breaking confidentiality if you do not reveal personal identifying information.
What does the NBCC Code of Ethics state about consultation?
“Certified counselors may choose to consult with any other professionally competent person about a client and must notify clients of this right.”
You have been providing career counseling to a client who is seeking employment. Concurrent with the counseling, and with your knowledge, the client has made application for employment with several employers. A potential employer calls you and asks for your opinion as to your client’s suitability for the employer’s job opening. Under which of the following conditions are you free; i.e., not in violation of professional ethics, to provide the information requested?
A. When you are certain that the information you would provide would assure that the client would get the job
B. When it is clear that the client will not get the job unless the information is given
C. When in your best judgment you believe the information would enhance the client’s chances for getting the job
D. None of the above
D. None of the above
As applied to professional licensure of counselors, the term “reciprocity” means that:
A. A licensed counselor may legally perform the functions of a licensed psychologist
B. One licensing agency agrees to accept the licensing standards of another as sufficient for its own
C. Certification is synonymous with licensure
D. Graduation from a fully accredited counselor education program automatically constitutes eligibility for licensure
B. One licensing agency agrees to accept the licensing standards of another as sufficient for its own
Certification is best defined as the process by which the NCBB:
A. Allows individuals to engage in given occupations after meeting minimal requirements that ensure that the public health and welfare will be reasonably protected
B. Recognizes individuals who have met the predetermined NBCC professional standards
C. Legally sanctions qualified professionals to practice in the counseling field
D. Encourages professional counselors to abide by its code of ethics
B. Recognizes individuals who have met the predetermined NBCC professional standards
What is the difference between certification and licensure?
Certification is done through professional organizations such as the NBCC to grant recognition to a person who has met predetermined professional standards. Licensure is the process by which the state grants permission for an individual to engage in a given occupation
The difference between professional ethics and professional values is best stated by which of the following:
A. If a counselor is ethical, there should be no difference between ethics and values
B. Ethics are standards for practice set by the profession, while values refer to judgments of right and wrong
C. Ethics can be stated more specifically than values
D. Values specifically define appropriate counseling conduct, while ethics are a more general code of proper professional conduct
B. Ethics are standards for practice set by the profession, while values refer to judgments of right and wrong
How are values and ethics related?
Ethics are usually derived from values. For example, privacy is a value that is reflected in the ethical standard requiring counselors to obtain clients’ informed consent before taping therapy sessions.
Define values.
Values are concerned with what is good and desirable
Define ethics.
Ethics refer correct or appropriate practice
Which of the following statements is true with regard to the relationship between ethical and legal violations:
A. An ethical violation may or may not constitute a legal violation
B. An ethical violation never constitutes a legal violation
C. An ethical violation always constitutes a legal violation
D. An ethical violation and a legal violation are the same thing
A. An ethical violation may or may not constitute a legal violation
Which of the following statements is true regarding the use of assessment techniques by counselors:
A. Counselors can use any assessment technique that they feel could help the client
B. Counselors can only use assessment techniques for which they have been trained
C. Counselors can only use assessment techniques if they receive an Assessment Technician certification from the NBCC
D. Counselors cannot use assessment techniques
B. Counselors can only use assessment techniques for which they have been trained
What does the NBCC Code of Ethics state about using assessments?
“Certified counselors must recognize the limits of their competence and perform only those assessment functions for which they have received appropriate training or supervision.”
Breaching confidentiality in order to protect a suicidal client is: A. Legally mandated B. Ethically justified C. Legally and ethically mandated D. Always unethical
B. Ethically justified
Section B, Principle 4 of NBCC’s Code of Ethics states that “when a client’s condition indicates that there is a clear and imminent danger to the client or others, the certified counselor must take reasonable personal actions or inform responsible authorities.” Thus, when a client is suicidal, a counselor can ethically break confidentiality. However, the counselor is not legally mandated to do so.
While reviewing the student files, a certified school counselor finds some obsolete test data in several of the folders. The counselor decides that such data can serve no further useful purpose and destroys all obsolete test data from the students’ files. By doing this, the counselor has:
A. Clearly acted legally and ethically
B. Acted ethically, but possibly illegally depending on the laws of the state she is working in
C. Acted unethically, but probably legally depending on the laws of the state she is working in
D. Acted both unethically and illegally
B. Acted ethically, but possibly illegally depending on the laws of the state she is working in
NBCC Ethical Principle D.14 states that “certified counselors… avoid the misuse of obsolete data”. However, some states have laws that require test data to remain in a client’s file for a specified period of time.
In which of the following situations would the requirement for an informed consent to treatment never by waived: A. Medical or psychological emergency B. Incompetency C. Client waiver D. Court-ordered treatment
D. Court-ordered treatment
Which group has been most instrumental in opposing counselor licensure?
a. Socialworkers.
b. Psychiatrists.
c. Psychologists.
d. AAMFTmembers.
c. Psychologists.
In the late 1970s, AACD ( known as ACA since 1992) began to focus very heavily on professional credentialing. This led to the formation of the
a. CCMHC.
b. NBCC.
c. CACREP, formed in 1981.
d. APGA, formed in 1952.
b. NBCC.
By passing the NCE, a counselor can attain _______, given via NBCC.
a. NCC, a generic certification for counselors.
b. NCC, a specialty mental health certification for counselors.
c. NCC, national certification for school counselors.
d. MAC, master addictions counselor.
a. NCC, a generic certification for counselors.
Which choice would most likely violate the counseling ethic or law termed “scope of practice”?
a. A counselor who is using good accurate empathy with a client, but fails to confront
her about her excessive drinking.
b. A licensed counselor who gives the client a DSM diagnos- tic code for insurance.
c. A counselor who is too active-directive with a client.
d. A counselor who is conducting a strict Freudian psychoanalysis with the client.
d. A counselor who is conducting a strict Freudian psychoanalysis with the client.
Ethical guidelines were first created for the helping professions in 1953 when the American Psychological Association (APA) published their first code of ethics. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) created their code in 1960, and in 1961, the organization that is now ACA adopted ethics for counselors. Ethics always describe
a. laws.
b. universal principles which apply to all helpers.
c. standards of conduct imposed by ACA and NBCC.
d. all of the above.
c. standards of conduct imposed by ACA and NBCC.
Most ethical dilemmas are related to
a. confidentiality.
b. testing.
c. diagnosis.
d. research.
a. confidentiality.
The landmark 1969 case, Tarasoff versus the Board of Regents of the University of California illuminated
a. difficulties involved in client/counselor sexual behavior.
b. ethical issues in relation to research.
c. the duty to warn a client in imminent danger.
d. the impact of an impaired professional.
c. the duty to warn a client in imminent danger.
A counselor reveals information that is extremely damaging to a client’s reputation. This counselor could be accused of
a. beneficence.
b. justice.
c. nonmaleficence
d. defamation
d. defamation
State laws can govern title usage and practice, however, they do not govern
a. accreditation.
b. counselorlicensure.
c. psychologistlicensure.
d. involuntary commitment to state psychiatric facilities.
a. accreditation.
An exception to confidentiality could occur when a client is sui-
cidal. Suicidal warning signs include
a. repeatedly joking about killing one’s self.
b. giving away prized possessions after one has been de-
pressed for an extended period of time.
c. a previous suicide attempt and a very detailed suicide
plan for the future.
d. all of the above.
d. all of the above.
A statement of disclosure could include all except
a. a list of the courses the counselor took in graduate school.
b. the counselor’s qualifications, office hours, and billing policies.
c. emergency procedures and therapy techniques utilized.
d. a statement that confidentiality is desirable, but cannot be
guar
anteed in a group setting.
a. a list of the courses the counselor took in graduate school.
Privileged communication refers to the fact that anything said to a counselor by a client
a. can be revealed in a court of law if the counselor decides it is beneficial.
b. can be revealed only if a counselor testifies in court.
c. is protected by laws in every state.
d. will not be divulged outside the counseling setting without the client’s permission.
d. will not be divulged outside the counseling setting without the client’s permission.
n regard to state law and privileged communication, counselors must be aware that
a. privileged communication exists in every state in the union for LPCs.
b. laws are unclear and may vary from state to state.
c. there are no laws which govern this issue.
d. state psychology laws are applicable in this respect.
b. laws are unclear and may vary from state to state.
When counselors state that privileged communication is “quali- fied,” they actually mean that
a. the counselor must have certification before privileged communication applies.
b. privileged communication applies only to doctoral level counselors.
c. exceptionsmayexist.
d. all of the above.
c. exceptionsmayexist.
You are a counselor in a state that does not legally support privi- leged communication. You refuse to testify in court. In this situation
a. ACA will back you for doing the ethical thing.
b. NBCC will back you if and only if you have attained NCC status.
c. you need not testify if your case was supervised by a licensed psychologist and/or psychiatrist.
d. you could be held in contempt of court.
d. you could be held in contempt of court.
An 11-year-old child comes to your office with a black eye and tells you she can’t remember how she received it. You have rea- son to suspect abuse. You should
a. be empathic and discuss her feelings regarding the matter.
b. drop the matter as it could embarrass her.
c. refer her to a medical doctor of your choice.
d. call the child abuse/neglect hotline.
d. call the child abuse/neglect hotline.
A 39-year-old female secretary you are seeing in your assertiveness training group reveals that she is plotting to shoot her husband. Based on the Tarasoff case you should
a. warn the husband.
b. keep it confidential because an assertiveness training
group is decidedly not the same as one-to-one counseling.
c. make a police report in the city in which the husband re-
sides.
d. tell a supervisor, administrator, or board member if one
exists, but do not contact her husband.
a. warn the husband.
You pass your exam and now have NCC status. During a staff meeting a clinical director explains to you that, from an ethical standpoint, your primary duty is to the agency. Most experts in the field of counselor education would
a. agree with this position with very few reservations.
b. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to your clients.
c. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to the ACA.
d. say that, according to “aspirational ethics,” your agency comes first.
b. disagree inasmuch as professional ethics emphasize that your primary responsibility is to your clients.
One impetus for counselor licensing was that
a. ACSW wanted to restrict counselors.
b. politicians demanded that counselors be licensed.
c. psychology licensure bodies sought to restrict the practice of counselors so counselors could not receive third party
payments from insurance and managed care companies.
d. insurance companies pushed strongly for it.
c. psychology licensure bodies sought to restrict the practice of counselors so counselors could not receive third party
payments from insurance and managed care companies.
A counselor who possesses a graduate degree wishes to become a licensed psychologist. Which statement most accurately de-
picts the current situation?
a. Any counselor can easily become a psychologist if he or she can pass the EPPP.
b. A counselor can become a licensed psychologist by taking three graduate credit hours in physiological psychology and then passing the EPPP.
c. In nearly every case individuals trained in counseling departments would not be allowed to sit for the EPPP and thus could not become licensed psychologists.
d. A counselor with a doctorate in counseling could be licensed as a counseling psychologist if he or she has a degree from a recognized department of counseling.
c. In nearly every case individuals trained in counseling departments would not be allowed to sit for the EPPP and thus could not become licensed psychologists.
A woman who is in private practice mentions in her phone book advertisement that she is a licensed counseling psychologist. This generally means that
a. she has a doctorate from a counselor education program.
b. she has a graduate degree from a psychology department.
c. she has a degree from a CACREP program.
d. she has a degree in counseling but is trained in projective testing.
b. she has a graduate degree from a psychology department.
One major difference between the psychology versus the counseling movement seems to be that
a. the psychologists are working to eliminate practitioners with less than a doctorate, while the counselors are not.
b. counselors are working to give up tests for licensure.
c. psychology boards are made up primarily of psychiatrists.
d. in most states psychologists do not need to take an exam.
a. the psychologists are working to eliminate practitioners with less than a doctorate, while the counselors are not.
APA is to psychologist as ACA is to
a. APGA.
b. certified clinical mental health counselor.
c. counselor.
d. NCC.
c. counselor.
You have achieved the status of NCC. NBCC, nevertheless, feels you have violated professional ethics. NBCC can do any of the following except
a. revoke your state counseling license.
b. remove your name from the list of NCCs in the U.S.
c. revoke your NCC status.
d. note in their newsletter that your NCC status has been
revoked.
a. revoke your state counseling license.
A counselor who is alcoholic and suffering from burnout could best be described as
a. amesomorph.
b. an impaired professional.
c. aparaprofessional.
d. a counselor who is wise enough to use his own experiences to help others.
b. an impaired professional.
Counselor certification
a. is synonymous with licensure.
b. is synonymous with program certification.
c. recognizes that you have reached a given level of competence and thus are authorized to use a title. d. is primarily a legal process.
c. recognizes that you have reached a given
A woman comes to you for help with an eating disorder. You
have no experience or training in this area. Ethically you should
a. refer this client to a colleague who is indeed trained and experienced with this type of client.
b. keep the client and work on her general lack of self-esteem.
c. tell the client you will do a comprehensive Internet search on the topic and then begin seeing her.
d. explain to the client that a symptom such as eating or not eating is not the real problem and that counseling focuses on real underlying issues.
a. refer this client to a colleague who is indeed trained and experienced with this type of client.
Virginia was the first state to license counselors in 1976. The APGA (later AACD and now ACA) division that was initially the most instrumental in pushing for licensing was the
a. American College Personnel Association.
b. American School Counselor Association.
c. Association for Specialists in Group Work.
d. American Counselor Education and Supervision.
d. American Counselor Education and Supervision.
