CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Professional and Ethical Responsibilities 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor in private practice decides to terminate services to a client who cannot pay their reduced fee. Ethical termination requires the counselor to:
- End services immediately to avoid further financial loss
- Provide adequate notice and referrals to affordable treatment alternatives (Correct answer)
- Continue services indefinitely regardless of payment
- Bill the client and pursue legal collection while continuing services
Correct answer: Provide adequate notice and referrals to affordable treatment alternatives
Ethical termination requires sufficient notice and assistance connecting clients to alternative services, avoiding client abandonment.
Question 2: A counselor notices strong emotional reactions of attraction toward a client. The most appropriate initial response is to:
- Immediately transfer the client to another counselor without explanation
- Seek clinical supervision to process the feelings and develop a management plan (Correct answer)
- Disclose the attraction to the client to model honesty
- Ignore the feelings since they will naturally resolve over time
Correct answer: Seek clinical supervision to process the feelings and develop a management plan
Countertransference reactions require the counselor to seek supervision to protect the client and maintain professional objectivity.
Question 3: According to NAADAC's Code of Ethics, which of the following best describes the counselor's responsibility regarding professional development?
- Professional development is optional once initial licensure is obtained
- Counselors have an ongoing obligation to pursue continuing education and maintain current knowledge (Correct answer)
- Only counselors in supervisory roles need to pursue advanced training
- Professional development is the responsibility of the employer, not the individual counselor
Correct answer: Counselors have an ongoing obligation to pursue continuing education and maintain current knowledge
NAADAC's Code of Ethics establishes that counselors have a continuous duty to maintain and enhance their professional competence through ongoing education.
Question 4: A client from a Native American tribe requests to incorporate traditional healing ceremonies into their recovery plan. The culturally competent response is to:
- Decline because traditional practices are not evidence-based
- Integrate traditional healing into the treatment plan as a complement to clinical services where possible (Correct answer)
- Refer the client exclusively to tribal healers
- Educate the client about why Western treatment is superior
Correct answer: Integrate traditional healing into the treatment plan as a complement to clinical services where possible
Culturally competent care includes respecting and integrating clients' traditional healing practices as part of a holistic, individualized treatment plan.
Question 5: When a client's treatment plan goals conflict with the counselor's personal values about recovery, the counselor should:
- Impose their own recovery philosophy on the client
- Prioritize the client's self-determined goals within an evidence-based framework (Correct answer)
- Refer the client immediately without explanation
- Argue for the counselor's preferred approach until the client agrees
Correct answer: Prioritize the client's self-determined goals within an evidence-based framework
Ethical counselors respect client autonomy and support self-determined goals while ensuring treatment remains evidence-based and clinically sound.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of an appropriate use of social media by an addiction counselor?
- Accepting friend requests from current clients to maintain rapport
- Posting de-identified educational content about addiction recovery on a professional page (Correct answer)
- Searching clients' social media profiles without their knowledge or consent
- Commenting on a client's public posts to show support for their recovery
Correct answer: Posting de-identified educational content about addiction recovery on a professional page
Sharing de-identified educational content on a professional platform is appropriate, while interacting with clients on personal social media violates boundaries.
Question 7: A counselor is subpoenaed to testify about a client's substance use treatment in a custody dispute. Under 42 CFR Part 2, the counselor should:
- Comply with the subpoena and testify fully since legal proceedings override all confidentiality
- Consult with an attorney and assert the protections of 42 CFR Part 2 unless a court order is obtained through proper procedure (Correct answer)
- Immediately disclose all records to the requesting attorney
- Refuse all court involvement without any further action
Correct answer: Consult with an attorney and assert the protections of 42 CFR Part 2 unless a court order is obtained through proper procedure
42 CFR Part 2 provides stronger protections than a standard subpoena; a court order following specific legal procedures is required for SUD records disclosure.
CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Professional and Ethical Responsibilities 5
A counselor in private practice decides to terminate services to a client who cannot pay their reduced fee.
Ethical termination requires the counselor to: