LPCC Safety and Infection Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with a history of self-harm arrives at a community mental health center wearing long sleeves in summer. The counselor's FIRST priority should be to:
- Document the observation and notify supervisor
- Ask the client directly about current self-harm urges and assess lethality (Correct answer)
- Contact the client's emergency contact immediately
- Schedule a follow-up appointment for next week
Correct answer: Ask the client directly about current self-harm urges and assess lethality
Direct assessment of current self-harm urges and lethality is the immediate clinical priority to determine the level of risk and intervention needed.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'duty to protect' as it relates to LPCC practice?
- The obligation to maintain client confidentiality at all times
- The legal and ethical obligation to warn identifiable third parties when a client poses a credible threat (Correct answer)
- The requirement to report all client disclosures to licensing boards
- The responsibility to ensure clients attend all scheduled sessions
Correct answer: The legal and ethical obligation to warn identifiable third parties when a client poses a credible threat
Duty to protect stems from Tarasoff and requires counselors to take reasonable steps to protect identifiable third parties from credible client threats.
Question 3: When a counselor suspects a client is being abused by a caregiver in a residential facility, the MOST appropriate action is to:
- Confront the caregiver directly during the next session
- File a mandatory report with Adult Protective Services regardless of the client's wishes (Correct answer)
- Discuss confidentiality limits with the client before deciding whether to report
- Wait to gather more evidence before taking action
Correct answer: File a mandatory report with Adult Protective Services regardless of the client's wishes
Mandatory reporting laws require LPCCs to report suspected abuse of vulnerable adults to APS regardless of client consent.
Question 4: A counselor working in a school setting discovers a student has brought a weapon onto school grounds. After ensuring immediate safety, the counselor should:
- Keep the information confidential to maintain therapeutic alliance
- Notify school administration and law enforcement per institutional protocol (Correct answer)
- Counsel the student about the dangers of weapons before taking further action
- Contact the student's parents before alerting school officials
Correct answer: Notify school administration and law enforcement per institutional protocol
Imminent safety threats require immediate reporting to appropriate authorities per both legal obligations and school safety protocols.
Question 5: Standard precautions in a clinical setting require a counselor to treat which of the following as potentially infectious?
- Only blood from clients known to have HIV
- All blood and body fluids from every client regardless of known diagnosis (Correct answer)
- Body fluids only when visible contamination is present
- Secretions from clients with documented infections only
Correct answer: All blood and body fluids from every client regardless of known diagnosis
Standard precautions assume all blood and body fluids are potentially infectious, regardless of a client's known health status.
Question 6: A client discloses they have been stockpiling their prescribed medications. Which type of safety assessment is MOST immediately indicated?
- Substance abuse screening
- Suicidal ideation and intent assessment (Correct answer)
- Medication interaction evaluation
- Physical health examination referral
Correct answer: Suicidal ideation and intent assessment
Medication stockpiling is a significant warning sign for suicidal planning, requiring immediate lethality and intent assessment.
Question 7: When using a Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) with a suicidal client, which element is considered MOST critical?
- Scheduling the next therapy appointment
- Identifying means restriction and removing access to lethal means (Correct answer)
- Listing crisis hotline numbers the client can call
- Having the client sign a no-suicide contract
Correct answer: Identifying means restriction and removing access to lethal means
Lethal means restriction is the most empirically supported component of safety planning, directly reducing suicide attempt lethality.
LPCC Safety and Infection Control 2
A client with a history of self-harm arrives at a community mental health center wearing long sleeves in summer.
The counselor's FIRST priority should be to: