Professional Ethics and Regulations Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Ethics and Regulations flashcards as text
A CASAC counselor discovers that a colleague is romantically involved with a current client. What is the counselor's primary ethical obligation?
Answer: Report the situation to a supervisor or ethics board
Counselors have an ethical duty to report colleague misconduct that harms clients, including sexual or romantic dual relationships.
Under HIPAA, which of the following does NOT qualify as a permissible disclosure of PHI without client authorization?
Answer: Sharing records with a client's employer upon the employer's request
HIPAA does not permit disclosure of PHI to employers simply upon their request; client authorization is required for employment-related disclosures.
A client discloses they have been driving drunk regularly but denies any intent to harm others. Using the Tarasoff principle, the counselor should:
Answer: Assess the level of risk and consider warning identifiable potential victims or authorities
The Tarasoff duty to warn applies when there is foreseeable danger to others; the counselor must assess risk and take reasonable protective action.
Which ethical principle is MOST relevant when a counselor adapts treatment goals to align with a client's cultural values and beliefs?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy respects a client's right to self-determination, including culturally influenced decisions about their own care.
A CASAC counselor in private practice wants to offer a discount to clients who refer new clients. This practice is:
Answer: An ethical violation because it creates a conflict of interest and exploits the therapeutic relationship
Referral incentives exploit the therapeutic relationship and compromise the counselor's objectivity, constituting an ethical violation.
When a minor client's parents request full access to all session notes, the counselor should:
Answer: Balance parental rights with the minor's therapeutic needs and applicable state law
Counselors must navigate parental legal rights while considering the minor's best interests and applicable state confidentiality statutes.
A counselor who accepts a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful client after treatment has concluded is:
Answer: Still at risk of an ethical violation due to the ongoing influence of the former therapeutic relationship
Post-termination relationships can still be influenced by the power dynamics of the former therapeutic relationship, making significant gifts ethically problematic.