Professional Practice and Ethics Flashcards
7 cards from real NCMHCE 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 Practice and Ethics flashcards as text
A client discloses they are a mandated reporter but failed to report a colleague's suspected child abuse. What is the counselor's primary ethical obligation?
Answer: Immediately report the suspected abuse yourself as a mandated reporter
Counselors who become aware of suspected child abuse through a client are themselves mandated reporters and must fulfill that legal duty regardless of the client's disclosure context.
Under the ACA Code of Ethics, when is it permissible for a counselor to engage in a nonprofessional relationship with a former client?
Answer: After 5 years if the counselor can document no harm will result
The ACA Code requires a minimum 5-year post-termination period and counselors must demonstrate no exploitation before engaging in personal relationships with former clients.
A counselor learns their supervisee has been falsifying progress notes. The MOST appropriate first action is to:
Answer: Confront the supervisee directly and document the conversation
Supervisors must address ethical violations by supervisees directly and document the interaction before escalating to formal reporting bodies.
Which of the following BEST describes 'vicarious trauma' as it relates to counselor self-care ethics?
Answer: Cumulative transformation of a counselor's worldview from repeated exposure to clients' traumatic material
Vicarious trauma refers to the lasting change in a counselor's cognitive schemas and worldview resulting from empathic engagement with traumatized clients.
A client asks their counselor to write a letter supporting their disability claim. The counselor has seen the client for only two sessions. Ethically, the counselor should:
Answer: Decline because providing such documentation requires adequate clinical knowledge of the client
Providing forensic documentation requires sufficient assessment and clinical history; two sessions is generally inadequate to render a professional opinion for legal or insurance purposes.
The ethical principle of 'justice' in counseling MOST directly refers to:
Answer: Treating all clients fairly and advocating for equitable access to services
Justice as an ethical principle concerns fairness, equal treatment, and advocacy for access to mental health services across diverse populations.
A counselor is subpoenaed to testify about a client in a civil lawsuit. The client has not signed a release. The counselor should FIRST:
Answer: Consult with an attorney and assert privilege on the client's behalf pending a court order
A subpoena alone does not waive privilege; counselors should seek legal counsel and assert the client's privilege until a court order specifically compels disclosure.