Ethical and Professional Responsibilities Flashcards
7 cards from real PSS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethical and Professional Responsibilities flashcards as text
A peer support specialist learns that a colleague is romantically involved with one of their current service recipients. What is the most appropriate action?
Answer: Report the situation to a supervisor immediately
Dual relationships between peers and service recipients are unethical and must be reported to a supervisor to protect the recipient.
Which of the following best defines the principle of self-determination in peer support?
Answer: The individual has the right to make their own choices about their recovery
Self-determination means honoring the individual's right to direct their own recovery, even when the peer might disagree.
A peer specialist is asked by a supervisor to document a service that was not actually provided. The peer should:
Answer: Refuse and report the request through appropriate channels
Falsifying documentation is fraud; the peer specialist must refuse and use whistleblower or grievance channels.
When a peer support specialist shares their own recovery story, the primary purpose should be to:
Answer: Inspire hope and model that recovery is possible
Intentional self-disclosure is a tool to instill hope, not to center the peer's own narrative or build friendships.
A service recipient discloses they have been stealing food because they cannot afford groceries. The peer specialist should first:
Answer: Connect the individual to food assistance resources
Peer specialists address underlying needs; food insecurity driving the behavior calls for resource connection, not punitive action.
Which of the following is an example of maintaining appropriate professional boundaries?
Answer: Declining to attend a service recipient's birthday party
Attending personal social events blurs professional boundaries; declining respectfully protects the therapeutic relationship.
Informed consent in peer support services means the individual:
Answer: Understands the nature of services and agrees voluntarily to participate
Informed consent requires that individuals understand what services entail and choose to participate without coercion.