CA MFT LAW AND ETHICS EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Question ID #119: When an adolescent client is suicidal, the therapist
________________.
Select one:
A.must tell the client's parent or legal guardian
B.must contact child protective services
C.may break confidentiality if necessary to prevent the threatened danger
D.should have the client complete a safety plan - Answers - The correct answer is
C.Breaking confidentiality when a client of any age is suicidal is permitted by EC
Section 1024, which provides an exception to the psychotherapist-patient privilege
when a client poses a danger to self, but is also routinely interpreted as being applicable
to a breach of confidentiality in contexts outside of legal proceedings.
Question ID #135: Which of the following individuals is legally allowed to decide whether
or not to involuntarily hospitalize a person under Section 5150 of the California Welfare
and Institutions Code?
Select one:
A.Any licensed mental health professional.
B.Any psychiatrist.
C.A professional person designated by the county.
D.Anyone over 18 who believes the person is a danger to self or others. - Answers -
The correct answer is C.WIC Section 5150 states that "a peace officer, a member of the
attending staff of an evaluation facility designated by the county, designated members
of a mobile crisis team, or other professional person designated by a county, may upon
probable cause, take, or cause to be taken, the person into custody and place him or
her in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of
Mental Health as a facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation."
Question ID #140: A mental health agency just received a grant to conduct research on
the effectiveness of services provided by the agency's marriage and family therapists.
Ethically, it's most important for the agency to consider which of the following
questions?
Select one:
A.Will the results of the research benefit the clients?
B.Do clients have sufficient information to make an informed choice about whether or
not to participate in the research?
C.Is the agency being paid to conduct the research?
D.Do clients understand the potential limitations on the confidentiality of information that
will be collected during the study? - Answers - The correct answer is B.CAMFT Ethical
Principle 11.2 and AAMFT Ethical Standard 5.3 apply to this situation. Both require
,therapists to ensure that individuals fully understand all aspects of a research study that
might affect their willingness to participate.
Question ID #142: A marriage and family therapist routinely administers a questionnaire
to all of her clients at the beginning and end of therapy and wants to use information
from the questionnaire for a qualitative research study. To be consistent with ethical
requirements, the therapist ___________________.
A.must explain to the clients she chooses to include in her study that their participation
is voluntary and that confidential information will be released only with their
authorization
B.should describe the study's purpose and procedures to all of her clients and include
only those clients who volunteer to participate
C.should not tell clients that they'll be included in a research study since doing so may
have an adverse impact on the therapeutic relationship and distort the results of the
study
D.must include only new clients who agree to participate in the study when they
complete the questionnaire - Answers - The correct answer is A.This answer is most
consistent with AAMFT and CAMFT ethical guidelines. Both require MFTs to protect the
confidentiality of research participants and make sure that potential participants
understand that they can decline to participate and withdraw from the study at any time.
Question text
Question ID #145: To help ensure that individuals who are at risk for violent behavior do
not possess firearms, California law requires that, when a client communicates a
serious threat of physical violence against an identifiable victim, the psychotherapist
must _______________.
A.make a report to law enforcement within 24 hours of the threat
B.make a report to law enforcement within 48 hours of the threat
C.make a report to law enforcement and warn the intended victim within 24 hours of the
threat
D.make a report to law enforcement and warn the intended victim within 48 hours of the
threat - Answers - The correct answer is A.WIC Section 8100(b)(1) states that a person
may not own or possess a gun "for a period of five years if ... they communicate to a
licensed psychotherapist ... a serious threat of physical violence against a reasonably
identifiable victim or victims." And WIC 8105(c) requires licensed psychotherapists to
"report to a local law enforcement agency, within 24 hours ... the identity of a person
subject to the prohibition specified by subdivision (b) of Section 8100."
Question ID #151: The therapist is in the process of assessing a family that consists of
two teenagers and their parents, and has already determined that the presenting
problem is frequent conflict between the oldest teen and his father and teachers. The
therapist has not yet decided whether to conduct family therapy or see the oldest teen in
individual therapy. Ethically, which of the following questions is most important to
consider first?
Select one:
, A.What information revealed by the minors will and will not be shared with the parents?
B.Is the oldest teenager competent to consent to individual treatment?Incorrect
C.Which family member or members are the client(s) and what will be the nature of the
relationships with everyone involved in treatment?
D.Is the presenting problem within the therapist's scope of practice? - Answers - The
correct answer is C.All of the questions listed in the answers are important, but the
information presented in the case implies that determining which family member or
members will be the client(s) has the highest priority. CAMFT Ethical Principle 3.9
applies to this situation. It states that marriage and family therapists "clarify, at the
commencement of treatment, which person or persons are clients and the nature of the
relationship(s) the therapist will have with each person involved in the treatment."
Question ID #154: A therapist receives a phone call from a client who wants to see his
clinical file because he believes it contains some inaccurate information. The client
abruptly terminated therapy three weeks ago and owes the therapist for his last two
sessions. Which of the following responses to the client's request is most consistent
with HIPAA regulations?
Select one:
A."If you send me a written request, I can let you see your file except for some
information that was given to me under a promise of confidentiality."
B."If you send me a written request, I can let you see your file, but only a health care
provider can request that changes be made to it."
C."I cannot allow you to see your file because the information it contains is privileged
and I have not received a subpoena."
D."I can let you see your file but only after you pay the balance on your account." -
Answers - The correct answer is A.Under HIPAA, patients have a right to inspect their
PHI (protected health information) except for those parts of the record that were
obtained from "someone other than another health care provider under a promise of
confidentiality, and the access requested is reasonably likely to reveal the source" (45
CFR Section 165.524).
Question ID #170: An MFT receives a written request from a former client to see his
treatment records. The former client is now 22 years old and saw the MFT in individual
therapy for about six months when he was 14 years old. Which of the following is a true
statement?
Select one:
A.The MFT should get authorization from the former client's parents before giving him
access to the records since they likely signed the consent for treatment.
B.Ethically and legally, the MFT should have destroyed the records of the former client
seven years after the date of their last therapy session and should explain to the former
client that his records are no longer available.Incorrect
C.The MFT should send a copy of the records to the former client within 15 days.
D.The MFT should send only parts of the record that do not contain obsolete
information to the former client within 10 days. - Answers - The correct answer is
C.Retention of records is addressed in B&PC Section 4980.49, which requires MFTs to
retain an adult client's records for at least seven years from the date therapy is
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Question ID #119: When an adolescent client is suicidal, the therapist
________________.
Select one:
A.must tell the client's parent or legal guardian
B.must contact child protective services
C.may break confidentiality if necessary to prevent the threatened danger
D.should have the client complete a safety plan - Answers - The correct answer is
C.Breaking confidentiality when a client of any age is suicidal is permitted by EC
Section 1024, which provides an exception to the psychotherapist-patient privilege
when a client poses a danger to self, but is also routinely interpreted as being applicable
to a breach of confidentiality in contexts outside of legal proceedings.
Question ID #135: Which of the following individuals is legally allowed to decide whether
or not to involuntarily hospitalize a person under Section 5150 of the California Welfare
and Institutions Code?
Select one:
A.Any licensed mental health professional.
B.Any psychiatrist.
C.A professional person designated by the county.
D.Anyone over 18 who believes the person is a danger to self or others. - Answers -
The correct answer is C.WIC Section 5150 states that "a peace officer, a member of the
attending staff of an evaluation facility designated by the county, designated members
of a mobile crisis team, or other professional person designated by a county, may upon
probable cause, take, or cause to be taken, the person into custody and place him or
her in a facility designated by the county and approved by the State Department of
Mental Health as a facility for 72-hour treatment and evaluation."
Question ID #140: A mental health agency just received a grant to conduct research on
the effectiveness of services provided by the agency's marriage and family therapists.
Ethically, it's most important for the agency to consider which of the following
questions?
Select one:
A.Will the results of the research benefit the clients?
B.Do clients have sufficient information to make an informed choice about whether or
not to participate in the research?
C.Is the agency being paid to conduct the research?
D.Do clients understand the potential limitations on the confidentiality of information that
will be collected during the study? - Answers - The correct answer is B.CAMFT Ethical
Principle 11.2 and AAMFT Ethical Standard 5.3 apply to this situation. Both require
,therapists to ensure that individuals fully understand all aspects of a research study that
might affect their willingness to participate.
Question ID #142: A marriage and family therapist routinely administers a questionnaire
to all of her clients at the beginning and end of therapy and wants to use information
from the questionnaire for a qualitative research study. To be consistent with ethical
requirements, the therapist ___________________.
A.must explain to the clients she chooses to include in her study that their participation
is voluntary and that confidential information will be released only with their
authorization
B.should describe the study's purpose and procedures to all of her clients and include
only those clients who volunteer to participate
C.should not tell clients that they'll be included in a research study since doing so may
have an adverse impact on the therapeutic relationship and distort the results of the
study
D.must include only new clients who agree to participate in the study when they
complete the questionnaire - Answers - The correct answer is A.This answer is most
consistent with AAMFT and CAMFT ethical guidelines. Both require MFTs to protect the
confidentiality of research participants and make sure that potential participants
understand that they can decline to participate and withdraw from the study at any time.
Question text
Question ID #145: To help ensure that individuals who are at risk for violent behavior do
not possess firearms, California law requires that, when a client communicates a
serious threat of physical violence against an identifiable victim, the psychotherapist
must _______________.
A.make a report to law enforcement within 24 hours of the threat
B.make a report to law enforcement within 48 hours of the threat
C.make a report to law enforcement and warn the intended victim within 24 hours of the
threat
D.make a report to law enforcement and warn the intended victim within 48 hours of the
threat - Answers - The correct answer is A.WIC Section 8100(b)(1) states that a person
may not own or possess a gun "for a period of five years if ... they communicate to a
licensed psychotherapist ... a serious threat of physical violence against a reasonably
identifiable victim or victims." And WIC 8105(c) requires licensed psychotherapists to
"report to a local law enforcement agency, within 24 hours ... the identity of a person
subject to the prohibition specified by subdivision (b) of Section 8100."
Question ID #151: The therapist is in the process of assessing a family that consists of
two teenagers and their parents, and has already determined that the presenting
problem is frequent conflict between the oldest teen and his father and teachers. The
therapist has not yet decided whether to conduct family therapy or see the oldest teen in
individual therapy. Ethically, which of the following questions is most important to
consider first?
Select one:
, A.What information revealed by the minors will and will not be shared with the parents?
B.Is the oldest teenager competent to consent to individual treatment?Incorrect
C.Which family member or members are the client(s) and what will be the nature of the
relationships with everyone involved in treatment?
D.Is the presenting problem within the therapist's scope of practice? - Answers - The
correct answer is C.All of the questions listed in the answers are important, but the
information presented in the case implies that determining which family member or
members will be the client(s) has the highest priority. CAMFT Ethical Principle 3.9
applies to this situation. It states that marriage and family therapists "clarify, at the
commencement of treatment, which person or persons are clients and the nature of the
relationship(s) the therapist will have with each person involved in the treatment."
Question ID #154: A therapist receives a phone call from a client who wants to see his
clinical file because he believes it contains some inaccurate information. The client
abruptly terminated therapy three weeks ago and owes the therapist for his last two
sessions. Which of the following responses to the client's request is most consistent
with HIPAA regulations?
Select one:
A."If you send me a written request, I can let you see your file except for some
information that was given to me under a promise of confidentiality."
B."If you send me a written request, I can let you see your file, but only a health care
provider can request that changes be made to it."
C."I cannot allow you to see your file because the information it contains is privileged
and I have not received a subpoena."
D."I can let you see your file but only after you pay the balance on your account." -
Answers - The correct answer is A.Under HIPAA, patients have a right to inspect their
PHI (protected health information) except for those parts of the record that were
obtained from "someone other than another health care provider under a promise of
confidentiality, and the access requested is reasonably likely to reveal the source" (45
CFR Section 165.524).
Question ID #170: An MFT receives a written request from a former client to see his
treatment records. The former client is now 22 years old and saw the MFT in individual
therapy for about six months when he was 14 years old. Which of the following is a true
statement?
Select one:
A.The MFT should get authorization from the former client's parents before giving him
access to the records since they likely signed the consent for treatment.
B.Ethically and legally, the MFT should have destroyed the records of the former client
seven years after the date of their last therapy session and should explain to the former
client that his records are no longer available.Incorrect
C.The MFT should send a copy of the records to the former client within 15 days.
D.The MFT should send only parts of the record that do not contain obsolete
information to the former client within 10 days. - Answers - The correct answer is
C.Retention of records is addressed in B&PC Section 4980.49, which requires MFTs to
retain an adult client's records for at least seven years from the date therapy is
