CA MFT LAW & ETHICS EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
scope of practice...
applies to:
defined by:
can you expand yours?: - Answers - applies to: everyone in your profession equally
defined by: state law
can you expand yours?: no (unless you get additional licenses)
scope of competence...
applies to:
defined by:
can you expand yours?: - Answers - applies to: you specifically
defined by: your education & experience & training
can you expand yours?: Yes, w/ additional education, training, experience
two conditions that allow MFT's to do psychological testing? - Answers - 1. LMFT must
have appropriate training in the instrument uses
2. testing must be case-specific and w/in a therapeutic context
non-clinical restrictions on what associates & trainees cannot do: - Answers - cannot be
paid directly by clients, cannot rent own office space
3 major requirements of licensure as a mental health professional: - Answers - 1.
education: graduate degree
2. experience: practice under supervisor for a specific amount of time
3. exams: successful completion
During the initial session, the ct mentions that she's been hospitalized several times for
"severe depression". The client becomes tense and guarded when the therapist
attempts to explore the hospitalizations saying that "its all in the past". She also states
adamantly that she won't give permission to get those records. The therapist should
FIRST:
A. assess her current level of depression
B. Reassure her that the focus will be on the present
C. Acknowledge her right to decide about releasing records.
D. Explore her resistance to sharing her records - Answers - C. Acknowledge her right
to decide about releasing records.
Triadic supervision (1 supervisor, 2 supervisees) is equivalent to - Answers - individual
supervision
,Supervisor responsibilities - Answers - 1. notify supervisees of any disciplinary action or
change in their licensure status
2. competence in the supervisee's field
3. competence specific to supervision
4. understand laws
5. ensure supervise competence
6. actively monitor competence
7. monitor quality of work
8. provide at least 1 week notice if supervisor intends to stop signing for hours gained
by supervise
can you meet w/ ur supervisor by phone? - Answers - no, needs to be face to face
can you meet with supervisor over videoconference? - Answers - yes
a prelicensed therapist can only provide services as a volunteer or... - Answers - a W-2
employee; pre-licensed experience as an indepdent contracter (1099) cannot be
counted
can employers charge pre-licensed therapists for office rent or furnishings? - Answers -
no, they also cannot charge you for what is reasonably the responsibility of the
employer
what makes someone qualified to serve as a mentor to a new professional? - Answers -
2 years of licensure; has seen clients or provided direct supervision for at least 2 of the
last 5 years & a 6-hour supervision course in each license renewal cycle
Who disciplines T's - Answers - State licensing board
What happens if a licensee or registrant is found to have had a sexual relationship w/ a
client, or w/ former client in the 2 years following the last professional contact? -
Answers - BBS must revoke license, by law cannot impose a lighter sentence
What happens if you engaged in an act w/ a minor, even if prior to registration or
licensure? - Answers - revoke license or registration, keeps pedophiles out of mental
health professions
What happens if you fail to give "therapy never includes sex?" - Answers - punishable
by BBS w/ a minimum 1-year probation
Can convictions more than 7 years old be used as the basis for denying license or
registration? - Answers - No, but exceptions for violent crimes, crimes against minors,
and sexual misconduct
2 ways you can misrepresent yourself in therapy world: - Answers - misrepresentation
of your own license or qualifications and impersonating a license
, Are trainees working under their supervisor's license or supervision? - Answers -
supervision, a supervisor can be held responsible in addition to the supervisee of the
supervisee commits acts of misconduct, or if the supervisor does not live up to the
supervisor's legal obligations
5 ways to protect yourself from BBS violations - Answers - maintain familiarity w/
professional standards, maintain professional liability insurance, address potential
complaints, keep excellent records, follow the law - even outside of work
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 - B. Do clients have sufficient
information to make an informed choice about whether or not to participate in the
research?
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 ___________________.
Select one:
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 at the begin - Answers - 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
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.
VERIFIED ANSWERS
scope of practice...
applies to:
defined by:
can you expand yours?: - Answers - applies to: everyone in your profession equally
defined by: state law
can you expand yours?: no (unless you get additional licenses)
scope of competence...
applies to:
defined by:
can you expand yours?: - Answers - applies to: you specifically
defined by: your education & experience & training
can you expand yours?: Yes, w/ additional education, training, experience
two conditions that allow MFT's to do psychological testing? - Answers - 1. LMFT must
have appropriate training in the instrument uses
2. testing must be case-specific and w/in a therapeutic context
non-clinical restrictions on what associates & trainees cannot do: - Answers - cannot be
paid directly by clients, cannot rent own office space
3 major requirements of licensure as a mental health professional: - Answers - 1.
education: graduate degree
2. experience: practice under supervisor for a specific amount of time
3. exams: successful completion
During the initial session, the ct mentions that she's been hospitalized several times for
"severe depression". The client becomes tense and guarded when the therapist
attempts to explore the hospitalizations saying that "its all in the past". She also states
adamantly that she won't give permission to get those records. The therapist should
FIRST:
A. assess her current level of depression
B. Reassure her that the focus will be on the present
C. Acknowledge her right to decide about releasing records.
D. Explore her resistance to sharing her records - Answers - C. Acknowledge her right
to decide about releasing records.
Triadic supervision (1 supervisor, 2 supervisees) is equivalent to - Answers - individual
supervision
,Supervisor responsibilities - Answers - 1. notify supervisees of any disciplinary action or
change in their licensure status
2. competence in the supervisee's field
3. competence specific to supervision
4. understand laws
5. ensure supervise competence
6. actively monitor competence
7. monitor quality of work
8. provide at least 1 week notice if supervisor intends to stop signing for hours gained
by supervise
can you meet w/ ur supervisor by phone? - Answers - no, needs to be face to face
can you meet with supervisor over videoconference? - Answers - yes
a prelicensed therapist can only provide services as a volunteer or... - Answers - a W-2
employee; pre-licensed experience as an indepdent contracter (1099) cannot be
counted
can employers charge pre-licensed therapists for office rent or furnishings? - Answers -
no, they also cannot charge you for what is reasonably the responsibility of the
employer
what makes someone qualified to serve as a mentor to a new professional? - Answers -
2 years of licensure; has seen clients or provided direct supervision for at least 2 of the
last 5 years & a 6-hour supervision course in each license renewal cycle
Who disciplines T's - Answers - State licensing board
What happens if a licensee or registrant is found to have had a sexual relationship w/ a
client, or w/ former client in the 2 years following the last professional contact? -
Answers - BBS must revoke license, by law cannot impose a lighter sentence
What happens if you engaged in an act w/ a minor, even if prior to registration or
licensure? - Answers - revoke license or registration, keeps pedophiles out of mental
health professions
What happens if you fail to give "therapy never includes sex?" - Answers - punishable
by BBS w/ a minimum 1-year probation
Can convictions more than 7 years old be used as the basis for denying license or
registration? - Answers - No, but exceptions for violent crimes, crimes against minors,
and sexual misconduct
2 ways you can misrepresent yourself in therapy world: - Answers - misrepresentation
of your own license or qualifications and impersonating a license
, Are trainees working under their supervisor's license or supervision? - Answers -
supervision, a supervisor can be held responsible in addition to the supervisee of the
supervisee commits acts of misconduct, or if the supervisor does not live up to the
supervisor's legal obligations
5 ways to protect yourself from BBS violations - Answers - maintain familiarity w/
professional standards, maintain professional liability insurance, address potential
complaints, keep excellent records, follow the law - even outside of work
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 - B. Do clients have sufficient
information to make an informed choice about whether or not to participate in the
research?
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 ___________________.
Select one:
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 at the begin - Answers - 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
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.
