SW 625 ETHICS FINAL EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
A situation in which a social worker must choose between two or more
relevant, but contradictory, ethical directives or when every alternative
results in an undesirable outcome for one or more persons.
__________vs.__________ (BE PREPARED TO ARTICULATE THE 2 CONFLICTING
OBLIGATIONS WITHIN THE DIMEMMA.)
Answer:
Ethical Dilemma (IAW Dolgoff, 2012)
Question:
1) Duty to Care (Top)
2) Duty to Respect Privacy
3) Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
4) Duty to Inform
5) Duty to Report
6) Duty to Warn and Protect (Bottom) (Think like a Pyramid)
Answer:
Legal Duties Legal Obligations of Helping Professionals (IAW Cournoyer, 2017)
Question:
Provide services that meet a reasonable professional standard. Maintain
competence, use evidence-based practice, and document services.
Answer:
Duty to Care
Question:
Avoid unnecessary intrusion into clients' personal lives. Protect physical,
psychological, and informational privacy.
Answer:
Duty to Respect Privacy
Question:
Safeguard client information. Understand limits to confidentiality (e.g., court
orders, danger to others). HIPAA and privacy laws strengthen this obligation.
Answer:
Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
Question:
Clearly explain services, risks, costs, alternatives, and limits of confidentiality.
Ensure clients have capacity, disclosure, and voluntariness.
Answer:
Duty to Inform (Informed Consent)
Question:
Mandated reporting of suspected child abuse, neglect, and other forms of
abuse. Suspicion alone is sufficient when reporting in good faith.
, Answer:
Duty to Report
Question:
Take action if a client poses a serious threat to others (Tarasoff ruling). May
require breaching confidentiality to protect potential victims.
Answer:
Duty to Warn and Protect
Question:
A social worker is asked to provide trauma therapy but has no training in
trauma treatment. They have a legal obligation to refer the client to a qualified
professional or obtain proper supervision rather than providing incompetent
care.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Care
Question:
A social worker meets with a client in their office. Another staff member asks
the social worker about the client's personal problems. The social worker has a
legal obligation not to share the client's personal information. Client
information should only be discussed with authorized individuals involved in
the client's care or when the client has given consent.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Respect Privacy
Question:
A client's parent calls a social worker asking for details about what the client
discussed in therapy. The social worker has a legal obligation not to share
session details because the client has not authorized disclosure of that
information.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
Question:
At the beginning of counseling, a social worker explains the limits of
confidentiality to a new client. The social worker has a legal obligation to
provide clients with important information about their rights, services, risks,
and limits of confidentiality so clients can make informed decisions.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Inform
Question:
During a counseling session, an elderly client tells a social worker that their
caregiver is taking their money and not allowing them access to their bank
account. The social worker has a legal obligation to report the suspected elder
financial abuse to Adult Protective Services (APS) or the appropriate authority.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Report
Question:
A client tells their social worker that they plan to seriously harm a specific
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
A situation in which a social worker must choose between two or more
relevant, but contradictory, ethical directives or when every alternative
results in an undesirable outcome for one or more persons.
__________vs.__________ (BE PREPARED TO ARTICULATE THE 2 CONFLICTING
OBLIGATIONS WITHIN THE DIMEMMA.)
Answer:
Ethical Dilemma (IAW Dolgoff, 2012)
Question:
1) Duty to Care (Top)
2) Duty to Respect Privacy
3) Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
4) Duty to Inform
5) Duty to Report
6) Duty to Warn and Protect (Bottom) (Think like a Pyramid)
Answer:
Legal Duties Legal Obligations of Helping Professionals (IAW Cournoyer, 2017)
Question:
Provide services that meet a reasonable professional standard. Maintain
competence, use evidence-based practice, and document services.
Answer:
Duty to Care
Question:
Avoid unnecessary intrusion into clients' personal lives. Protect physical,
psychological, and informational privacy.
Answer:
Duty to Respect Privacy
Question:
Safeguard client information. Understand limits to confidentiality (e.g., court
orders, danger to others). HIPAA and privacy laws strengthen this obligation.
Answer:
Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
Question:
Clearly explain services, risks, costs, alternatives, and limits of confidentiality.
Ensure clients have capacity, disclosure, and voluntariness.
Answer:
Duty to Inform (Informed Consent)
Question:
Mandated reporting of suspected child abuse, neglect, and other forms of
abuse. Suspicion alone is sufficient when reporting in good faith.
, Answer:
Duty to Report
Question:
Take action if a client poses a serious threat to others (Tarasoff ruling). May
require breaching confidentiality to protect potential victims.
Answer:
Duty to Warn and Protect
Question:
A social worker is asked to provide trauma therapy but has no training in
trauma treatment. They have a legal obligation to refer the client to a qualified
professional or obtain proper supervision rather than providing incompetent
care.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Care
Question:
A social worker meets with a client in their office. Another staff member asks
the social worker about the client's personal problems. The social worker has a
legal obligation not to share the client's personal information. Client
information should only be discussed with authorized individuals involved in
the client's care or when the client has given consent.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Respect Privacy
Question:
A client's parent calls a social worker asking for details about what the client
discussed in therapy. The social worker has a legal obligation not to share
session details because the client has not authorized disclosure of that
information.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Maintain Confidentiality
Question:
At the beginning of counseling, a social worker explains the limits of
confidentiality to a new client. The social worker has a legal obligation to
provide clients with important information about their rights, services, risks,
and limits of confidentiality so clients can make informed decisions.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Inform
Question:
During a counseling session, an elderly client tells a social worker that their
caregiver is taking their money and not allowing them access to their bank
account. The social worker has a legal obligation to report the suspected elder
financial abuse to Adult Protective Services (APS) or the appropriate authority.
Answer:
Example of Legal Duty: Duty to Report
Question:
A client tells their social worker that they plan to seriously harm a specific