MFT LAW & ETHICS PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
All of the following are true regarding Standard of Care in the field of mental heath
EXCEPT:
A. It is the standard of perfection.
B. It is a legal concept.
C. It is continually changing.
D. It is derived from legal-professional-communal principles. - Answers - A. It is the
standard of perfection.
A licensed therapist is also a certified public accountant. In her therapy practice the
therapist is treating a woman with depression and anxiety who has failed to pay her
taxes the past two years. One of her goals is to pay her back taxes. The client asks to
bring her tax information to the next session to have the therapist help her figure it out.
The therapist should:
A. Agree as long as the client would benefit from the assistance.
B. Agree because it is within her scope of practice.
C. Refuse because it is outside of her scope of competence.
D. Refuse because it is outside of her scope of practice. - Answers - D. Refuse because
it is outside of her scope of practice.
A new client seeks treatment for alcohol addiction and depression after a break-up from
a therapist in private practice who specializes in relationship issues. The therapist
agrees to see the client despite having limited training in substance use treatment. The
behavior of the therapist is:
A. Illegal because the therapist working outside his scope of practice.
B. Illegal because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence.
C. Unethical because the therapist is working outside his scope of practice.D. Unethical
because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence. - Answers - D.
Unethical because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence.
A therapist should honor a client's self-determination in all of the following scenarios
except:
A. When the client is in danger of harming himself.
B. When the client is in a domestic violence relationship.
C. When the therapist knows that a client's decision is going to cause the client
additional problems.
D. When the client is gambling excessively despite lacking money for housing. -
Answers - A. When the client is in danger of harming himself.
, B. A therapist is contacted by an adult patient who has suicidal ideation and a plan. -
Answers - In which of the following scenarios would a therapist NOT be required to
obtain informed consent prior to the onset of therapy?
A.The therapist was seeing a couple and starts to see the husband for individual
therapy.
B. A therapist is contacted by an adult patient who has suicidal ideation and a plan.
C. A therapist is contacted by a former client from the therapist's internship site.
D. A therapist offers a 6 session premarital counseling package.
A. call the police and inform them of the name of the client. - Answers - A therapist
arrives at his office and finds that a client has broken in and is looking through his files.
The therapist should:
A. call the police and inform them of the name of the client.
B. call the police but withhold the name of the client.
C. determine what files the client has reviewed.
D. schedule a session with the client to discuss the incident.
A. When a client files a malpractice suit against the therapist. - Answers - In which of
the following situations does a client not have privilege?
A. When a client files a malpractice suit against the therapist.
B. During a child custody evaluation.
C. When a client is dead.
D. When a client is unable to provide reliable information.
C. Make a child abuse report. - Answers - A therapist works as a consultant in a local
preschool. During one of her visits, she notices a three-year-old girl with red marks
across the back of her legs. When she asks a teacher about this, she is told that that
the child's parents use "switches" to discipline the child; the teachers assert that this is a
culturally sanctioned technique, which is why it has not been reported. What should the
therapist do NEXT?
:
A. Set up a meeting with the girl's parents to discuss disciplinary techniques.
B. Consult with a colleague who is familiar with the family's culture.
C. Make a child abuse report.
D. Assess the child for other signs of abuse.
D. A 73 year-old woman reports that her daughter is constantly berating her and
threatening to lock her in the closet. - Answers - In which of the following scenarios is
the requirement to file an elder abuse report optional?
A. The son of an 85 year old takes his father to Arizona against his will.
B. The caretaker of a 70 year old refuses to allow her contact with friends or use of
phone.
VERIFIED ANSWERS
All of the following are true regarding Standard of Care in the field of mental heath
EXCEPT:
A. It is the standard of perfection.
B. It is a legal concept.
C. It is continually changing.
D. It is derived from legal-professional-communal principles. - Answers - A. It is the
standard of perfection.
A licensed therapist is also a certified public accountant. In her therapy practice the
therapist is treating a woman with depression and anxiety who has failed to pay her
taxes the past two years. One of her goals is to pay her back taxes. The client asks to
bring her tax information to the next session to have the therapist help her figure it out.
The therapist should:
A. Agree as long as the client would benefit from the assistance.
B. Agree because it is within her scope of practice.
C. Refuse because it is outside of her scope of competence.
D. Refuse because it is outside of her scope of practice. - Answers - D. Refuse because
it is outside of her scope of practice.
A new client seeks treatment for alcohol addiction and depression after a break-up from
a therapist in private practice who specializes in relationship issues. The therapist
agrees to see the client despite having limited training in substance use treatment. The
behavior of the therapist is:
A. Illegal because the therapist working outside his scope of practice.
B. Illegal because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence.
C. Unethical because the therapist is working outside his scope of practice.D. Unethical
because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence. - Answers - D.
Unethical because the therapist is working outside his scope of competence.
A therapist should honor a client's self-determination in all of the following scenarios
except:
A. When the client is in danger of harming himself.
B. When the client is in a domestic violence relationship.
C. When the therapist knows that a client's decision is going to cause the client
additional problems.
D. When the client is gambling excessively despite lacking money for housing. -
Answers - A. When the client is in danger of harming himself.
, B. A therapist is contacted by an adult patient who has suicidal ideation and a plan. -
Answers - In which of the following scenarios would a therapist NOT be required to
obtain informed consent prior to the onset of therapy?
A.The therapist was seeing a couple and starts to see the husband for individual
therapy.
B. A therapist is contacted by an adult patient who has suicidal ideation and a plan.
C. A therapist is contacted by a former client from the therapist's internship site.
D. A therapist offers a 6 session premarital counseling package.
A. call the police and inform them of the name of the client. - Answers - A therapist
arrives at his office and finds that a client has broken in and is looking through his files.
The therapist should:
A. call the police and inform them of the name of the client.
B. call the police but withhold the name of the client.
C. determine what files the client has reviewed.
D. schedule a session with the client to discuss the incident.
A. When a client files a malpractice suit against the therapist. - Answers - In which of
the following situations does a client not have privilege?
A. When a client files a malpractice suit against the therapist.
B. During a child custody evaluation.
C. When a client is dead.
D. When a client is unable to provide reliable information.
C. Make a child abuse report. - Answers - A therapist works as a consultant in a local
preschool. During one of her visits, she notices a three-year-old girl with red marks
across the back of her legs. When she asks a teacher about this, she is told that that
the child's parents use "switches" to discipline the child; the teachers assert that this is a
culturally sanctioned technique, which is why it has not been reported. What should the
therapist do NEXT?
:
A. Set up a meeting with the girl's parents to discuss disciplinary techniques.
B. Consult with a colleague who is familiar with the family's culture.
C. Make a child abuse report.
D. Assess the child for other signs of abuse.
D. A 73 year-old woman reports that her daughter is constantly berating her and
threatening to lock her in the closet. - Answers - In which of the following scenarios is
the requirement to file an elder abuse report optional?
A. The son of an 85 year old takes his father to Arizona against his will.
B. The caretaker of a 70 year old refuses to allow her contact with friends or use of
phone.
