CA MFT (Law & Ethics) QUESTIONS
WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS RATED A.
Which of the following are considered unethical dual relationships?
- borrowing money from a patient
- hiring a patient
- engaging in a business venture with a patient
- engaging in a close personal relationship with a patient
- engaging in a closer personal relationship with a patient's spouse,
partner, or family member
all of the above would be unethical
Which of the following are reasons for termination of a patient?
- patient not benefitting from treatment
- continuing treatment would not be clinically appropriate
- therapist's incapacity or extended absence
- in order to avoid an ethical conflict or problem
all of the above
T/F-- it's ok for a therapist to help a client make decisions on the status of
their relationships
False - while a therapist can help a client understand the consequences of
their decisions, decisions must be made by the client
When electronic therapy occurs, what is the therapist obligated to inform
the patient?
- potential risks, consequences, benefits, including but not limited to, issues of
confidentiality, clinical limitations, transmission difficulties, and ability to
respond to emergencies
What should a therapist document regarding treatment decisions?
,- when significant decisions are made, e.g., determining reasonable suspicion
of child, elder, or dependent abuse, determining when a patient is a danger
to self or others, when making major changes to a treatment plan, or when
changing the unit being treated
The therapist has been seeing a couple, however, the husband arrives for
session alone and reports his wife is staying in the car. He reports she
refuses to come in because she thinks the therapist is always taking his
side. He wants to go ahead with the session without her. Should the
therapist go down to the car an ask the wife to come in so you can explore
the issue?
No. Going down to the car weakens the therapeutic boundary and reinforces
the wife's symptomatic behavior, giving it greater power and leverage. The
therapist should make another appointment for both of them, since the couple
is the client.
A client reports she overheard her dad's girlfriend on the phone describing
how she was planning to rob two local convenience stores with mace an a
shotgun. The therapist should:
A) Break confidentiality according to Evidence Code 1024 in order to
protect the public
B) Maintain confidentiality
C) Report to a child protective agency for possible abuse
D) Call the police because this is a Tarasoff situation
B) Maintain confidentiality
This would not be a Tarasoff situation because Tarasoff pertains to the client's
potential acts of violence, not the possible violent act of a third party.
T/F - A therapist has been treating a family which includes a 17 year-old
with an eating disorder, and the therapist requests and receives a copy of
the 17 year-old's medical file. The file reports the client has genital herpes.
The therapist should discuss the report with the 17 year-old in a private
session
,False. It would be inappropriate to disclose the medical record to the client--
this is the doctor's responsibility. It would also be out of the therapist's scope
of practice to ask the doctor if the client is receiving treatment for the STD, nor
would it affect the therapist's treatment plan. The correct response would be
for the therapist to simply put the medical record in her file.
A client tells you about a stock that is about to split. Which of the
following is true?
A. It is illegal and unethical for you to buy the stock
B. It is legal to buy the stock but only if you inform all your clients equally
about the situation
C. It is illegal and unethical for you to receive this information
D. It is legal for you to buy the stock
D. It is legal for you to buy the stock, but it is unethical. Regardless of how the
stock does, your purchase of it could result in strong countertransference
toward your client.
It is not illegal or unethical to receive the information, but it is unethical to act
on it.
Ethical codes and the legal standard of care requires that therapists keep
abreast of current legislation. What is the best way to learn about the most
recent laws that affect your profession?
A. Review literature from your professional organization such as CAMFT
or AAMFT.
B. Remain in periodic contact with the BBS.
C. Attend specialized workshops.
D. Rely on your own awareness of current events.
B. The BBS is the official clearinghouse for all legal and policy changes.
Reviewing literature from CAMFT or AAMFT or going to trainings are things
you should do regularly, but the BBS is the official source of new information.
You are meeting with a client for the first time. What information are you
legally required to disclose as part of informed consent?
, The informed consent, by law, must include:
1) fee disclosure and basis for how fees will be determined
2) if therapist is utilizing a fictitious business name
3) name and license designation of the owner(s) of the practice
When a mental health practitioner is subpoenaed to testify at a deposition
concerning a client's past or present diagnosis, prognosis, or reasons for a
treatment decision, in what role is the testifying therapist operating?
"Expert witness" because diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment decisions are now
classified as "facts" of treatment, and accordingly a mental health practitioner
can be paid at his/her customarily hourly or daily fee for time spent at the
deposition.
When a mental health practitioner testifies to the facts (e.g., dates and
times of sessions, rather than content of sessions or analysis) and are paid
at a statutorily mandated fee of $35/day, plus mileage
"Percipient witness"
Which of the following are not expectations of therapy that need to be
discussed with the client?
A. Clarify misconceptions about therapeutic process or goals
B. Clarify misconceptions of therapist's role
C. Dual relationships
D. Risks and benefits of therapy
E. We can make decisions for our clients if they are a danger to themselves
or others
F. Limits of confidentiality
G. No-secrets policy
H. Records are kept and client has right to inspect
I. Accurate representation of therapist competence, education, training, and
experience
E. This is incorrect-- We can NOT make decisions for our clients. If they are a
danger to themselves or others, we must follow legal or ethical mandates but
we can't make decisions for them
WITH ACCURATE SOLUTIONS RATED A.
Which of the following are considered unethical dual relationships?
- borrowing money from a patient
- hiring a patient
- engaging in a business venture with a patient
- engaging in a close personal relationship with a patient
- engaging in a closer personal relationship with a patient's spouse,
partner, or family member
all of the above would be unethical
Which of the following are reasons for termination of a patient?
- patient not benefitting from treatment
- continuing treatment would not be clinically appropriate
- therapist's incapacity or extended absence
- in order to avoid an ethical conflict or problem
all of the above
T/F-- it's ok for a therapist to help a client make decisions on the status of
their relationships
False - while a therapist can help a client understand the consequences of
their decisions, decisions must be made by the client
When electronic therapy occurs, what is the therapist obligated to inform
the patient?
- potential risks, consequences, benefits, including but not limited to, issues of
confidentiality, clinical limitations, transmission difficulties, and ability to
respond to emergencies
What should a therapist document regarding treatment decisions?
,- when significant decisions are made, e.g., determining reasonable suspicion
of child, elder, or dependent abuse, determining when a patient is a danger
to self or others, when making major changes to a treatment plan, or when
changing the unit being treated
The therapist has been seeing a couple, however, the husband arrives for
session alone and reports his wife is staying in the car. He reports she
refuses to come in because she thinks the therapist is always taking his
side. He wants to go ahead with the session without her. Should the
therapist go down to the car an ask the wife to come in so you can explore
the issue?
No. Going down to the car weakens the therapeutic boundary and reinforces
the wife's symptomatic behavior, giving it greater power and leverage. The
therapist should make another appointment for both of them, since the couple
is the client.
A client reports she overheard her dad's girlfriend on the phone describing
how she was planning to rob two local convenience stores with mace an a
shotgun. The therapist should:
A) Break confidentiality according to Evidence Code 1024 in order to
protect the public
B) Maintain confidentiality
C) Report to a child protective agency for possible abuse
D) Call the police because this is a Tarasoff situation
B) Maintain confidentiality
This would not be a Tarasoff situation because Tarasoff pertains to the client's
potential acts of violence, not the possible violent act of a third party.
T/F - A therapist has been treating a family which includes a 17 year-old
with an eating disorder, and the therapist requests and receives a copy of
the 17 year-old's medical file. The file reports the client has genital herpes.
The therapist should discuss the report with the 17 year-old in a private
session
,False. It would be inappropriate to disclose the medical record to the client--
this is the doctor's responsibility. It would also be out of the therapist's scope
of practice to ask the doctor if the client is receiving treatment for the STD, nor
would it affect the therapist's treatment plan. The correct response would be
for the therapist to simply put the medical record in her file.
A client tells you about a stock that is about to split. Which of the
following is true?
A. It is illegal and unethical for you to buy the stock
B. It is legal to buy the stock but only if you inform all your clients equally
about the situation
C. It is illegal and unethical for you to receive this information
D. It is legal for you to buy the stock
D. It is legal for you to buy the stock, but it is unethical. Regardless of how the
stock does, your purchase of it could result in strong countertransference
toward your client.
It is not illegal or unethical to receive the information, but it is unethical to act
on it.
Ethical codes and the legal standard of care requires that therapists keep
abreast of current legislation. What is the best way to learn about the most
recent laws that affect your profession?
A. Review literature from your professional organization such as CAMFT
or AAMFT.
B. Remain in periodic contact with the BBS.
C. Attend specialized workshops.
D. Rely on your own awareness of current events.
B. The BBS is the official clearinghouse for all legal and policy changes.
Reviewing literature from CAMFT or AAMFT or going to trainings are things
you should do regularly, but the BBS is the official source of new information.
You are meeting with a client for the first time. What information are you
legally required to disclose as part of informed consent?
, The informed consent, by law, must include:
1) fee disclosure and basis for how fees will be determined
2) if therapist is utilizing a fictitious business name
3) name and license designation of the owner(s) of the practice
When a mental health practitioner is subpoenaed to testify at a deposition
concerning a client's past or present diagnosis, prognosis, or reasons for a
treatment decision, in what role is the testifying therapist operating?
"Expert witness" because diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment decisions are now
classified as "facts" of treatment, and accordingly a mental health practitioner
can be paid at his/her customarily hourly or daily fee for time spent at the
deposition.
When a mental health practitioner testifies to the facts (e.g., dates and
times of sessions, rather than content of sessions or analysis) and are paid
at a statutorily mandated fee of $35/day, plus mileage
"Percipient witness"
Which of the following are not expectations of therapy that need to be
discussed with the client?
A. Clarify misconceptions about therapeutic process or goals
B. Clarify misconceptions of therapist's role
C. Dual relationships
D. Risks and benefits of therapy
E. We can make decisions for our clients if they are a danger to themselves
or others
F. Limits of confidentiality
G. No-secrets policy
H. Records are kept and client has right to inspect
I. Accurate representation of therapist competence, education, training, and
experience
E. This is incorrect-- We can NOT make decisions for our clients. If they are a
danger to themselves or others, we must follow legal or ethical mandates but
we can't make decisions for them
