LCSW Law & Ethics Practice Test
Questions With Correct Answers 2023
1. Two social workers are dating. They are at dinner and they are talking about their clients. They discover that each of them is seeing a different member of the same couple for individual therapy. What should these social workers do?
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
This question is about the legal responsibility of social workers outside of the therapeutic setting discussing a client.
A. No action is necessary since licensed health professionals may consult for purposes of diagnosis and treatment without a release.
B. Stop the discussion and obtain releases so that such discussions in the future do not breach confidentiality. C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
D. There are no legal or ethical guidelines requiring social workers in such situations to do anything. - Answer C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
The rules of confidentiality would require the social workers to stop the discussion and not talk about these clients.
2. Revocation of a LCSW's license after having been found to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a client would occur after:
Content Area: Ethics: Professional Competence and Preventing Harm
This question tests your knowledge of the penalties for social workers having sex with a client.
A. A social worker filed a complaint with the BBS on behalf of a client.
B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship.
C. The social worker gives the client the pamphlet "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discusses it with the client.
D. The BBS cites the offending social worker within 10 years of the statute of limitations.
- Answer B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship. Terminating therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship with a client is prohibited.
3. Your client, George, tells you that his mother just got remarried. He tells you that he is worried that the new husband's children are going to go after his inheritance. He tells you that he has very little contact with the new family and wants to keep it that way. What is your legal obligation?
Content Area: Law: Limits to Confidentiality/Mandated Reporting
This question tests your knowledge of how to proceed when you may need to assess for or report elder abuse.
A. You must asses for elder abuse, considering "undue influence" regarding the mother's estate.
B. You should refer the client to an attorney to determine if he has a case. C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother. D. Report elder abuse, considering "abandonment" because he has "very little contact" with his mother. - Answer C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother.
You would maintain confidentiality because you do not know his mother's age and you do not have "reasonable suspicion" of elder abuse.
4. Ki is a 26-year-old Korean who immigrated to the U.S. with his father 10 years ago. Ki
wants to be an artist but his father has saved his money and demands that Ki goes to medical school like his grandfather. Ki says he's depressed and he would rather die than become a doctor. He says he's too stupid to pass the classes in medical school anyway. He doesn't know how to tell his father. The social worker determines that Ki is not suicidal. The most appropriate ethical intervention is to:
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to cultural competence.
A. Recognize the importance of cultural considerations and acknowledge that Ki may have to follow his father's wishes.
B. Ask Ki to bring his father in for a family session because of cultural values that encourage respect for elders.
C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may
change some of his family values. D. Ask to see Ki's artwork to reframe him as an individual and your alliance as a place where he can be an individual. - Answer C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may change some of his family values.
Informing a client about the risks and benefits of therapy which includes altering their sense of self and their family, is an ethical obligation.
5. June discloses that she had been molested by a step-brother when she was 15. She is now 28 and was divorced from her husband three years ago. Before seeing you, she saw another therapist and she has just told you that she had sex with him. She wants therapy to focus on the stormy relationship issues that led to her divorce, not on past sexual molestation or exploitation. You would:
Content Area: Law: Legal Standards for Professional Practice, tests your understanding
of the legal responsibilities of therapists who learn that a client has had sex with a previous therapist.
A. Respect her wishes and continue to focus on resolving the issues on which she wants to work.
B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
C. Report the therapist to the BBS to protect the other therapist's present and future clients.
D. Work on the sexual exploitation in therapy. - Answer B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
Therapist sex with a client is prohibited. When a client reveals that s/he has had sex with a former therapist, the treating mental health professional is required to give her/him the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex," as well as discuss it with them.
6. Dr. Sveda has been treating Carliss for seven years during which time the fee has been $50. Carliss finally earns his Ph.D. and gets a job for substantially more money than he had been making. Dr. Sveda tells Carliss he'd like to revisit the fee that Carliss has been paying. Carliss becomes quite upset and tells Dr. Sveda that it would be unethical for him to raise the fee. Dr. Sveda calls for consultation and is given the proper answer which is that social workers are discouraged from increasing a client's fees:
Content Area: Ethics: Business Practices and Policies
This question tests your knowledge of ethical considerations in raising client fees.
A. Without providing adequate notice. B. To avoid exploitation of the client.
C. Unless all client fees are increased.
D. According to strict ethical standards for the mental health profession. - Answer A. Without providing adequate notice.
Ethical standard standards require that clients be given notice of fee increases before they occur.
7. Joe and Marcie Green and their three children ages 12, 15 and 17, have been in family therapy with you for about 9 months on a regular basis. Joe says that they are getting along much better. Marcie says that the children seem to be willing to spend more time at home and are arguing less with each other. They think that things are so much better that they are ready to end treatment. What is your ethical obligation after deciding to terminate family therapy?
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to provide clients with information about the therapeutic process, which includes termination.
A. Recommend staying in therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual. B. Document your agreement with them that they are ready to terminate.
C. Recommend individual therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual.
D. Terminate because ethically you are not permitted to extend treatment beyond a client's ability to benefit. - Answer C. Recommend individual therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual.
If the family wants to terminate but one person might still be in need of individual treatment, it would be ethical to recommend this.
8. Which of the following is true in a court custody case?
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
This question examines the parameters of privilege.
A. A minor does not hold his/her own privilege.
B. The court may appoint an attorney to represent the best interests of the child.
Questions With Correct Answers 2023
1. Two social workers are dating. They are at dinner and they are talking about their clients. They discover that each of them is seeing a different member of the same couple for individual therapy. What should these social workers do?
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
This question is about the legal responsibility of social workers outside of the therapeutic setting discussing a client.
A. No action is necessary since licensed health professionals may consult for purposes of diagnosis and treatment without a release.
B. Stop the discussion and obtain releases so that such discussions in the future do not breach confidentiality. C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
D. There are no legal or ethical guidelines requiring social workers in such situations to do anything. - Answer C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
The rules of confidentiality would require the social workers to stop the discussion and not talk about these clients.
2. Revocation of a LCSW's license after having been found to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a client would occur after:
Content Area: Ethics: Professional Competence and Preventing Harm
This question tests your knowledge of the penalties for social workers having sex with a client.
A. A social worker filed a complaint with the BBS on behalf of a client.
B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship.
C. The social worker gives the client the pamphlet "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discusses it with the client.
D. The BBS cites the offending social worker within 10 years of the statute of limitations.
- Answer B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship. Terminating therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship with a client is prohibited.
3. Your client, George, tells you that his mother just got remarried. He tells you that he is worried that the new husband's children are going to go after his inheritance. He tells you that he has very little contact with the new family and wants to keep it that way. What is your legal obligation?
Content Area: Law: Limits to Confidentiality/Mandated Reporting
This question tests your knowledge of how to proceed when you may need to assess for or report elder abuse.
A. You must asses for elder abuse, considering "undue influence" regarding the mother's estate.
B. You should refer the client to an attorney to determine if he has a case. C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother. D. Report elder abuse, considering "abandonment" because he has "very little contact" with his mother. - Answer C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother.
You would maintain confidentiality because you do not know his mother's age and you do not have "reasonable suspicion" of elder abuse.
4. Ki is a 26-year-old Korean who immigrated to the U.S. with his father 10 years ago. Ki
wants to be an artist but his father has saved his money and demands that Ki goes to medical school like his grandfather. Ki says he's depressed and he would rather die than become a doctor. He says he's too stupid to pass the classes in medical school anyway. He doesn't know how to tell his father. The social worker determines that Ki is not suicidal. The most appropriate ethical intervention is to:
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to cultural competence.
A. Recognize the importance of cultural considerations and acknowledge that Ki may have to follow his father's wishes.
B. Ask Ki to bring his father in for a family session because of cultural values that encourage respect for elders.
C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may
change some of his family values. D. Ask to see Ki's artwork to reframe him as an individual and your alliance as a place where he can be an individual. - Answer C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may change some of his family values.
Informing a client about the risks and benefits of therapy which includes altering their sense of self and their family, is an ethical obligation.
5. June discloses that she had been molested by a step-brother when she was 15. She is now 28 and was divorced from her husband three years ago. Before seeing you, she saw another therapist and she has just told you that she had sex with him. She wants therapy to focus on the stormy relationship issues that led to her divorce, not on past sexual molestation or exploitation. You would:
Content Area: Law: Legal Standards for Professional Practice, tests your understanding
of the legal responsibilities of therapists who learn that a client has had sex with a previous therapist.
A. Respect her wishes and continue to focus on resolving the issues on which she wants to work.
B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
C. Report the therapist to the BBS to protect the other therapist's present and future clients.
D. Work on the sexual exploitation in therapy. - Answer B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
Therapist sex with a client is prohibited. When a client reveals that s/he has had sex with a former therapist, the treating mental health professional is required to give her/him the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex," as well as discuss it with them.
6. Dr. Sveda has been treating Carliss for seven years during which time the fee has been $50. Carliss finally earns his Ph.D. and gets a job for substantially more money than he had been making. Dr. Sveda tells Carliss he'd like to revisit the fee that Carliss has been paying. Carliss becomes quite upset and tells Dr. Sveda that it would be unethical for him to raise the fee. Dr. Sveda calls for consultation and is given the proper answer which is that social workers are discouraged from increasing a client's fees:
Content Area: Ethics: Business Practices and Policies
This question tests your knowledge of ethical considerations in raising client fees.
A. Without providing adequate notice. B. To avoid exploitation of the client.
C. Unless all client fees are increased.
D. According to strict ethical standards for the mental health profession. - Answer A. Without providing adequate notice.
Ethical standard standards require that clients be given notice of fee increases before they occur.
7. Joe and Marcie Green and their three children ages 12, 15 and 17, have been in family therapy with you for about 9 months on a regular basis. Joe says that they are getting along much better. Marcie says that the children seem to be willing to spend more time at home and are arguing less with each other. They think that things are so much better that they are ready to end treatment. What is your ethical obligation after deciding to terminate family therapy?
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to provide clients with information about the therapeutic process, which includes termination.
A. Recommend staying in therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual. B. Document your agreement with them that they are ready to terminate.
C. Recommend individual therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual.
D. Terminate because ethically you are not permitted to extend treatment beyond a client's ability to benefit. - Answer C. Recommend individual therapy if there are any regressive symptoms in any individual.
If the family wants to terminate but one person might still be in need of individual treatment, it would be ethical to recommend this.
8. Which of the following is true in a court custody case?
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
This question examines the parameters of privilege.
A. A minor does not hold his/her own privilege.
B. The court may appoint an attorney to represent the best interests of the child.
