Professional Ethics and Standards Flashcards

A caller expresses a clear plan to end their life tonight. What is the specialist's ethical priority?

Answer: Follow crisis protocol to ensure safety, including emergency intervention if needed

Imminent risk of harm overrides routine confidentiality and requires crisis intervention per agency protocol.

An inquirer chooses not to follow the specialist's suggested referral. What principle applies?

Answer: Self-determination: the inquirer has the right to make their own choices

Respecting self-determination means honoring the inquirer's decisions even when the specialist disagrees.

A specialist shares a funny but identifiable story about a caller on personal social media. This primarily violates which ethical standard?

Answer: Confidentiality and privacy of inquirers

Sharing identifiable inquirer details publicly breaches confidentiality.

What is the purpose of an I&R agency's written inclusion/exclusion policy for its resource database?

Answer: To apply consistent, objective criteria for which organizations are listed

AIRS standards require a published, consistently applied inclusion/exclusion policy.

A third party calls asking whether their adult neighbor has contacted the I&R service. How should the specialist respond?

Answer: Neither confirm nor deny the neighbor's contact, protecting confidentiality

Even acknowledging that someone contacted the service can breach confidentiality.

Which action reflects ethical advocacy in I&R work?

Answer: Intervening with a provider on the inquirer's behalf, with their permission, when barriers arise

Ethical advocacy is done with the inquirer's consent to help them overcome service barriers.

A specialist promises a caller they will definitely receive rental assistance from a program. Why is this problematic?

Answer: Specialists cannot guarantee eligibility decisions made by other providers

Specialists should give honest information and not make promises about outcomes controlled by other agencies.