ASPPB Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client requests a copy of their psychotherapy notes specifically. Under HIPAA, the psychologist:
- Must provide the notes within 30 days as with other records
- May deny access to psychotherapy notes specifically (Correct answer)
- Must provide notes only if the client signs a release
- Must provide notes only with a court order
Correct answer: May deny access to psychotherapy notes specifically
HIPAA's Privacy Rule allows covered entities to deny client access to psychotherapy notes, which are treated differently from the general designated record set.
Question 2: An employer asks a psychologist to administer personality tests to job candidates without their full knowledge of how results will be used. This arrangement raises primary concerns about:
- Test security and copyright
- Informed consent and potential harm to candidates (Correct answer)
- Reimbursement for assessment services
- Whether the psychologist holds an I/O specialty certification
Correct answer: Informed consent and potential harm to candidates
Informed consent requires that individuals understand the purpose and use of psychological assessments before participating, especially when results affect employment decisions.
Question 3: The ethical principle of justice in professional psychology primarily refers to:
- Ensuring clients win legal disputes with the psychologist's help
- Providing fair and equal treatment and access to psychological services (Correct answer)
- Administering punitive consequences for client misconduct
- Balancing client welfare against organizational efficiency
Correct answer: Providing fair and equal treatment and access to psychological services
Justice requires psychologists to be fair in their practices and to work toward equal access to psychological services across diverse populations.
Question 4: A psychologist's website includes testimonials from satisfied former clients. This practice is ethically problematic primarily because:
- It violates copyright law
- It may exploit the trust and transference of former clients (Correct answer)
- Testimonials are only permitted in print media
- It inflates the psychologist's perceived caseload
Correct answer: It may exploit the trust and transference of former clients
The APA Ethics Code warns against soliciting testimonials from current or former therapy clients because the therapeutic relationship creates a power imbalance that makes truly free consent unlikely.
Question 5: When conducting an independent medical examination (IME), a psychologist must make clear to the examinee that:
- The evaluation is confidential and protected by privilege
- There is no therapist-client relationship and results will be shared with the retaining party (Correct answer)
- The examinee may refuse to answer any question without consequence
- The psychologist will advocate for the examinee's best interests
Correct answer: There is no therapist-client relationship and results will be shared with the retaining party
In forensic contexts, examiners must clarify the nature of the evaluation, including that no treatment relationship exists and that results are not confidential.
Question 6: A psychologist working with a minor client learns from the child of ongoing domestic violence in the home. The mandated reporting obligation applies:
- Only if the minor client is the direct victim
- To any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, regardless of who discloses it (Correct answer)
- Only after verifying the abuse with another professional
- Only to abuse occurring in the past 30 days
Correct answer: To any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, regardless of who discloses it
Mandated reporting laws apply whenever there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect, regardless of the source of information or the timeframe.
Question 7: A psychologist who disagrees with a managed care company's denial of additional sessions should ethically:
- Continue sessions without billing to avoid confrontation
- Abandon the client immediately to avoid liability
- Appeal the denial and assist the client in accessing alternative resources (Correct answer)
- Accept the denial and document no further clinical need
Correct answer: Appeal the denial and assist the client in accessing alternative resources
Psychologists are ethically obligated to advocate for clients' clinical needs through appropriate channels and help clients find alternative care when services are denied.
ASPPB Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct 4
A client requests a copy of their psychotherapy notes specifically.
Under HIPAA, the psychologist: