Ethics & Professional Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real BHP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Standards flashcards as text
A BHP working in a community mental health center begins developing strong romantic feelings toward a current client. The most ethical course of action is to:
Answer: Seek supervision and arrange for a clinically appropriate transfer of care
Romantic feelings toward a client require immediate supervisory consultation and transfer of care to protect the client from harm and maintain professional boundaries.
Which of the following is an example of a non-maleficence violation in behavioral health?
Answer: Using an intervention that research shows worsens client outcomes
Non-maleficence means 'do no harm'; using an intervention with evidence of harm directly violates this core ethical principle.
A mandated reporter BHP learns during a session that a client's 8-year-old child is being physically abused by a step-parent. The client begs the BHP not to report. The BHP must:
Answer: Report the suspected child abuse to the appropriate authorities
Mandated reporter status requires BHPs to report suspected child abuse regardless of client wishes or therapeutic relationship considerations.
Cultural competence in ethical behavioral health practice requires that a BHP:
Answer: Recognize and address how cultural factors influence assessment and treatment
Cultural competence means acknowledging and incorporating clients' cultural contexts into assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
An agency director asks a BHP to document a session that never occurred to satisfy a grant requirement. This request represents:
Answer: Insurance fraud and an ethical violation requiring refusal
Falsifying treatment records constitutes fraud and an ethical violation; BHPs must refuse and report such requests through appropriate channels.
Informed consent in behavioral health must include which of the following elements?
Answer: Information about risks, benefits, alternatives, and the right to withdraw
Valid informed consent requires disclosure of risks, benefits, available alternatives, and the client's right to refuse or withdraw from treatment.
A BHP who shares confidential client information with a spouse during a casual conversation at home is violating which ethical standard?
Answer: Confidentiality
Confidentiality prohibits disclosure of client information outside of legally or ethically permissible channels, including to personal family members.