CAADE Ethical Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client who is court-ordered into treatment tells the counselor they are only attending to satisfy the court and have no desire to change. The ethical response is to:
- Discharge the client for lack of motivation
- Engage the client honestly and use motivational approaches while fulfilling reporting obligations (Correct answer)
- Document full compliance regardless of the client's stated intent
- Inform the court immediately that the client is unwilling to participate
Correct answer: Engage the client honestly and use motivational approaches while fulfilling reporting obligations
Ethical practice involves meeting clients where they are, using motivational strategies, while maintaining honest reporting to the court.
Question 2: Which practice best protects client confidentiality when using telehealth platforms for SUD counseling?
- Using personal social media video tools for convenience
- Employing HIPAA-compliant, encrypted platforms and verifying client location and identity at each session (Correct answer)
- Recording sessions for quality assurance without client consent
- Conducting sessions in public spaces to increase accessibility
Correct answer: Employing HIPAA-compliant, encrypted platforms and verifying client location and identity at each session
Ethical telehealth requires HIPAA-compliant technology and verification of client identity and location each session.
Question 3: An educator is asked by a supervisor to falsify a client's attendance record to meet program metrics. The educator should:
- Comply to maintain employment
- Refuse and document the request, reporting it through appropriate channels if necessary (Correct answer)
- Falsify only if the client verbally approves
- Alter only the summary data, not individual records
Correct answer: Refuse and document the request, reporting it through appropriate channels if necessary
Falsifying records is unethical and potentially illegal; the counselor must refuse and use proper reporting mechanisms.
Question 4: The concept of 'scope of practice' for a CAADE-certified professional primarily refers to:
- The geographic area in which the counselor may practice
- The range of services the counselor is trained, certified, and legally authorized to provide (Correct answer)
- The number of clients the counselor may see per week
- The specific substances the counselor specializes in treating
Correct answer: The range of services the counselor is trained, certified, and legally authorized to provide
Scope of practice defines the boundaries of professional activity based on education, training, and certification.
Question 5: When a minor client is enrolled in SUD treatment, confidentiality disclosures to parents should be guided by:
- Automatic full disclosure to all guardians at every session
- State law, the minor's best interest, and, where applicable, 42 CFR Part 2 requirements (Correct answer)
- The parent's financial responsibility for treatment
- The counselor's personal judgment without legal reference
Correct answer: State law, the minor's best interest, and, where applicable, 42 CFR Part 2 requirements
Disclosures involving minors must balance parental rights with state law and federal SUD confidentiality regulations.
Question 6: A counselor discovers they share a mutual friend with a new client on social media. The most ethical action is to:
- Accept the friend connection to demonstrate openness
- Discuss the overlap with a supervisor and establish clear boundary protocols with the client (Correct answer)
- Block the client on social media immediately without discussion
- Ignore the connection since it is not a clinical relationship
Correct answer: Discuss the overlap with a supervisor and establish clear boundary protocols with the client
Overlapping social networks require supervisory consultation and explicit boundary-setting to prevent dual-relationship complications.
Question 7: Terminating services with a client who still needs care without providing referrals is considered:
- Acceptable if the client missed multiple appointments
- Abandonment, which is an ethical violation (Correct answer)
- Standard practice in community-based settings
- Appropriate when insurance coverage ends
Correct answer: Abandonment, which is an ethical violation
Abandonment occurs when a counselor ends services without ensuring continuity of care, which is a serious ethical violation.
CAADE Ethical Practice 4
A client who is court-ordered into treatment tells the counselor they are only attending to satisfy the court and have no desire to change.
The ethical response is to: