CAADE Ethical Practice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client's employer calls the counselor requesting information about the client's attendance and progress in treatment. The counselor should:
- Provide a general verbal update to support the client's employment
- Decline to confirm or deny the client's enrollment without a signed consent form (Correct answer)
- Send a written summary since the employer is paying for treatment
- Share only attendance data, not clinical information
Correct answer: Decline to confirm or deny the client's enrollment without a signed consent form
Under 42 CFR Part 2 and HIPAA, the counselor cannot confirm or deny enrollment without specific written client consent.
Question 2: Which statement best reflects ethical use of social media by a CAADE-certified professional?
- Posting anonymized case vignettes is always permissible
- Maintaining a strict boundary between professional and personal online presence and never interacting with clients online (Correct answer)
- Accepting client follow requests to build a supportive online community
- Using social media to coordinate after-hours client support
Correct answer: Maintaining a strict boundary between professional and personal online presence and never interacting with clients online
Ethical social media use requires maintaining professional boundaries and avoiding any online interaction with clients.
Question 3: Continuing education requirements for CAADE-certified professionals are primarily intended to:
- Generate revenue for certification bodies
- Ensure counselors maintain and expand competence to protect client welfare (Correct answer)
- Satisfy insurance billing requirements
- Provide networking opportunities with other professionals
Correct answer: Ensure counselors maintain and expand competence to protect client welfare
Continuing education is an ethical obligation ensuring counselors remain current with evolving best practices to serve clients effectively.
Question 4: A counselor who holds strong personal views against medication-assisted treatment (MAT) should:
- Share those views openly to educate clients
- Provide accurate information about MAT options and refer clients who may benefit, regardless of personal bias (Correct answer)
- Avoid working with clients who use MAT
- Discourage MAT use without mentioning it as an option
Correct answer: Provide accurate information about MAT options and refer clients who may benefit, regardless of personal bias
Ethical counselors must present all evidence-based treatment options and prioritize client welfare over personal beliefs.
Question 5: An ethics complaint is filed against a CAADE-certified counselor. During the investigation, the counselor's most appropriate action is to:
- Contact the complaining client directly to resolve the issue
- Cooperate fully with the investigation process and seek legal or professional consultation (Correct answer)
- Resign the certification to avoid the process
- Publicly dispute the complaint on professional forums
Correct answer: Cooperate fully with the investigation process and seek legal or professional consultation
Cooperating with ethics investigations and seeking professional guidance is the appropriate and required ethical response.
Question 6: The ethical principle of justice in addiction counseling primarily means:
- Ensuring clients face consequences for relapse
- Providing fair, equitable access to services without discrimination (Correct answer)
- Applying the same treatment protocol to every client
- Prioritizing clients who are most likely to succeed
Correct answer: Providing fair, equitable access to services without discrimination
Justice requires that services be accessible and delivered equitably, free from discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or other factors.
Question 7: A client expresses romantic feelings toward their counselor. The most ethical response is to:
- Explore the feelings in depth to determine if they are therapeutically relevant
- Acknowledge the disclosure professionally, maintain clear boundaries, and address the therapeutic relationship (Correct answer)
- Immediately transfer the client to another counselor without explanation
- Reciprocate to validate the client's emotions
Correct answer: Acknowledge the disclosure professionally, maintain clear boundaries, and address the therapeutic relationship
The counselor must respond professionally, reinforce boundaries, and use the disclosure therapeutically without transferring or reciprocating.
CAADE Ethical Practice 5
A client's employer calls the counselor requesting information about the client's attendance and progress in treatment.
The counselor should: