CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Ultimate 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor who frequently shares personal recovery stories with clients to build rapport may be crossing which type of boundary?
- Physical boundary
- Financial boundary
- Self-disclosure boundary (Correct answer)
- Scope of practice boundary
Correct answer: Self-disclosure boundary
Excessive self-disclosure shifts focus from the client to the counselor and can blur the therapeutic relationship.
Question 2: Which assessment tool uses a four-question screen specifically designed to detect hazardous and harmful alcohol use?
- ASI (Addiction Severity Index)
- CAGE Questionnaire (Correct answer)
- PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist)
- PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire)
Correct answer: CAGE Questionnaire
The CAGE Questionnaire uses four questions (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener) to screen for alcohol use problems.
Question 3: In the context of addiction counseling, 'motivational enhancement therapy' (MET) is MOST aligned with which therapeutic approach?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing principles (Correct answer)
- 12-Step Facilitation
Correct answer: Motivational Interviewing principles
MET is based on Motivational Interviewing principles and uses client feedback and empathic counseling to strengthen intrinsic motivation for change.
Question 4: A counselor suspects a client is suicidal but the client denies it. The MOST appropriate next step is to:
- Accept the denial and document that no risk was identified
- Conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment using a validated tool (Correct answer)
- Immediately hospitalize the client without further assessment
- Consult a supervisor after the session ends the following week
Correct answer: Conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment using a validated tool
A validated suicide risk assessment provides structured information to determine level of risk and appropriate intervention, even when the client denies ideation.
Question 5: According to social learning theory, which factor MOST influences an individual's likelihood of developing a substance use disorder?
- Genetic predisposition alone
- Observational learning from peers and modeling of substance use behaviors (Correct answer)
- Unconscious conflicts from childhood
- Neurochemical imbalances in isolation
Correct answer: Observational learning from peers and modeling of substance use behaviors
Social learning theory, associated with Bandura, emphasizes that substance use is often learned through observation and reinforcement from peers and family.
Question 6: Which principle of the therapeutic relationship is described as the counselor's ability to understand the client's experience from the client's own perspective?
- Unconditional positive regard
- Congruence
- Empathy (Correct answer)
- Genuineness
Correct answer: Empathy
Empathy, as defined by Rogers, is the counselor's accurate understanding of the client's internal frame of reference and communicating that understanding.
Question 7: A client completing residential treatment needs ongoing support in the community. Which level of care MOST appropriately represents step-down aftercare?
- Level 4.0 — Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient
- Level 3.7 — Medically Monitored Intensive Inpatient
- Level 2.1 — Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) (Correct answer)
- Level 0.5 — Early Intervention
Correct answer: Level 2.1 — Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
After residential treatment, a step-down to Intensive Outpatient (Level 2.1) provides structured continued care while the client reintegrates into the community.
CADC Alcohol and Drug Counselor Ultimate 5
A counselor who frequently shares personal recovery stories with clients to build rapport may be crossing which type of boundary?