Ethical and Professional Responsibilities Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethical and Professional Responsibilities flashcards as text
A CASAC counselor discovers that a colleague is romantically involved with a current client. What is the counselor's PRIMARY ethical obligation?
Answer: Report the violation to the appropriate supervisor or ethics board
Dual relationships involving sexual or romantic contact are serious ethical violations that must be reported to supervisory or regulatory authorities.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a CASAC counselor may disclose PHI without client authorization in which situation?
Answer: To respond to a valid court order or subpoena
HIPAA permits disclosure of PHI without authorization when required by a valid legal order such as a court subpoena.
A client tells their CASAC counselor they plan to drive home while heavily intoxicated. The counselor's BEST response is to:
Answer: Attempt to prevent the client from driving and offer safer alternatives
Imminent danger to self or others justifies intervention; counselors should first attempt to prevent harm through least-restrictive means.
Which ethical principle obligates a CASAC counselor to keep promises and honor commitments made to clients?
Answer: Fidelity
Fidelity refers to the duty to be honest, keep commitments, and build trustworthy therapeutic relationships.
A CASAC counselor working in private practice wants to advertise their services online. Ethically, the advertisement MUST:
Answer: Be accurate and not make false or misleading claims
Ethical advertising requires truthful, non-deceptive representations and prohibits guarantees of outcomes or misleading statements.
When a minor client's parent requests access to all session notes, the counselor should FIRST:
Answer: Consult applicable state law and agency policy on minor confidentiality
Minor confidentiality rights vary by state and by the type of treatment; the counselor must review applicable law and policy before acting.
A CASAC counselor who realizes they lack the competence to treat a client's co-occurring eating disorder should:
Answer: Refer the client to a qualified professional and coordinate care
Ethical practice requires counselors to work within their scope of competence and refer clients when specialized expertise is needed.