CBHCM - Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Professional Ethics and Responsibilities Questions and Answers

Question 1

A client offers a behavioral health case manager a small, handmade scarf as a thank you gift for helping them secure stable housing. What is the MOST ethical response from the case manager?

Accepted Answer

Politely decline the gift, while explaining agency policy and the importance of professional boundaries.

Answer

The most ethical response is to politely decline the gift while explaining the professional and agency guidelines that prohibit accepting gifts. This action upholds clear professional boundaries, prevents potential conflicts of interest or the appearance of a dual relationship, and educates the client on the nature of the case manager-client relationship.

Question 2

Under which of the following circumstances is a behavioral health case manager ethically and legally OBLIGATED to breach client confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

The client makes a specific, credible threat to inflict serious harm upon an identifiable person.

Answer

The "duty to warn" or "duty to protect," established in the Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California case, is a critical exception to confidentiality. When a client makes a specific and credible threat against an identifiable person, the case manager has a legal and ethical obligation to take steps to protect the potential victim, which includes breaching confidentiality by notifying the potential victim and/or law enforcement.

Question 3

Which of the following represents a BEST practice for ethical and effective documentation in a client's behavioral health record?

Accepted Answer

Documenting all client contacts, interventions, and progress toward goals in a timely and objective manner.

Answer

Best practices in clinical documentation require that notes be timely, objective, factual, and behaviorally specific. Documenting all contacts and interventions promptly ensures the record is accurate, provides a clear history for continuity of care, meets legal and agency standards, and supports billing claims.

Question 4

A case manager is assigned a new client and, during the intake process, discovers the client is their sibling's spouse. What is the case manager's most appropriate initial action?

Accepted Answer

Immediately inform their supervisor of the dual relationship and request the client be reassigned.

Answer

This situation represents a dual relationship, which creates a significant conflict of interest and can impair the case manager's objectivity and professional judgment. The most ethical action is to immediately notify a supervisor, disclose the nature of the relationship, and request that the client be reassigned to another case manager to ensure the client receives unbiased care and to protect all parties involved.

Question 5

The ethical principle of client self-determination is best demonstrated when a case manager:

Accepted Answer

Supports the client's decision to pursue a specific goal, even if the case manager foresees potential challenges.

Answer

Client self-determination is a core ethical value that respects the client's right to make their own decisions about their life and treatment. A case manager demonstrates this principle by acting as a partner and resource, empowering the client and supporting their chosen goals, rather than directing their care. This holds true even when the case manager might see difficulties with the client's chosen path.

(CBHCM) Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Practice Test

(CBHCM) Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Practice Test

CBHCM - Certified Behavioral Health Case Manager Professional Ethics and Responsibilities Questions and Answers