CCM Ethical Principles and Conduct 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A case manager realizes mid-engagement that a new client is a former intimate partner. The MOST appropriate action is to:
- Continue services because professional objectivity can be maintained
- Disclose the relationship to the client and transfer care to another case manager (Correct answer)
- Keep the relationship private and document only clinical information
- Seek informal advice from a coworker before deciding
Correct answer: Disclose the relationship to the client and transfer care to another case manager
Prior personal relationships create a dual relationship risk, requiring disclosure and transfer to protect the client's interests.
Question 2: Which action BEST demonstrates a case manager's commitment to cultural humility?
- Applying the same evidence-based protocol uniformly to all clients
- Acknowledging personal biases and continuously learning about clients' cultural contexts (Correct answer)
- Referring all clients from other cultures to culturally matched providers
- Translating all educational materials into the client's language
Correct answer: Acknowledging personal biases and continuously learning about clients' cultural contexts
Cultural humility involves ongoing self-reflection about one's own biases and a commitment to understanding each client's unique cultural background.
Question 3: A managed care organization instructs case managers to limit referrals to in-network providers even when an out-of-network specialist is clearly superior for a client's condition. This situation represents:
- Standard utilization management practice with no ethical concern
- A potential conflict between organizational policy and client advocacy (Correct answer)
- A violation of the case manager's scope of practice
- An example of fair resource allocation
Correct answer: A potential conflict between organizational policy and client advocacy
Organizational cost-containment directives that limit client access to optimal care create an ethical tension between employer loyalty and client advocacy.
Question 4: Informed consent in case management is BEST described as:
- A one-time signature obtained at the start of services
- An ongoing process of providing information and obtaining voluntary agreement (Correct answer)
- Authorization required only for surgical procedures
- A legal document that eliminates the case manager's liability
Correct answer: An ongoing process of providing information and obtaining voluntary agreement
Informed consent is a dynamic process that continues throughout the care relationship, not a single administrative event.
Question 5: A case manager is offered a gift by a grateful client's family. According to ethical standards, the case manager should:
- Accept the gift to avoid offending the family
- Accept only gifts valued under $25 as permitted by professional standards
- Decline the gift and explain the professional boundaries around gift acceptance (Correct answer)
- Report the offer to a supervisor before making any decision
Correct answer: Decline the gift and explain the professional boundaries around gift acceptance
Accepting gifts from clients can compromise professional objectivity and is generally discouraged by case management ethical codes.
Question 6: A case manager suspects a client is a victim of domestic violence but the client denies it. The MOST ethical next step is to:
- Immediately contact law enforcement without the client's knowledge
- Document suspicions, provide information about resources, and reassess at each visit (Correct answer)
- Discharge the client for withholding information
- Confront the suspected abuser directly
Correct answer: Document suspicions, provide information about resources, and reassess at each visit
Case managers should document concerns, educate clients about available resources, and build trust through ongoing assessment rather than taking unilateral action.
Question 7: The CCMC Code of Professional Conduct requires case managers to maintain competence primarily by:
- Limiting practice to areas where they initially trained
- Engaging in ongoing education and professional development (Correct answer)
- Consulting with physicians before making any care decisions
- Obtaining re-certification every five years only
Correct answer: Engaging in ongoing education and professional development
The CCMC Code requires case managers to commit to lifelong learning to maintain and expand their professional competence.
CCM Ethical Principles and Conduct 4
A case manager realizes mid-engagement that a new client is a former intimate partner.
The MOST appropriate action is to: