Ethics & Professionalism Flashcards
7 cards from real CBHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professionalism flashcards as text
A BHT observes a client in visible distress after another staff member's interaction. Ethically, the BHT should:
Answer: Check in with the client, document the observation, and report it to the supervisor
BHTs are obligated to advocate for client welfare by attending to distress, documenting observations, and escalating concerns through proper reporting channels.
A BHT discovers that a client's treatment goals have not been updated in over six months despite significant progress. The ethical action is to:
Answer: Bring the concern to the supervising clinician for a treatment plan review
Treatment plans must be regularly reviewed and updated; the BHT should flag outdated goals to the supervising clinician rather than modify them independently.
A BHT who feels personally attracted to a client should:
Answer: Disclose the feelings to the supervisor and request reassignment if necessary
Personal attraction to a client is a boundary risk that must be disclosed to a supervisor; reassignment protects both the client and the BHT.
Which of the following is NOT a permissible mandatory reporting scenario for a BHT?
Answer: A client confiding they smoke marijuana recreationally
Recreational drug use by a competent adult client is generally not a mandated reporting trigger unless it involves a minor or imminent danger.
The ethical principle of 'nonmaleficence' in behavioral health practice means the BHT must:
Answer: Avoid actions that could cause harm to the client
Nonmaleficence means 'do no harm,' requiring BHTs to avoid practices or behaviors that could injure clients physically, emotionally, or socially.
A client refuses a recommended intervention. According to ethical guidelines, the BHT should:
Answer: Respect the refusal, document it, and inform the supervising clinician
Client autonomy includes the right to refuse treatment; the BHT must respect refusals, document them, and communicate them to the supervising clinician.
When a BHT uses physical restraint, documentation of the incident should include:
Answer: The precipitating behaviors, type of restraint, duration, client's response, and staff involved
Thorough restraint documentation is legally and ethically required and must capture the full context including antecedents, type, duration, and client response.