Chemical Dependency Counselor License Exam Introduction 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a primary prevention strategy for substance use disorders?
- Offering medication-assisted treatment to individuals with opioid use disorder
- Teaching middle school students refusal skills before drug use begins (Correct answer)
- Providing relapse prevention counseling to people in early recovery
- Screening hospitalized patients for alcohol use disorder
Correct answer: Teaching middle school students refusal skills before drug use begins
Primary prevention targets populations before a problem develops, such as school-based education programs that teach drug refusal skills to youth.
Question 2: Under 42 CFR Part 2, which of the following disclosures requires written patient consent?
- Sharing records with another substance use disorder treatment provider (Correct answer)
- Reporting a communicable disease to a public health authority
- Disclosing information in a medical emergency
- Providing information to auditors of the program
Correct answer: Sharing records with another substance use disorder treatment provider
42 CFR Part 2 requires patient written consent to share records with another substance use disorder treatment provider, even another healthcare provider.
Question 3: The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) definition of addiction emphasizes that it is:
- A choice and lifestyle decision
- A primary, chronic brain disorder (Correct answer)
- A symptom of underlying moral failure
- A temporary behavioral pattern
Correct answer: A primary, chronic brain disorder
ASAM defines addiction as a primary, chronic disorder of brain reward, motivation, memory, and related circuitry, not a moral failing or lifestyle choice.
Question 4: When a counselor suspects a client is in immediate danger of harming themselves, the ethical obligation that overrides confidentiality is known as:
- Duty to warn
- Duty to protect (Correct answer)
- Mandatory reporting
- Privileged communication
Correct answer: Duty to protect
The duty to protect requires a counselor to take steps to protect a client (or identified third party) when there is imminent risk of serious harm, which can override confidentiality.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'motivational interviewing' as a counseling approach for substance use disorders?
- A confrontational technique to break through client denial
- A client-centered method that evokes the client's own motivation for change (Correct answer)
- A structured 12-step facilitation approach
- A cognitive-behavioral technique for identifying distorted thoughts
Correct answer: A client-centered method that evokes the client's own motivation for change
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, client-centered approach developed by Miller and Rollnick that elicits and strengthens a client's intrinsic motivation for change.
Question 6: The 'disease model' of addiction primarily holds that substance use disorders are:
- Caused by traumatic childhood experiences exclusively
- Chronic conditions with genetic, neurological, and environmental components (Correct answer)
- Always curable through spiritual intervention
- The result of character defects that can be overcome through willpower
Correct answer: Chronic conditions with genetic, neurological, and environmental components
The disease model conceptualizes addiction as a chronic condition influenced by genetics, brain chemistry, and environment that requires professional treatment.
Question 7: In chemical dependency counseling, a 'genogram' is a tool used to:
- Map a client's genetic test results
- Visually represent family relationships and patterns of substance use across generations (Correct answer)
- Track a client's urine drug screen results over time
- Diagram the neurological effects of a specific drug
Correct answer: Visually represent family relationships and patterns of substance use across generations
A genogram is a visual diagram of a client's family tree that highlights patterns such as intergenerational substance use, mental health issues, and relationship dynamics.
