CPSS Ethical Practice 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In North Carolina, a peer support specialist is mandatory reporter if they have reasonable suspicion of:
- A person missing multiple program appointments
- Abuse or neglect of a child or disabled adult (Correct answer)
- A person engaging in behaviors inconsistent with their recovery plan
- Substance use relapse during the recovery process
Correct answer: Abuse or neglect of a child or disabled adult
NC law requires mandatory reporting of suspected abuse or neglect of vulnerable populations such as children and disabled adults.
Question 2: Cultural humility in peer support practice means:
- Assuming people from similar cultural backgrounds have identical experiences
- Continuously reflecting on and challenging one's own cultural biases and assumptions (Correct answer)
- Avoiding discussing cultural topics to prevent misunderstanding
- Becoming an expert in every culture represented in your caseload
Correct answer: Continuously reflecting on and challenging one's own cultural biases and assumptions
Cultural humility is an ongoing process of self-reflection and learning rather than claiming expertise in any culture.
Question 3: A peer support specialist has a financial stake in a housing program they frequently recommend to the people they support. This represents:
- An efficient referral system that benefits everyone involved
- A conflict of interest that must be disclosed to a supervisor (Correct answer)
- An acceptable practice if the housing program is high quality
- A dual relationship only if the person later becomes a tenant
Correct answer: A conflict of interest that must be disclosed to a supervisor
A financial stake in a referral creates a conflict of interest that must be disclosed to maintain ethical transparency.
Question 4: When a peer specialist uses language like 'addict' or 'crazy' to describe persons in recovery, this primarily violates the ethical principle of:
- Confidentiality
- Scope of practice
- Dignity and respect for persons (Correct answer)
- Mandatory reporting obligations
Correct answer: Dignity and respect for persons
Using stigmatizing language violates the ethical principle of treating all persons with dignity and respect.
Question 5: A peer specialist is asked to falsify documentation to help a person qualify for a benefit they technically do not qualify for. The ethical response is to:
- Comply if the person truly needs the benefit
- Refuse and explain that falsifying records is dishonest and violates professional ethics (Correct answer)
- Check with the supervisor before deciding
- Alter the documentation but note the discrepancy privately
Correct answer: Refuse and explain that falsifying records is dishonest and violates professional ethics
Falsifying records is unethical and potentially illegal regardless of the perceived benefit to the person being supported.
Question 6: Which situation most clearly requires a peer specialist to break confidentiality without the person's consent?
- The person discloses past childhood trauma they have never told anyone
- The person expresses a specific, credible plan to harm an identified third party (Correct answer)
- The person reveals they have used substances in the past week
- The person discloses they are unhappy with their current housing situation
Correct answer: The person expresses a specific, credible plan to harm an identified third party
A specific and credible threat to an identifiable third party triggers the duty to warn, which overrides normal confidentiality.
Question 7: A peer specialist from a different racial background is supporting a person who makes a racially insensitive comment. The most ethical response is to:
- Ignore the comment to avoid creating conflict in the relationship
- End the session immediately and report the person to the supervisor
- Gently address the comment and explore the person's attitudes in a non-judgmental way (Correct answer)
- Agree with the comment to maintain rapport
Correct answer: Gently address the comment and explore the person's attitudes in a non-judgmental way
Gently addressing bias while remaining non-judgmental upholds both the peer specialist's dignity and the therapeutic relationship.
CPSS Ethical Practice 4
In North Carolina, a peer support specialist is mandatory reporter if they have reasonable suspicion of: