CRC Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A rehabilitation counselor working in a correctional facility is pressured by administration to share client disclosures with prison staff. Ethically, the counselor should:
- Comply fully since the institution employs them
- Disclose only information relevant to institutional security within the limits of informed consent agreements (Correct answer)
- Refuse any disclosure regardless of safety concerns
- Resign rather than face the ethical dilemma
Correct answer: Disclose only information relevant to institutional security within the limits of informed consent agreements
CRCs in institutional settings must balance obligations to employers with client confidentiality, disclosing only what is permissible under their informed consent agreements and applicable law.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'fidelity' as an ethical principle in rehabilitation counseling?
- Promoting equal access to services for all clients
- Honoring commitments and being trustworthy in professional relationships (Correct answer)
- Preventing harm to clients through careful intervention
- Respecting clients' right to make their own choices
Correct answer: Honoring commitments and being trustworthy in professional relationships
Fidelity refers to being faithful to professional commitments, keeping promises, and maintaining trustworthiness in relationships with clients.
Question 3: A client from a different cultural background declines a rehabilitation goal that the counselor believes is clearly in the client's best interest. The counselor should:
- Override the client's decision for their own benefit
- Respect the client's decision while ensuring they have complete information (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a counselor from the same cultural background
- Document the refusal and continue pressing for the goal
Correct answer: Respect the client's decision while ensuring they have complete information
Cultural competence requires counselors to respect clients' culturally-influenced decisions while ensuring clients are fully informed about consequences.
Question 4: When a rehabilitation counselor has a personal values conflict with a client's chosen lifestyle, the most ethical response is to:
- Refer the client immediately to avoid bias
- Examine the potential impact on services and seek supervision if the conflict may impair effectiveness (Correct answer)
- Disclose personal values to the client to be transparent
- Continue services without acknowledgment to maintain professionalism
Correct answer: Examine the potential impact on services and seek supervision if the conflict may impair effectiveness
The CRC Code requires counselors to recognize when personal values may affect their work and to seek consultation or supervision to ensure clients receive unbiased service.
Question 5: A CRC who suspects a colleague is impaired by substance use should first:
- Report the colleague directly to the licensing board
- Attempt to address the concern with the colleague directly if appropriate, then follow established reporting procedures (Correct answer)
- Ignore the situation as it is not the counselor's responsibility
- Notify all shared clients about the potential impairment
Correct answer: Attempt to address the concern with the colleague directly if appropriate, then follow established reporting procedures
The CRC Code encourages counselors to address colleague impairment through direct consultation first, then through formal channels if the issue persists.
Question 6: Which scenario represents a violation of the beneficence principle in rehabilitation counseling?
- A counselor advocates for additional services the client needs
- A counselor withholds a job opportunity from a client to avoid what the counselor sees as potential failure (Correct answer)
- A counselor involves the client's family with the client's consent
- A counselor provides extra sessions to a client in crisis
Correct answer: A counselor withholds a job opportunity from a client to avoid what the counselor sees as potential failure
Beneficence means actively promoting client welfare; withholding opportunities paternalistically violates this principle and also violates client autonomy.
Question 7: Electronic communication with clients (email, text, telehealth) requires rehabilitation counselors to:
- Avoid these modalities entirely due to confidentiality risks
- Use the same ethical standards as face-to-face services while taking additional precautions for security and privacy (Correct answer)
- Obtain special licensure before using any electronic communication
- Only communicate electronically through agency-approved platforms, not with any additional ethical considerations
Correct answer: Use the same ethical standards as face-to-face services while taking additional precautions for security and privacy
The CRC Code extends all standard ethical obligations to electronic communication, with additional responsibilities to ensure security, privacy, and appropriate use of technology.
CRC Ethics 3
A rehabilitation counselor working in a correctional facility is pressured by administration to share client disclosures with prison staff.
Ethically, the counselor should: