CRS Ethical & Legal Considerations in Recovery 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A peer explicitly states they do not want their family involved in their recovery plan. A family member calls requesting an update. What should the specialist do?
- Share basic information to keep the family informed and supportive
- Decline to confirm or deny the peer is receiving services without their consent (Correct answer)
- Ask the family member to submit a written request before deciding
- Provide general information that does not identify specific treatment details
Correct answer: Decline to confirm or deny the peer is receiving services without their consent
Without a signed release, the specialist cannot even confirm that the peer is receiving services, honoring confidentiality and the peer's expressed wishes.
Question 2: What is the PRIMARY purpose of professional supervision for recovery specialists?
- To evaluate job performance for termination decisions
- To provide guidance, ensure ethical practice, and support professional growth (Correct answer)
- To monitor peers' progress and adjust service plans
- To reduce the organization's legal liability in case of complaints
Correct answer: To provide guidance, ensure ethical practice, and support professional growth
Supervision provides oversight, mentorship, and support that helps recovery specialists maintain ethical standards and develop their professional competence.
Question 3: Which scenario represents a VIOLATION of the justice principle in recovery services?
- Providing more intensive services to peers with greater needs
- Denying services to a peer based on their racial or ethnic background (Correct answer)
- Prioritizing peers who have been waiting longest for services
- Offering sliding-scale fees to make services accessible
Correct answer: Denying services to a peer based on their racial or ethnic background
Justice requires fair and equitable treatment; denying services based on race or ethnicity is discriminatory and violates this core ethical principle.
Question 4: A recovery specialist who is also in recovery shares personal stories frequently to build rapport. What ethical risk does this create?
- It violates 42 CFR Part 2 disclosure rules
- It risks shifting the focus from the peer's needs to the specialist's experiences (Correct answer)
- It creates a dual relationship that must be reported to a licensing board
- It constitutes a breach of mandatory reporting requirements
Correct answer: It risks shifting the focus from the peer's needs to the specialist's experiences
Excessive self-disclosure can shift the session's focus away from the peer's needs, which compromises the professional relationship and the quality of support provided.
Question 5: A peer in recovery is court-ordered to attend services. How should a recovery specialist approach this peer's engagement?
- Treat mandated peers differently since their motivation is external
- Engage them with the same respect and person-centered approach as all peers (Correct answer)
- Prioritize reporting compliance over building a therapeutic alliance
- Limit the scope of services since the peer did not choose to attend voluntarily
Correct answer: Engage them with the same respect and person-centered approach as all peers
Ethical practice requires person-centered, respectful engagement with all peers regardless of how they entered services, as motivation can develop over time.
Question 6: A recovery specialist discovers that documentation they submitted contains an error that could negatively affect a peer. What is the ethical course of action?
- Leave the record unchanged to avoid drawing attention to the mistake
- Correct the record with a dated addendum and notify appropriate supervisors (Correct answer)
- Delete the original entry and replace it without noting the correction
- Only correct the error if the peer specifically requests it
Correct answer: Correct the record with a dated addendum and notify appropriate supervisors
Ethical documentation practice requires correcting errors through a transparent dated addendum and notifying supervisors, not altering or concealing the original entry.
Question 7: Which concept describes a recovery specialist's obligation to keep promises and maintain honesty with peers over time?
- Beneficence
- Fidelity (Correct answer)
- Veracity only
- Paternalism
Correct answer: Fidelity
Fidelity refers to the ethical duty to be trustworthy, loyal, and honest in professional relationships, ensuring peers can rely on the specialist's commitments.
CRS Ethical & Legal Considerations in Recovery 5
A peer explicitly states they do not want their family involved in their recovery plan.
A family member calls requesting an update.
What should the specialist do?