Ethical Considerations in Childhood Trauma Flashcards

A trauma consultant is offered a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful parent. The most ethical response is to:

Answer: Decline respectfully and explain the professional boundary around gifts

Accepting gifts of significant value risks compromising professional objectivity and violates typical ethical codes; declining respectfully preserves the therapeutic boundary.

The ethical concept of 'do no harm' in childhood trauma work specifically cautions against:

Answer: Re-traumatizing children through poorly conducted assessments or invasive questioning techniques

Non-maleficence in trauma work particularly requires avoiding practices—such as suggestive or overly invasive questioning—that can re-traumatize or harm the child.

A consultant realizes mid-treatment that a child's trauma presentation exceeds their clinical competence. The ethical action is to:

Answer: Seek additional supervision, pursue training, or refer the child to a more qualified specialist

Recognizing and acting on the limits of competence—through supervision, training, or referral—protects the child and upholds professional ethics.

Which scenario represents an appropriate use of consultation in childhood trauma practice?

Answer: Presenting a de-identified case to a clinical peer group to improve treatment planning

De-identified case consultation with peers is an ethically appropriate method that protects confidentiality while improving clinical decision-making.

When a trauma consultant suspects their own unconscious bias is affecting their assessment of a child of color, they should:

Answer: Engage in reflective supervision, seek training on implicit bias, and critically review the assessment

Addressing unconscious bias requires self-reflection, supervision, and ongoing education rather than avoidance or rationalization.

A parent withdraws their child from trauma therapy before treatment goals are met. The clinician's ethical obligation is to:

Answer: Provide termination resources, document the withdrawal, and offer re-engagement options without coercion

Ethical termination includes providing resources, documenting the withdrawal, and leaving the door open for re-engagement while fully respecting the family's autonomy.

Scope of practice in childhood trauma consultation is BEST defined as:

Answer: The range of services a clinician is qualified to provide based on education, training, supervised experience, and licensure

Scope of practice is determined by formal education, specialized training, supervised experience, and licensure requirements—not confidence, client requests, or employer policy alone.