DSP Professionalism and Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A person you support asks you to keep a secret that involves a safety risk to themselves. What is the ethical response?
- Keep the secret to maintain trust
- Report it to your supervisor because safety overrides confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Tell the person's family without involving your supervisor
- Ignore it since it may not happen
Correct answer: Report it to your supervisor because safety overrides confidentiality
Safety concerns override confidentiality obligations, and DSPs must report them to a supervisor.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'dignity of risk' in DSP ethics?
- Preventing all risk to ensure safety
- Allowing individuals to take reasonable risks as part of their autonomy (Correct answer)
- Documenting every risk before any activity
- Requiring supervisor approval for all activities
Correct answer: Allowing individuals to take reasonable risks as part of their autonomy
Dignity of risk means respecting individuals' right to make choices that involve reasonable risk, as part of self-determination.
Question 3: A DSP notices a coworker falsifying documentation. The most ethical action is to:
- Confront the coworker publicly
- Ignore it to avoid conflict
- Report it through proper channels such as a supervisor or incident reporting system (Correct answer)
- Fix the documentation yourself
Correct answer: Report it through proper channels such as a supervisor or incident reporting system
Falsified documentation is a serious ethical violation that must be reported through proper organizational channels.
Question 4: When a DSP uses their professional role to gain personal favors or gifts from people they support, this is an example of:
- Boundary crossing
- Dual relationship
- Professional misconduct and abuse of power (Correct answer)
- Reciprocal kindness
Correct answer: Professional misconduct and abuse of power
Accepting gifts or personal favors exploits the power differential and constitutes professional misconduct.
Question 5: Self-advocacy training for people with disabilities is ethically grounded in which core principle?
- Paternalism
- Self-determination (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Duty of care
Correct answer: Self-determination
Self-advocacy training supports self-determination by empowering individuals to speak for themselves and make their own choices.
Question 6: A DSP disagrees with a support plan decision made by the team. The ethical course of action is to:
- Refuse to implement the plan
- Implement the plan while voicing concerns through appropriate professional channels (Correct answer)
- Ask the person supported to demand a change
- Follow only the parts of the plan they agree with
Correct answer: Implement the plan while voicing concerns through appropriate professional channels
DSPs should implement agreed-upon plans while professionally advocating for changes through proper team processes.
Question 7: Which action by a DSP demonstrates a commitment to cultural competence?
- Treating everyone identically regardless of background
- Learning about and respecting the cultural practices of people they support (Correct answer)
- Asking people to adopt mainstream cultural norms
- Avoiding discussion of cultural differences
Correct answer: Learning about and respecting the cultural practices of people they support
Cultural competence requires actively learning about and respecting the cultural backgrounds and practices of individuals supported.
DSP Professionalism and Ethics 2
A person you support asks you to keep a secret that involves a safety risk to themselves.
What is the ethical response?