IC&RC Counseling Strategies & Client Advocacy 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client who has been stable in recovery for six months suddenly loses their job and begins showing signs of depression. The counselor's MOST appropriate response is to:
- Immediately refer the client to inpatient treatment
- Reassess the client's mental health status and update the treatment plan accordingly (Correct answer)
- Tell the client that their reaction is expected and requires no clinical action
- Reduce session frequency to avoid fostering dependency
Correct answer: Reassess the client's mental health status and update the treatment plan accordingly
Life stressors can increase relapse risk, so counselors must reassess and update treatment plans to address new psychosocial challenges.
Question 2: Which ethical principle is MOST directly violated when a counselor shares a client's HIV-positive status with their employer without consent?
- Fidelity
- Confidentiality (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Autonomy
Correct answer: Confidentiality
Disclosing protected health information without client consent violates the ethical and legal principle of confidentiality.
Question 3: A client in recovery expresses interest in volunteering as a peer support specialist. The counselor's BEST response is to:
- Discourage peer work because it may trigger relapse through overexposure
- Support the client's interest and explore how it aligns with their recovery goals and readiness (Correct answer)
- Require the client to complete five years of sobriety first
- Transfer the client to a vocational rehabilitation program immediately
Correct answer: Support the client's interest and explore how it aligns with their recovery goals and readiness
Peer support work can reinforce recovery and provide purpose, and the counselor should collaboratively assess the client's readiness.
Question 4: Which technique would a solution-focused brief therapist (SFBT) use to help a client with substance use disorder identify existing successes?
- Genogram analysis
- The exception question, asking when the problem does not occur (Correct answer)
- EMDR reprocessing
- Functional behavioral analysis
Correct answer: The exception question, asking when the problem does not occur
SFBT uses exception questions to identify times when the problem is absent, helping clients recognize existing strengths and solutions.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of a SMART treatment goal in addiction counseling?
- The client will feel better about their sobriety
- The client will attend three AA meetings per week for the next 30 days (Correct answer)
- The client will improve their relationships over time
- The client will eventually stop using all substances
Correct answer: The client will attend three AA meetings per week for the next 30 days
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—attending three meetings per week for 30 days meets all criteria.
Question 6: A client tells their counselor, 'I've been clean for 60 days and I think I can handle having just one drink at parties.' How should the counselor respond using motivational interviewing principles?
- Firmly warn the client that any use will end their recovery
- Explore the client's thinking with open questions and reflect the potential consequences and benefits they see (Correct answer)
- Agree with the client to support their self-determination
- Immediately consult with a psychiatrist about the client's denial
Correct answer: Explore the client's thinking with open questions and reflect the potential consequences and benefits they see
MI uses open-ended questions and reflections to help clients explore their own ambivalence rather than being told what to do.
Question 7: Which action BEST demonstrates a counselor acting as a systems advocate for their client population?
- Providing individual therapy sessions beyond the allotted time
- Presenting data on treatment gaps to local policymakers to improve access to addiction services (Correct answer)
- Offering sliding-scale fees to reduce client financial burden
- Referring clients to community resources listed in the agency directory
Correct answer: Presenting data on treatment gaps to local policymakers to improve access to addiction services
Systems advocacy involves influencing policies and structures that affect an entire population of clients, such as presenting data to policymakers.
IC&RC Counseling Strategies & Client Advocacy 5
A client who has been stable in recovery for six months suddenly loses their job and begins showing signs of depression.
The counselor's MOST appropriate response is to: