LMSW Professional Values and Ethics Questions and Answers Flashcards
7 cards from real LMSW practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 LMSW Professional Values and Ethics Questions and Answers flashcards as text
A social worker discovers that a colleague is billing Medicaid for sessions that never occurred. What is the MOST appropriate first step?
Answer: Confront the colleague privately and give them a chance to self-report
NASW Code of Ethics encourages addressing colleague misconduct through direct communication first, before escalating to formal channels.
Which ethical principle is MOST at stake when a social worker avoids imposing personal religious values on a client's reproductive decisions?
Answer: Self-determination
Self-determination respects the client's right to make their own choices free from the worker's personal or religious values.
A client threatens to harm a specific, identifiable person. Under the Tarasoff duty-to-protect standard, the social worker MUST:
Answer: Warn the potential victim and notify law enforcement
The Tarasoff ruling established that clinicians have a legal duty to warn identifiable third parties when a client poses a credible, specific threat.
A newly licensed social worker is asked by her supervisor to provide therapy services she has not been trained in. The ethical response is to:
Answer: Decline and explain she lacks competence in that area
NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to practice only within the boundaries of their competence.
When a social worker accepts a small gift from a grateful client at the end of treatment, the PRIMARY ethical concern is:
Answer: Boundary violations and exploitation of the professional relationship
Accepting gifts, even small ones, can compromise professional boundaries and exploit the power differential inherent in the therapeutic relationship.
A social worker in private practice wants to terminate services with a client who has repeatedly missed appointments. Which action is ethically required?
Answer: Provide adequate notice and referrals to ensure continuity of care
Ethical termination requires appropriate notice and referrals to prevent client abandonment and ensure continuity of care.
Which scenario BEST illustrates a conflict of interest for a social worker?
Answer: Treating a close friend's spouse as a clinical client
Treating a close friend's spouse creates a dual relationship that impairs objectivity and constitutes a conflict of interest.