LMSW LMSW Professional Values and Ethics Questions and Answers 3

Question 1

A social worker discovers that a colleague is billing Medicaid for sessions that never occurred. What is the MOST appropriate first step?

Accepted Answer

Confront the colleague privately and give them a chance to self-report

Answer

NASW Code of Ethics encourages addressing colleague misconduct through direct communication first, before escalating to formal channels.

Question 2

Which ethical principle is MOST at stake when a social worker avoids imposing personal religious values on a client's reproductive decisions?

Accepted Answer

Self-determination

Answer

Self-determination respects the client's right to make their own choices free from the worker's personal or religious values.

Question 3

A client threatens to harm a specific, identifiable person. Under the Tarasoff duty-to-protect standard, the social worker MUST:

Accepted Answer

Warn the potential victim and notify law enforcement

Answer

The Tarasoff ruling established that clinicians have a legal duty to warn identifiable third parties when a client poses a credible, specific threat.

Question 4

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:

Accepted Answer

Decline and explain she lacks competence in that area

Answer

NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to practice only within the boundaries of their competence.

Question 5

When a social worker accepts a small gift from a grateful client at the end of treatment, the PRIMARY ethical concern is:

Accepted Answer

Boundary violations and exploitation of the professional relationship

Answer

Accepting gifts, even small ones, can compromise professional boundaries and exploit the power differential inherent in the therapeutic relationship.

LMSW - Licensed Master Social Worker Practice Test