Ethical Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real MAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethical Practice flashcards as text
A client in a methadone maintenance program tells their counselor they are driving a school bus while impaired. What is the counselor's PRIMARY ethical obligation?
Answer: Warn identifiable third parties who are at risk of serious harm
The duty to warn overrides confidentiality when there is serious, imminent, and foreseeable danger to identifiable third parties.
Which ethical principle requires a counselor to keep client information private and disclose it only with consent or legal authority?
Answer: Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the ethical obligation to protect client information from unauthorized disclosure.
An addiction counselor is asked to provide expert testimony against a former client in a malpractice lawsuit. The MOST appropriate action is to:
Answer: Testify only if a court order or client consent is obtained
Confidentiality extends beyond termination of treatment and requires a court order or written client consent before disclosure.
A counselor discovers that a colleague is having a sexual relationship with a current client. The FIRST step should be:
Answer: Confront the colleague directly and document the conversation
Most ethical codes recommend addressing the issue directly with the colleague first, then escalating through proper channels if unresolved.
Under 42 CFR Part 2, a substance use disorder treatment program may disclose client records WITHOUT client consent in which situation?
Answer: A medical emergency threatens the client's life
42 CFR Part 2 permits disclosure without consent in bona fide medical emergencies to medical personnel.
Which scenario BEST illustrates a boundary violation rather than a boundary crossing in addiction counseling?
Answer: Entering a business partnership with a current client
A business partnership with a current client creates a dual relationship that exploits the counselor's position of trust and constitutes a boundary violation.
A counselor who routinely imposes their own values about abstinence on clients who express a harm-reduction goal is violating which ethical principle?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy requires counselors to respect clients' rights to make their own decisions about their treatment goals.