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 with opioid use disorder requests access to their own treatment records. Under HIPAA, the counselor should:
Answer: Grant access within 30 days unless a specific exception applies
HIPAA grants clients the right to access their own protected health information, typically within 30 days of the request.
Which situation requires mandatory reporting regardless of client confidentiality protections?
Answer: A client discloses ongoing physical abuse of their 8-year-old child
Active child abuse is a mandatory reporting situation in all US states and supersedes confidentiality obligations.
A counselor is offered a paid referral fee by a residential treatment facility for every client they send. Accepting this fee would violate which ethical standard?
Answer: Prohibition on fee-splitting and kickbacks
Fee-splitting and kickbacks are prohibited because they create financial incentives that can compromise client welfare and referral integrity.
When terminating services with a client who still has ongoing treatment needs, the counselor's ethical obligation includes:
Answer: Providing referrals and continuity of care planning before termination
Ethical termination requires providing appropriate referrals and ensuring continuity of care so clients are not abandoned.
A counselor suspects a client may be suicidal but the client denies any intent. The MOST ethical and clinically appropriate action is to:
Answer: Conduct a thorough suicide risk assessment and document the findings
A structured risk assessment with thorough documentation is required when suicidality is suspected, regardless of the client's denial.
Which practice MOST clearly violates the ethical standard of professional competence in addiction counseling?
Answer: Treating adolescent clients without specialized training in adolescent addiction
Practicing outside one's scope of competence—such as treating adolescents without specialized training—violates ethical standards and risks client harm.
A client asks their addiction counselor for a hug at the end of each session. The counselor's BEST response is to:
Answer: Explore the meaning of the request within the therapeutic context
Exploring the meaning of physical contact requests is clinically and ethically appropriate and preserves professional boundaries.