NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Professional Practice and Ethics 3

Question 1

A counselor working in a community mental health center learns that a colleague is billing Medicaid for sessions that were never provided. The most appropriate first step is to:

Accepted Answer

Consult with a supervisor or ethics committee before taking action

Answer

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

Answer

Report the fraud to the state licensing board and Medicaid immediately

Answer

Document the observations and wait to see if the behavior continues

Question 2

Under the ACA Code of Ethics, when a counselor terminates services with a client who still has ongoing needs, the counselor MUST:

Accepted Answer

Provide the client with a list of alternative referrals

Answer

Continue seeing the client until they find a new provider

Answer

Obtain written consent from the client agreeing to termination

Answer

Notify the client's insurance company of the termination

Question 3

A school counselor is subpoenaed to testify about a student's counseling records. The MOST appropriate initial action is to:

Accepted Answer

Consult with an attorney before releasing any information

Answer

Provide all records to the court as required by the subpoena

Answer

Contact the student's parents to obtain consent before complying

Answer

Refuse to comply citing privileged communication

Question 4

According to HIPAA, a mental health counselor in private practice must provide clients with a Notice of Privacy Practices:

Accepted Answer

At the time of first service delivery or upon request

Answer

Only upon written request from the client

Answer

Annually regardless of when services began

Answer

Only when treatment involves insurance billing

Question 5

A counselor has an unexpected romantic attraction to a current client. The most ethical course of action is to:

Accepted Answer

Consult with a supervisor or trusted colleague and seek personal therapy

Answer

Immediately terminate services and pursue the relationship after a 5-year waiting period

Answer

Continue counseling while managing the feelings through personal therapy

Answer

Disclose the attraction to the client to maintain transparency

Question 6

A counselor who uses social media for professional purposes should primarily be concerned with:

Accepted Answer

Maintaining clear boundaries between personal and professional online identities

Answer

Maximizing follower count to expand their professional reach

Answer

Obtaining written consent from all clients before posting any mental health content

Answer

Avoiding social media entirely to prevent ethical complications

Question 7

When providing telehealth counseling services across state lines, a licensed counselor must FIRST ensure:

Accepted Answer

They are licensed in the state where the client is physically located

Answer

The client's insurance covers out-of-state telehealth services

Answer

The platform used is HIPAA-compliant and end-to-end encrypted

Answer

Written informed consent for telehealth has been obtained from the client