Q&A Hero

Q: All of the following are situations in which it is necessary to consult with colleagues EXCEPT a. when counselors face issues that require them to exercise judgment. b. when there are no clear right or wrong answers. c. when deciding whether to respond to a subpoena. d. when it is possible that clinical decisions will be challenged later. e. when they are not certain whether a client might be suicidal.

Q: Once counselors have disclosed their legal questions to their immediate supervisors and have received a response either from the supervisor or from an attorney who is advising them as to the proper course of action, a. it is essential for counselors to seek a second opinion. b. it is essential for counselors to choose and act on their own choice. c. it is essential for counselors to follow legal advice given to them, even if they do not agree with it. d. it is essential for counselors to follow legal advice given to them, but only if they agree with it. e. it is essential for counselors to ask the ACA Ethics Committee for an opinion.

Q: When attempting to make an ethical decision, it is recommended that counselors take all of the following steps EXCEPT a. tune into their feelings. b. involve the client in the decision making process. c. consider the moral principles. d. consult with an attorney. e. identify desired outcomes.

Q: Counselors who function according to mandatory ethics a. believe that employers should require specific behaviors of counselors they hire b. believe that their duty is to comply with basic "must" and "must not" statements in codes of ethics, and nothing more c. believe counselors should determine what is ethical based on the specific situations in which they find themselves d. would favor ethical standards that use the word "should," instead of the word "must" e. would favor judging the actions of counselors based on the circumstances, rather than on strict rules

Q: At their most fundamental level, codes of ethics serve to a. protect and promote the welfare of the client. b. protect and promote the welfare of the counselor. c. protect and promote the welfare of the profession. d. protect and promote the welfare of the counselor's agency. e. protect and promote the welfare of the client's family unit.

Q: Virtue ethicists believe that a. to determine whether a counselor is ethical, each decision the counselor makes must be carefully weighed b. people exist in connection to and in relationship with one another c. actions speak louder than words d. there are no universal moral principles e. counselors should always be truthful

Q: While principle ethics asks the question, "What should I do?" virtue ethics asks the question, a. "What would an ethical counselor do?" b. "What should counselors who want the follow the law do?" c. "Who should I be?" d. "Who am I?" e. "What does virtue mean?"

Q: From the perspective of principle ethics, a counselor who is counseling a client planning a violent act against another person and who intervenes to notify family members is a. sacrificing client autonomy in order to prevent harm and to do good. b. sacrificing fidelity in order to be truthful. c. sacrificing justice in order to be faithful to promises made. d. sacrificing veracity in order to protect the client's anonymity. e. sacrificing beneficence in order to promote fidelity.

Q: The personal values of counselors a. have no place in the counseling session b. should be completely altruistic c. are influenced by their families of origin and their cultures, among other factors d. are rooted in universal moral principles e. should prevail over ethics when there is a conflict between the counselor's values and the client's behavior

Q: The best statement about the nature of professional ethics in counseling is that a. if counselors study ethical codes and keep current with the professional literature, they can be assured of practicing in an ethical manner. b. in order to practice in an ethical manner, counselors must always be in compliance with federal and state laws. c. because there are few absolute, right answers to ethical practice questions, consultation with counseling colleagues is very important when making ethical decisions. d. because there are few absolute, right answers to ethical practice questions, consultation with lawyers is very important when making ethical decisions. e. the ethical standards have changed very little in the last 50 years, so if counselors learn the rules, they will be able to practice in an ethical manner.

Q: Law and ethics differ in that a. laws dictate minimum standards of behavior that society will tolerate, whereas ethics represent the ideal standards expected by the profession. b. ethics dictate minimum standards of behavior that society will tolerate, whereas laws represent the ideal standards expected by the profession. c. ethics and laws have the same standards. d. laws require that counselors always follow the profession's ethical standards. e. ethics and laws are often in conflict because they are so different from one another.

Q: Why do you think the U.S. Government has required universities and other organizations that conduct research to establish Institutional Review Boards that review research proposals to ensure that human subjects are protected from harm?

Q: Why do you think it is important for master's-level students to understand research?

Q: What is plagiarism and why do you think so many college students get into trouble because they plagiarize?

Q: As a beginning counselor, in what circumstances do you think you might seek consultation? In what circumstances do you think others might come to you for consultation?

Q: What would you do if you believed your clinical supervisor was not competent to provide you with quality supervision services?

Q: How are counseling, supervision, and consultation similar? How are they different from each other?

Q: What kinds of relationships outside the classroom between counselor education professors and students are appropriate?

Q: What do you think you should do if you know that a classmate is struggling and does not seem to be learning the skills, behaviors, and dispositions needed to become a competent counselor?

Q: What kinds of information do prospective students need to receive about a counselor training program so that they can make an informed decision regarding whether to apply?

Q: What kind of help does a counselor need in order to set up a private practice?

Q: What types of interactions and relationships do counselors have to other mental health professionals who practice in their community?

Q: What should counselors tell potential counseling group members to ensure adequate informed consent?

Q: Why do think marriage and family counselors end up embroiled in their clients' lawsuits so often?

Q: How is confidentiality different when counseling couples, families, or groups, as opposed to counseling an individual client?

Q: What is your opinion of laws that make it a crime for a counselor to fail to report cases of suspected abuse of a child, elder, or vulnerable adult?

Q: How can a counselor determine whether an adolescent client's risk-taking behaviors present a sufficiently serious risk for harm to warrant breaching the client's confidentiality?

Q: Students can ensure that they do not commit plagiarism by a. using exact quotes from their sources rather than paraphrasing b. using a website such as turnitincom to check their work before submitting it to the professor c. putting everything into their own words so they don't have to cite sources d. rearranging the order of the words in a sentence written by a source that is being used e. using only sources that anyone can find on the Internet

Q: Why do you think minors under the age of 18 in the United States are not able to assert their legal rights on their own, but instead are required to assert their legal rights in court through their parents or guardians?

Q: When a student and a professor co-author an article for publication in a professional journal a. the student should be listed as the second author, after the professor b. the student and professor should decide on the order of authorship credit before they begin working on the project c. the professor should do most of the work because the professor has more experience with publishing d. the professor should be listed as the first author, with the student second e. the one who contributed the most to producing the article should the first-listed author

Q: Researchers are ethically obligated to a. compensate the participants in their research, either monetarily or by an acknowledgment b. attempt to publish their results c. offer feedback to the participants in the study d. enlist the help of a statistician to interpret the results e. destroy all records that might identify participants as soon as the study is completed

Q: How do you think legal and ethical requirements might come into conflict with each other when counseling minor clients?

Q: What steps do counselors need to take to ensure that counseling records kept electronically are secure and that client privacy is maintained?

Q: Students do NOT have to cite the source for information when the information a. is considered common knowledge b. is paraphrased rather than directly quoted c. was retrieved from a source on the Internet d. they are quoting from a text their professor has authord e. they are quoting from the text used in the course for which they are writing the assigned paper

Q: What are some of the problems clients are bringing to counseling sessions that are directly related to their use of social media or other forms of technology?

Q: Plagiarism a. is always just cause for expelling a student from a counselor training program b. is summarizing a passage from another author's work without using quotation marks and giving the source and page number where the passage was found c. is difficult for professors to detect d. is claiming the words and ideas of someone else as one's own e. cannot be committed when the source of an idea is the Internet

Q: What do you think about counselors providing counseling services to clients through Skype, FaceTime, or some similar type of technology?

Q: Most written materials are legally protected from the time they are created until _____ years after the author's death. a. 5 b. 50 c. 200 d. 300 e. 500

Q: What would you do if you found that you felt a strong sexual attraction to a client you were counseling?

Q: In regard to giving credit to contributors to research projects in published reports a. a footnote is sufficient. b. every person who contributed must be listed as a co-author. c. the major professor of a dissertation study must be listed as first author. d. appropriate credit must be given, but there are no firm rules. e. individuals who were paid to assist do not have to be given any credit.

Q: Do you think a sexual relationship between a counselor and a former client is ever acceptable? Why or why not?

Q: University committees that review research proposals to ensure that human participants are protected are called a. bursars. b. adjunct committees c. institutional review boards. d. promotion and tenure committees. e. research councils.

Q: What are differences between a friendship and a counseling relationship?

Q: The practice of evaluating professors for tenure, promotion, and merit pay increases is based largely on their records of a. grants brought into the university. b. teaching effectiveness. c. presenting at national conferences. d. getting along well with other professors. e. scholarly publications.

Q: How would you define the term dual relationship?

Q: The requirement that universities establish committees to review research proposals to ensure that human participants are protected is a. a state law in all states. b. required by the U.S. Constitution. c. voluntarily adhered to throughout the United States. d. a federal law that carries with it the penalty of loss of federal funds if violated. e. a federal law that makes it a crime to do otherwise.

Q: In what circumstances do you think you would report another counselor for unethical behavior?

Q: Research participants a. must be paid if their identities will be disclosed by the researcher. b. must sign a document in front of a notary if they agree to waive their privacy. c. generally are not guaranteed privacy. d. have a right to expect to have their confidentiality protected. e. may never agree to have their name disclosed by a researcher.

Q: Do you think it wise to avoid telling anyone if you receive a notification of a complaint against you? Why or why not?

Q: Concealing from individuals that they are being studied and deceiving individuals with false information during a study a. are forbidden by codes of ethics. b. are sensitive areas and researchers must take care to insure that participants are not harmed when such activities take place. c. require that participants be paid. d. could be used as a basis to revoke a counselor's license. e. are activities that would never be undertaken by professional researchers because studies can always be completed without resorting to such negative tactics.

Q: How do you think you would react if you were a licensed counselor and received a registered letter from your licensure board informing you that you had been accused of professional incompetence by a former client?

Q: Before students agree to serve as research assistants, counselor educators should discuss and provide a. assurance that those who decline to participate will not be penalized. b. a clarification of expectations regarding who will do which parts of the work. c. an agreement regarding the type of acknowledgment students will receive when the research is published. d. a time-line to complete the various tasks. e. all of the above.

Q: How does a counselor determine whether a client is suicidal?

Q: When children are participants in a research study a. consent is needed from their parents only. b. there is no need to obtain informed consent from the children because they are unable to give legal consent. c. even though parental consent is legally sufficient, the assent of the children should be obtained as well. d. obtaining the consent of children would be unwise because it would alert children that they are being studied and they would then behave differently. e. informed consent is not required because children are too young to understand.

Q: What do you think are the most common reasons that clients bring malpractice lawsuits against counselors and other mental health professionals?

Q: It is ethically questionable for a university professor to a. conduct a research project with a student. b. supervise the research activities of a student. c. require a student to participate in a research project. d. co-present with a student at a professional conference. e. write a letter of recommendation for a job for a student with whom he or she has conducted a research study.

Q: The DSM-5 system for diagnosis is based on pathology and the medical model of mental illness, whereas counseling is grounded in the wellness model. Why must counselor learn to diagnose clinical disorders?

Q: A difference between consultation and counseling is that a. consultation is a mandated activity, whereas counseling is usually sought voluntarily b. consultants provide indirect services to clients, whereas counseling is a direct service c. consultation involves a relationship among equals and does not involve a power differential d. consultation focuses on work relationships, whereas counseling focuses on personal and interpersonal relationships e. confidentiality is not an issue in consultation, while it is a primary concern in counseling

Q: To what degree do you believe counselors are competent to administer and interpret psychological tests?

Q: When a counselor who is working under supervision shares confidential information about clients with her or his supervisor a. the counselor is legally responsible if the supervisor inappropriately discloses the confidential information to a third party b. privileged communication is destroyed c. this is acceptable behavior because the supervisor needs the information in order to supervise effectively d. the information should be shared verbally, but not put in writing e. the counselor is unethically breaching client confidentiality

Q: Evaluation as an end in itself is a very different process from counseling. Why would a counselor want to be an evaluator?

Q: Administrative supervision occurs when direct-line administrators give direction to counselors who are their a. employees, and has the goal ofensuring that counselors are performing their job duties appropriately b. determining whether the counselors should receive a pay raise c. increasing the counselors' counseling skills d. remediating the counselors' clinical deficiencies e. endorsing the counselors' applications for licensure

Q: What do you think should be done if a counselor becomes addicted to alcohol and is not counseling effectively?

Q: With respect to cultural differences in supervision a. it is the supervisor's responsibility to initiate discussions of cultural differences with their supervisees. b. supervision is more likely to be successful if the supervisor and supervisee are culturally similar along multiple dimensions. c. the worldviews of supervisors are not likely to influence the therapeutic choices made by their supervisees. d. research has demonstrated that the variable of race in the supervisory dyad has little impact on the supervisory process. e. supervisors should not broach the topic of cultural differences if they do not feel comfortable and competent to do so.

Q: Do you think it is appropriate for a counselor to refer a client whose beliefs and behaviors conflict with the personal values of the counselor?

Q: Consultation and supervision are alike in that a. both consultants and supervisors serve as gatekeepers to the profession. b. both consultants and supervisors are accountable for the work of the counselors who have sought their services. c. both consultants and supervisors are required to be licensed to provide their services in most states. d. both the consultative and the supervisory relationships are tripartite. e. both consultants and supervisors provide direct services to clients.

Q: How do counselors determine whether they are competent to counsel a particular client?

Q: A counselor who is under the clinical supervision of another counselor should a. introduce the supervisor to all clients. b. inform clients that he or she is in supervision and disclose the name of the supervisor to them. c. require that clients sign a document indicating they know the counselor is under supervision and that they do not object to the supervisor knowing their personal information. d. inform clients that he or she is a beginning counselor. e. avoid telling clients he or she is in supervision so that clients will not be concerned.

Q: If you were a prospective client seeking counseling, how would you go about fining a counselor who is competent to help you?

Q: A supervisor is competent if he or she a. holds the supervisor certificate offered by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE), a corporate affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). b. is a competent counselor. c. has completed a graduate level course in supervision. d. is approved to be a supervisor by a state licensing board. e. can supervise other counselors in a professional and appropriate manner.

Q: Why should counselors consult with an attorney if they receive a subpoena?

Q: Ethical standards for consultants in the mental health field a. are covered extensively in all codes of ethics. b. are given minimal attention in codes of ethics. c. are not needed because consultants rarely face ethical dilemmas. d. are published by an association of mental health consultants. e. are being developed by the American Psychological Association and will soon be published.

Q: Why is it important to carefully document events in emergency situations?

Q: If a consultant is not a consultee's administrative supervisor, the consultant a. still is responsible for any outcomes related to the consultee taking the consultant's advice. b. legally would be considered to have control and authority over a consultee, even though the consultant is not the consultee's boss. c. can avoid liability for any actions of the consultee by purchasing professional liability insurance. d. can avoid liability for any actions of the consultee by having the consultee sign an agreement that releases the consultant from liability. e. generally, would not be held legally responsible for actions taken by the consultee based on the consultant's advice.

Q: Why should counselors keep records?

Q: If a supervisee is having emotional problems that are interfering with his or her ability to function effectively as a counselor, the clinical supervisor should a. avoid addressing the personal issues in supervision sessions because the focus of clinical supervision should be on the professional services rendered by the supervisee. b. counsel the supervisee to the degree necessary to resolve the issues so that the counselor can function effectively. c. immediately refer the supervisee for personal counseling and suspend supervision until the personal issues have been resolved. d. address the personal issues in relationship to their impact on the supervisee's effectiveness as a counselor, but avoid becoming the supervisee's personal counselor. e. address the personal issues in one session only, and then avoid personal issues in the future.

Q: What do you think should happen to clients' records after they die?

Q: Whether or not a supervisor is likely to be held responsible, along with the supervisee, when a supervisee's client commits suicide depends on whether a. the supervisor has offered consultation to the supervisee regarding his or her counseling practice on a regular basis. b. the supervisor has direct control and authority over the supervisee's day-to-day activities. c. the wording of the supervision contract. d. the supervisor knew that the supervisee was counseling an at-risk client e. the supervisor has professional liability insurance

Q: How would you respond if a client asked to see the notes you have taken related to his counseling sessions?

Q: An agreement for clinical supervision between a supervisor and supervisee when the supervisee has an administrative supervisor at a work site should a. ensure that the supervisee understands that the clinical supervisor is the one whose directives must be followed. b. emphasize the co-equal status of the clinical and administrative supervisors. c. state that the clinical supervisor defers to the authority of the administrative supervisor. d. state that the counselor should contact the clinical supervisor if there is an emergency situation at work. e. be worded in such a manner that the supervisee understands that the clinical supervisor is legally responsible for the counselors' activities during work hours.