Caldwell Law and Ethics Test Practice

A social worker who is part of a multidisciplinary treatment team becomes concerned when the team decides to contact the mother of an adult client and ask her to become more involved in treatment. The team made this decision based on the client's worsening symptoms, out of concern that the client may soon need to be hospitalized. the social worker knows that there is not a release in place allowing them to share information with the mother. The social worker should:

Contact the treatment team and ask to meet with them as soon as possible in an effort to change their decision (when a treatment team makes a decision that a social worker believes raises ethical concerns, as in the case here, the social worker should seek to resolve the disagreement through appropriate channels - not just defer to the team. however, such challenges should be addressed in ways consistent with the clients well-being. threatening the team, or encouraging the client to report a violation, makes the client a pawn in the dispute and is likely to counter to their best interests.)

An individual client acknowledges to her therapist (and LCSW) that she lied on the lcsw's intake form and actually does have several past suicide attempts in her history. She says she is not feeling suicidal now, though she has recently experienced the ending of a romantic relationship and the death of a distant relative. Legally, the LCSW should:

assess further and break confidentiality if required to resolve any threat of suicide. (lcsws are legally obligated to take steps necessary to prevent a threatened suicide, and may break confidentiality if necessary is part of that process.)

The director of an after-school program contacts an LCSW by phone to refer a 14 year old girl to the social worker for psychotherapy. The director says that the girl is a participant in the program and has been struggling with extreme shyness. The director further says that the program will be happy to pay for the therapy. The girl who is with the director in an office, gets on the phone to provide the LCSW with more information. She says she does not want her parents to know she is seeking help. How should the LCSW?

assess the maturity of the minor While minors as young as 12 can consent for their own treatment, this is conditioned upon the clinician determining that the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in treatment. The LCSW should assess the minor's maturity level to determine whether the minor can consent on her own, or whether she will need the consent of a parent or guardian.

A 14-year-old client consented to her own treatment at a non-profit agency, which agreed to treat her for $5 a session. The client tells the therapist ( an LCSW) that the client has been abusing a friend's prescription painkillers. legally, the:

document the discussion and refer the client to a physician

An LCSW suffers a serious illness, and a colleague steps in to take over the lcsw's ongoing clients until the LCSW can return to practice. The LCSW agrees to continue handling billing and to review the colleague's session notes to keep up with what is happening while she is recovering. Some of the lcsw's ongoing clients pay for sessions through their health insurance. However, the colleague (who is also licensed LCSW in private practice) is not on any insurance panels. the LCSW should:

either directly or through the colleague, inform clients of the difference in panel status and arrange alternate payment or referrals as needed.

An LCSW has a new client who explains during the intake session that she had a hard time coming into therapy. The client says that her previous therapist asked her to go on a date with him immediately after their termination session ended. She refused, and has not spoken with the former therapist again, but the experience left her skeptical of therapists generally. legally, the LCSW must:

maintain the client's confidentiality. (None of the other options are actual legal obligations in these circumstances; the prior therapist's behavior was romantic but not overly sexual in nature, and occurred after the psychotherapist- client relationship had been terminated.)

During an unusually tense family session, a mother confronts an LCSW on the LCSW's recent filing of a written report of suspected child abuse. The mother feels violated and reports that she cannot trust the LCSW. Other family members attempt to calm the mother, but share her concerns. the LCSW should:

remind the family of the limits of confidentiality, and seek to regain the family's trust. (The ethics code remains lcsws that circumstance may require multiple discussions of the limits of confidentiality.)

An LCSW in an outpatient group practice setting has fallen behind on their documentation. The owner of the practice expresses concern that the delays will impact insurance billing and, ultimately, the practice's financial health. To ethically resolve this issue, the LCSW should:

work diligently to catch up (The nasw code of ethics demands that social workers produce accurate and timely documentation that adequately reflects the services provided. The most ethical thing for the social worker to do here is make a priority of catching up, in accordance with those ethical standards.

An LCSW learns that his individual client, who is being seen for symptoms of bipolar disorder, is also interested in attending couple therapy with her spouse. The client asked the LCSW whether the couple could see the LCSW together for couple therapy separately from her individual sessions, and said she is willing to sign a release form such that information from her individual sessions could be discussed in couple therapy and vice versa. Ethically, the LCSW should:

Continue individual treatment and refer out for couple therapy. This preserves continuity of care for individual treatment and keeps the LCSW out of a potential conflict of interest that would result from serving the client in multiple roles.

An LCSW has a client who lives on a boat three months of the year, as a commercial fisherman. During that time, he comes back to shore one day a week, and sees the LCSW on that day. The client is relatively poor, and asks the LCSW whether he can pay for services in fresh salmon. the client says he may need to discontinue treatment otherwise. The LCSW frequently eats salmon, and so is familiar with the fair market value of the fish. Which of the following statements of the LCSW responsibilities is correct?

If the LCSW chooses to go ahead with the barter agreement, the value of the fish should approximate the fee generally charged for therapy, and there should be a clear contract. (While lcsw's ordinarily do not accept goods or services as payment, in limited circumstances it can be acceptable. In this case, the client has specifically requested the barter arrangement, a fair value for the salmon can be easily determined, and there does not appear to be any distortion to the professional relationship that would occur. As the alternative is discontinuation of treatment, it would be ethically appropriate to at least consider the barter arrangement.)

An online business aims to make therapy more affordable for telehealth clients by using what they call a " reversal auction" process. When a prospective client signs up with the business, the business creates a de-identified summary of client information (such as location, demographics, and presenting problem), and then allows participating therapists to " bid" on the client by posting what they would agree to charge that client per 50 minute therapy session. The therapist who offers the lowest "bid" when the auction closes pays the business a nominal fee, and then receives the client's information, including their name, phone number, and email address. The client is told which therapist won the auction, what fee the therapist committed to, and the therapist contact information. How should LCSW interact with this service?

Lcsws should not participate in this service The key phrase in the question is "pays the business a nominal." At that point the rest of the question becomes irrelevant. lcsws cannot charge a fee or pay a fee for referrals, and this business structure would require lcsws to pay for each specific referral the business would generate for them. It is thus against the law for lcsws to participate in.

In a midsize college town, an LCSW is the only local mental health provider who speaks fluent Farsi. She routinely receives referals from other providers when the other provider discovers that their client identifies as Persian or speaks Farsi, even if the client is also fluent in English. Given her ties to the local Persian community, the LCSW often finds that she is at least somewhat familiar with the new clients being referred to her. Considering her ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

Refer out clients who could effectively receive services from other providers, retaining those who speak only Farsi, unless her familiarity makes her incapable of providing unbiased care (if the LCSW is the only local provider who can provide services and Farsi, this adds complexity to the consideration of how to manage potential dual relationships. this obligation is best balanced with her ability to provide culturally appropriate services in option A. )

An LCSW receives a phone call from a prospective new client couple. The couple reports that they moved to the US 3 years ago from a country the LCSW does not know well. The couple says they would like to come to therapy to work on communication difficulty in their marriage. The LCSW strives to maintain strong awareness of cultural issues, but has never worked with anyone from the clients' country of origin before. The best course of action for the LCSW would be to:

Seek resources and consultation to become familiar with the client couple's culture and customs, and to understand how clients from that country typically present in therapy. (This best summarizes the lcsw's responsibilities. Understanding a typical client presentation based on the client culture does not mean the LCSW should or would assume that the particular case will match cultural norms, but at least provides a useful reference point for assessment.)

In a hospital setting, an LCSW works with patients who are involuntarily hospitalized for being a danger to themselves or others. One such patient is preparing for discharge after one night in the hospital. The treating psychiatrist interrupts the process, and insists that the patient be held for at least another 24 hours. The LCSW brings together the psychiatrist, a member of the nursing team, and a hospital administrator to discuss the case. The psychiatrist is insistent, based on their view of the patient's symptoms. while the others say they are not sure the extended hospitalization is needed, they express willingness to defer to the psychiatrist. The LCSW strongly believes that the additional night is not needed, and explains why, but the psychiatrist is unmoved. The team plans to keep the patient in the hospital for one more night. How should the LCSW proceed?

accept the decision of the team, and seek to better understand the others' perspectives The team made a clinical decision that appears to be based on clinical factors. the social worker fulfilled their responsibility and contributed to the team's process, and was outvoted. this happens, and is not indicative of an ethical violation or problem. the social worker should continue to work collaboratively with colleagues, appreciating the perspective of each of their professions.

A single LCSW finds herself sometimes flirting with one particular group therapy client at the end of each week's session, as the other group members are making their way outside. The group member is also single, and appears to be interested in the therapist, but is careful to not cross boundaries during session or in other situations where other group members could see. One evening, the client sends the social worker an email to express gratitude for all she has done in the group, and attaches a couple of racy photos. the LCSW should:

acknowledge the email, inform the client that including the photos was inappropriate, apologize for any misunderstanding about the nature of their relationship, and monitor both the lcsw's and the client's future behavior The LCSW should enforce a boundary around sexual contact with clients (sexual communications in this case would be considered sexual contact), and monitor her and her clients behavior closely going forward.)

A recently licensed LCSW is interested in helping others successfully navigate the licensure process. She posts to a closed group of licensed and pre-licensed therapists on a popular social media platform about her experience taking her clinical exam. In her post, she encourages those about to take their test to focus their diagnostic review on mood disorders and schizophrenia, as these came up multiple times on her test. considering the LCSW is legal responsibilities, this post could result in:

action against the lcsw's license (While the lcsw's post doesn't reveal specific test questions, it does provide detailed enough information to give those who see it an unfair advantage on their tests. Even though it is not open to the public, the social media group still includes pre-licensed therapists who may soon be taking the test themselves. The lcsw's post could be considered "subverting a license exam," which is one of the recognized categories of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct can result in actions against one's license or registration, but these administrative actions are different from criminal charges that could result in jail time.

An older woman who has been seeing an LCSW for 7 months storms out of session after her therapist started the session some 30 minutes late. the LCSW attempted to explain that another client had been in crisis, but the woman cut off the LCSW, saying that the delay was disrespectful of her time. A few days later the client calls the LCSW saying she will not come back for future sessions and requesting a copy of the treatment record be sent to her. the LCSW should:

apologize for the delay, offered to discuss it further, provide options for other treatment providers, and provide a copy of the treatment record. (When treatment is terminated, even if the termination is conflictual, lcsws are obligated to provide additional treatment options for continuity of care, and this response option includes this key step.)

The individual client of an LCSW tells the LCSW that he recently took his 95-year-old grandfather, who had been suffering from dementia, on a fishing trip to a nearby lake in California State Park. He had grown frustrated with the quality of care of the grandfather had been receiving at his nursing home, which he said was not adequate to the grandfather's medical needs. He also wanted to give his grandfather "one last hurray," as he was concerned The grandfather's death was just weeks away. He was angry that the nursing home staff had berated him upon their return for not notifying them he was taking the grandfather for the weekend. Considering the lcsw's legal obligations, the LCSW should:

ask the client to clarify how the nursing home's care is inadequate. (There is nothing reportable in this vignette. While nursing home care may be inadequate, the simple fact that a family member describes it as such does not mean it is so, and it certainly does not mean the problems and care rise from the level of being abusive or neglectful. While the LCSW does not want to take on the role of investigator, inquiring about the client's frustrations with his grandfather's care is clinically appropriate, and this is the only response option that is consistent with the lcsw's legal obligations.)

Part way through an emotionally difficult session, a client tells their social worker, "my psychic said this was going to get worse before it got better. I guess this is what they meant." the LCSW is initially startled, and asks the client more about the psychic. The client notes that they have been going to the same psychic weekly for more than 5 years, and find the process valuable and reassuring, especially when discussing issues of grief. the LCSW should:

ask the client's permission to contact the psychic to develop a professional relationship (social workers are ethically obligated to develop positive working relationships with other professionals when doing so serves the client. whatever the lcsws personal beliefs about the psychic may be, the client clearly finds the interactions with the psychic comforting. the simple fact that the client has been seeing the psychic regularly for 5 years does not suggest inappropriate behavior on the part of the psychic, either in terms of exploitation or stepping beyond their appropriate scope.)

A 14 year old girl presents for therapy at a local mental health clinic, where an LCSW is assigned to her case. During a screening interview, the girl tells the LCSW that she is struggling with anxiety around her school work and social relationships. She goes on to say that she plans to pay for therapy on her own and would prefer that her parents not know where she is in therapy. the LCSW should:

assess the girl's ability to participate intelligently in therapy and determine whether notifying the parents would be damaging. (minors 12 and older can independently consent for treatment if the therapist considers them mature enough to participate intelligently. no adult needs to consent on their behalf. This law also requires therapists to contact the parents unless doing so would be damaging.)

A 27-year-old trans female client has been receiving services from an LCSW at a reduced fee clinic. The client has been unable to pay even her reduced fee, and over 8 weeks has built up an unpaid balance of more than $100. The client is apologetic and has reassured the LCSW that she will pay the overdue fees once her aging mother dies and she can collect her inheritance. The LCSW has informed the client that while she empathizes with the client's struggles, a balance that goes unpaid for more than 30 days will result in the termination of services. This policy also appears in the informed consent document the client signed at the beginning of services. The client does not have stable food, work, or shelter, but is typically able to engage public services and shelter space when needed. How should the social worker proceed?

assess whether the client poses eminent danger to self or others (Under the nasw code of ethics, termination for non-payment of an overdue balance is allowed, but a social worker first needs to engage in a number of specific steps. One of those steps is determining that the client is not and an eminent danger to self or others. While nothing in the question suggests such danger, the ethical standard suggests that it should be actively determined prior to terminating with the client. Once such a determination is made, the social worker is free to terminate the client.)

In a large public mental health clinic, a social worker (social worker A) becomes aware of a colleague in the clinic (social worker B) who describes all trans, queer, non-binary, or otherwise gender non-conforming clients as mentally ill, and refuses to work with such clients. Supervisors are aware of the issue and make sure that the colleague is only assigned cisgender clients. A different colleague (social worker c), who complained about social worker B's behavior, was told that social worker B had accused them of religious discrimination, a charge that social worker A believes to be false. What ethical responsibility does social worker A have in this circumstance?

assist in social workers C's defense; bring social worker B's behavior to the attention of administrators; file a formal ethical complaint against social worker B if needed (Social workers are obligated to "defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct" (nasw standard 2.10e), and should not condone or participate in discrimination. They should report on ethical or incompetent behavior through proper formal channels; if the supervisors' actions have not addressed the issue, social worker A should attempt to address the issue through clinic administration. Social worker A is not in a position to make demands of supervisors related to their actions surrounding a colleague, but can take additional steps if the problem does not appear to be resolved. However, a complaint to nasw against the supervisor would be premature, without knowing what steps the supervisor had taken in addition to restricting the clients served by social worker B.)

An LCSW is working as a director for a non-profit agency serving the lgbtqia+ community. As part of her role, the LCSW occasionally sits in on treatment sessions to observe the work of clinicians at the agency. In a session the LCSW is observing, the client informs the treating therapist that the client is in the process of coming out as bisexual, and is unsure of what to reveal to her parents, or when. The client notices that the director is older than the treating therapist, and asks the director, " what would you do in my shoes?" the director should:

clarify the director's role and refer to the treating clinician (Unless the client had been previously instructed not to engage with the director, they haven't done anything wrong by asking the question. the director is also not required to take an extreme stance here, such as avoiding speaking entirely or leaving the room immediately after they respond. The directors ethical obligation, since they are an LCSW but not serving in a direct treatment role, is to clarify the director role.)

With the client's consent, an LCSW working with an adolescent client encourages one of the client's teachers to attend sessions that will focus on adolescence's behavior in school. While the teacher's presence is at first helpful, the teacher asks to continue coming to the sessions, and it is clear to the LCSW that the client is finding the teacher's presence gradually more intrusive and uncomfortable. the LCSW should:

clarify the teacher's role in the treatment, and ask the client whether they would like to continue having the teacher in session. (when third parties are brought into treatment, that does not mean that the presence of these third parties is permanent or unmanageable. clarifying roles on an ongoing basis is helpful and expected. Permission for third parties to be involved in therapy can be revoked in many circumstances.

A middle-aged woman struggling with panic disorder asks an LCSW whether her brother can come with her to therapy, and the LCSW approves. In the intake session, the woman describes her panic symptoms, as well as the strain that her panic has caused in her relationship with her brother. She relies on him to feel safe in public situations, and becomes angry with him when he cannot be with her due to his job or other obligations. The brother agrees, saying that while he wants to help his sister as much as he can and is glad that she is seeking treatment, he is growing resentful of being her main source of support. the LCSW should:

clarify whether the woman and her brother are seeking conjoint treatment to address their relationship, or whether treatment is to focus on the woman's panic. There is no evidence here of substance use (co-occurring disorder) or dependent adult abuse (while the brothers resentment is a potential risk factor warranting assessment for violence, panic disorder alone does not make someone a dependent adult). a release of information may be warranted if treatment is to go forward as individual treatment. But the first thing the LCSW needs to do here is determine who exactly is "client," and ask about the focus of treatment. It is a good way to get there.

A client with a history of eating disorder schedules an intake session with an LCSW to discuss the client's current emotional struggles. In the intake,the client reports that prior treatment has been helpful in reducing disordered eating, but that the client still struggles with body image concerns. Referring to prior treatment, the client says " I learned a lot about monitoring and responding to my body, but not so much about how to prepare food or specifically what to eat." Ethically, the LCSW should:

collaborate with the client to determine whether a referral to a dietitian is appropriate Providing a diagnosis or specific education may prove to be wise, but this would be a clinical decision, not an ethical one. The question asks for your ethical judgment. Social workers are expected to refer clients to other professionals when specialized knowledge is necessary to more fully meet the client's needs.

After a family session where a family's 15 year old daughter believes the LCSW sided with the mother instead of the daughter, the daughter comes to the next session wearing earbuds she refuses to take out, and demanding an apology from the LCSW. the LCSW should:

consider whether the daughter is correct, and if appropriate. offer an apology (Remember that the test is asking about your legal and ethical responsibilities, not your clinical skills. (those will be tested in the clinical exam). This question is about preserving the therapeutic relationship with each individual client in a family system. This may mean offering an apology to a client who feels wronged. There may be clinical reasons in support of the other response choices, but only option A addresses the ethical need to manage conflicts that can arise when working with more than one family member in the room.)

An LCSW is serving as the family therapist for a family where the father is also engaged in individual therapy with another provider. The family has only attended one session so far and while the father informed the LCSW of his individual therapy, he did not provide information about the other therapist or sign a release of information. The LCSW receives a voicemail message from a local therapist, identifying themselves as the individual therapist for the father, and asking the LCSW to provide any information the LCSW may have regarding the father's history of psychosis, as the individual therapist is attempting to determine the proper diagnosis. considering the lcsw's ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

contact the father to assess his wishes and ask him to sign a release of information. (It's important to note in this question that you are being tested on knowledge of the lcsw's ethical responsibilities, not the laws around disclosure. While it is legally permissible for two active treatment providers to share information without a release when the disclosure is for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment planning, the fact that such releases are allowed does NOT mean they are required. So social workers should consider their ethical responsibilities before choosing to disclose such information. One such responsibility is to "inform clients." to the extent possible, about the disclosure of confidential information and the potential consequences, when feasible before the disclosure is made" (Standard 1.07 (d)). Since this situation is not an emergency, it would be most appropriate to contact the client prior to any disclosure, to determine his wishes and ask him to formally authorize the release. You can contrast this question with question 30, which ask specifically about the laws around disclosure of billing information.)

An LCSW is interested in conducting research on her clients, in an effort to determine whether a new form of treatment developed by the LCSW is superior to existing treatments. Because the LCSW already has access to the client files and would be reporting statistics on her recent treatment results, without specifics of any individual cases, she prepares to conduct an analysis of cases she has closed over the prior year. She hopes to publish the results of her research in a prominent Journal. ethically, the LCSW should:

contact those former clients, inform them of the risks and benefits of involvement in the research, and determine their willingness to have their file included as one of those analyzed. (The nasw code of ethics requires that research participants provide informed consent for their participation, including information about risks and benefits and the opportunity to choose not to participate. While the nasw ethics code allows exceptions for some archival research, this is only appropriate when obtaining consent is not feasible, here it would be possible to obtain consent.)

A young adult client with a history of severe childhood trauma begins weeping in session as she connects her traumatic experiences with her current struggles in building trusting relationships. An LCSW has been providing the client with individual sessions for more than 2 years, and the client has only even begun to trust the therapist in the past few months. The LCSW notices that the client is having difficulty calming herself, and is shaking in her seat. The client turns to the social worker and softly asks, "will you please just hold me for a moment, so I can catch my breath?" The client has never made such a request before. Considering her ethical responsibilities, how should the social worker?

decline the client's request, while offering a blanket or other means the client can use for calming The nasw code of ethics requires social workers to avoid physical contact when that contact includes the possibility of causing psychological harm to the client. Here, that possibility exists; the client might become dependent on the social worker, or might experience their relationship in a different way. The social worker can be soothing to the client without physically holding them, and that is the most appropriate course of action.

An LCSW with a full-time caseload finds herself on the edge of burnout. She notices she is becoming less empathetic and more combative with clients, and frequently arrives at the office in the morning still tired from the day before. A colleague she greatly respects refers to her a complex case. the LCSW should:

decline the referral and consider reducing her overall caseload.

A 56 year old male client is seeing a social worker to address the client substance use. The client also regularly sees a psychiatrist. The client provided the social worker with the psychiatrist's name, contact information, and date of most recent visit during the intake process. When discussing the psychiatrist in session, the client asked the social worker not to contact the psychiatrist. The client says a psychiatrist " isn't real big on therapy. I don't know if they would like that I'm here." considering the social workers ethical responsibilities. How should the social worker proceed?

do not contact the psychiatrist, and discuss the implications of the client coming to therapy against the psychiatrist guidance In this instance, the law allows for sharing of information between active treatment providers for the purpose of treatment planning, but does not require such sharing. The client may thus make determinations about whether they would like their information to be shared, and the social worker is (with some exceptions) expected to honor those wishes. Here, the social worker can follow both the law and their ethics code by respecting the client's wish not to have information about the therapy shared with a psychiatrist.

An LCSW is closing their private practice and planning to start a full-time job with a county mental health agency. They have been using an electronic health record (EHR) system to maintain records of their private practice cases. They plan to stop paying the monthly fee for this system in 2 weeks, when they begin their new job. Once they stop paying the fee, they would lose access to the EHR system. Considering their legal responsibilities, what should the LCSW do with their private practice records?

download all client records and store them securely in a manner and location separate from the county system It is their responsibility of the clinician to ensure that records are securely maintained for at least 7 years after the last professional contact. This is not the responsibility of the EHR if the therapist stops paying for it, and is not the responsibility of the county. At the same time, the therapist is not obligated to keep paying the EHR fee; they can download records for secure storage, so long as they maintain both security and appropriate access. Transferring records onto the county system could make them available to county staffers who should not have access to them, and would thus not be appropriate.

A social worker at a private nonprofit output clinic is surprised to learn that the clinic has a policy of neutrality on political matters. The social worker had hoped to get the clinic to support a proposed local law that would raise sales taxes to improve local services and accessibility for those with disabilities. The clinic asks the social worker to stay out of the political discussion about the proposed law, which the social worker believes would advance social justice. The director of the clinic says that she also believes the proposal is good, but is committed to the clinic policy. How should the social worker proceed?

engage in public discussion of the proposal, but as an individual and not as a representative of the clinic (under the nasw code, social workers should not allow employer policies to prevent them from the ethical practice of social work including the pursuit of social justice. at the same time, social workers have a responsibility to treat colleagues with fairness and respect; describing the clinic as in favor of the proposal would not be accurate when the clinic has taken no formal position, and criticizing the clinic's non-stance as money driven in the absence of any evidence of such is not fair to the clinic. the social worker should publicly support the proposal, but should do so on their own.)

A 23 year old client whose family immigrated to California from Indonesia calls her LCSW to inform the therapist that the client cannot attend therapy for the next 3 weeks, as the client's sister just had a baby and the client is going to be helping the sister and the sister's partner. The LCSW has been treating the client for post-traumatic stress disorder and wonders whether the treatment has simply been overwhelming for the client. What steps should the LCSW take to fulfill their ethical duties?

ensure crisis needs are met and a safety plan is in place if needed; schedule a next session for 3 weeks from now. When treatment needs to be interrupted, regardless of the reason why, it is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that any crisis needs are met.

The adult client of an LCSW calls the therapist from a police station. The client is filing a police report after their roommate physically attacked the client in an argument over housework. The client asked to reschedule the next planned session and reports that they do not feel safe going home, as the roommate is still there and the client believes the roommate is still very angry. How should the LCSW proceed?

ensure that the client has a safe place they can go. there is an immediate and potentially ongoing risk for the client if they return home. when managing risks to safety, immediate physical safety is the highest priority. the LCSW should start by ensuring that the client has a safe place to go

In the client's second session, the individual client of an LCSW requests a letter that would allow the client to have an emotional support dog in their apartment. The client reports that their apartment building does not typically allow dogs, but their pet dog who is currently in the care of a family member helps the client to manage their panic attacks. Considering the lcsw's legal obligations, the LCSW is required to:

established at least a 30-day clinical relationship with the client, including a full clinical assessment Understate law, the LCSW and other therapists issuing letters for emotional support dogs must first establish a 30-day therapeutic relationship, and conduct a formal assessment, among other requirements. The therapist is not required to seek prior records, to evaluate the animal directly, or to attest to the animal's safety.

An LCSW is working with a client on issues of anxiety and body image. The client gives the LCSW permission to consult with the client's physician, but asks the LCSW not to discuss the client's recent weight gain with the physician. The client explains that they felt shamed by the physician and pressured to lose weight despite the client being in overall good health. The LCSW contacts The physician and explains that the client appears to be learning to manage their anxiety effectively without medication. The physician asks whether the client is losing weight as instructed. How should the LCSW respond?

explain that the client's weight is not part of their therapy (the LCSW should respect the client's request for their weight to not be discussed with the physician. At the same time, the LCSW does not need to lie or argue with the physician to accomplish this. best to simply explain that the client's weight is not part of their therapy and move on in the conversation. This protects the client's rights while preserving the lcsw's role.)

An LCSW former client threatens a licensing board complaint after the former client requested their records be shared with their new therapist. The records were forwarded as requested, and the new therapist then informed their client that the client had been diagnosed by the LCSW with post-traumatic stress disorder. The client was surprised by the news as they had not been previously informed of the diagnosis; treatment with the LCSW had focused on the client's social and relational functioning. The former client demands the LCSW apologize and explain why the LCSW believes the client is, as the client describes it, "broken and unfixable." the LCSW should:

explain to the former client what the diagnosis means and how the LCSW determined it Social workers are ethically obligated to assist clients in understanding information in their records. In this instance, the client's description of themselves as " broken and unfixable" does not align with current professional thinking about PTSD, which is understood as being both understandable and treatable. the client's description suggests that they may not understand what the PTSD diagnosis means.

A white family has been attending family therapy to address conflict among the three siblings: a 16-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl, and a 10-year-old who identifies as non-binary. in session, the 16-year-old admits that she and the 10 year old sometimes wake up before the 13 year old, and then wake the 13-year-old by climbing on top of her, slapping, and punching her. The 13-year-old has shown her parents the bruises on her face and arms that have resulted, but the parents say they did not take photos of the bruises, and the LCSW providing family therapy has not observed any bruising. The 13 year old says she has tried to " get back" at her siblings by stealing and giving away their belongings. The parents say they feel helpless to stop the siblings' behavior toward one another. How should the LCSW proceed?

file a report of suspected child abuse, naming the 16-year-old and 10-year-old as perpetrators While the child abuse reporting law in California does make exception to the physical abuse reporting requirement for a "mutual affray" among minors, the violence here is not mutual. It is leaving the 13-year-old with physical injuries. That abuse must be reported, even when the perpetrator is another minor. The 13-year-old's efforts to get back at her siblings are clinically troubling, but do not legally qualify as abuse. A report of suspected physical abuse should be filed, naming the 16-year-old and 10-year-old as perpetrators and the 13 year old as a victim.

A couple seeks counseling from an LCSW to address conflict in their relationship. one partner in the couple identifies as asexual, while the other partner angrily suggests that " asexual" is "cop out" the first partner is using to avoid taking action on the first partner's lack of sexual desire, which has been a source of conflict for the couple since the birth of their child four years ago. The first partner has been medically evaluated, and was determined to be in good physical health. Considering the lcsw's ethical responsibilities, how should the LCSW proceed?

gather the couples history, including information about the first partners change and how they identify " asexual" is generally understood to be a sexual orientation, and sexual orientation is an element of identity determined by the individual, not by the clinician. conflict over sexual orientation should not be treated the same way as conflict over housework; to do so would likely bring forth a range of oppressive and discriminatory clinical acts. Assessing diet, exercise, and sleep suggest that the first partner's asexuality is a problem to be solved, rather than a sexual orientation to be accepted and affirmed. The clinician should gather the couple's history as part of the assessment process. gathering information about the first partners history of how they identify is consistent with that process, and can be done in an affirming manner.

An LCSW is working with an individual client who is contemplating moving out of state. The client has twin 5 year old children with her spouse, and the client says she is prepared to let her spouse have primary custody. The client explains that her marriage is failing and she cannot find work in California, but that her family in another state is prepared to give her a place to live and help connect her with possible jobs. She says she wants to be a good parent and maintain good relationships with her spouse and children. How should the LCSW proceed?

help the client develop and consider possible outcomes of the move, and possible alternatives. the question says the client is contemplating the move, not that the decision has been made. the LCSW should not assume that the move will happen, or that it shouldn't. But the LCSW also does not need to be passive. They can best fulfill the role by helping the clients see the full range of their options, and the potential outcomes of each.

A 20 year old client identifies her family background as Chinese starts therapy with an LCSW. The client describes herself as a social media influencer with about 1 million followers, and says that she posts about 20 minutes of video online each day. She tells the LCSW she was coming to therapy after family members expressed concern that she may be depressed. She tells the LCSW in session "I feel like such a faker with every video I post." considering their ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

in session, ask the client's permission to review their public social media postings Even when clients' websites or social media profiles are public facing, social workers are expected to seek permission to review this information unless there is " compelling clinical reason" to do otherwise. There's no reason why the LCSW couldn't ask permission in session, and they should do so. Social workers should not become " friends" with clients on social media, and should not contact family and the absence of permission to do so or in applicable exception to confidentiality, neither of which appear to be present here.

A 15 year old girl is seeing an LCSW individually for issues related to body image and self-esteem. Her parents provided consent for the therapy and pay for her sessions, but do not participate. The girl tells the LCSW that she has been exploring her sexuality. While her parents were out of town, she had sexual intercourse with a friend's 19 year old brother. A few days later, she had intercourse with another boy, an 18 year old senior at her High School. the LCSW should manage their legal responsibilities by:

maintain confidentiality (In the absence of legal requirement or allowance for disclosure, the LCSW is legally obligated to maintain confidentiality.)

An LCSW is supervising an associate clinical social worker from a different cultural background. Early in their supervision relationship, they discover that they both are part of a small social media group for healthcare professionals in their city who suffered abuse as children. How should the supervisor proceed?

meet with the supervisee to establish that the supervisor will not discuss their professional relationship in the social media group or interact with the supervises post in that group; discuss what other limitations may be necessary (Particular caution around potential multiple relationships is necessary when interacting online. )

An LCSW is nearing termination with a family the social worker has helped through multiple crises, including the unexpected death of a family member. The family has frequently expressed their gratitude to the social worker, saying things like "you saved us. We are still a family because of you" the LCSW is interested in using one specific, touching statement of gratitude the family shared in a session on the lcsw's website. ethically, the LCSW should:

not post a statement, regardless of timing or client permission The nasw code of ethics prohibits the solicitation of testimonials from current clients, and also specifically prohibits solicitation of consent to use a client's prior statement as a testimonial endorsement. Any client statements made into the context of therapy should remain in the context of therapy.

An LCSW has been treating a 38 year old woman who has been abusing substances. The woman has experienced a series of health problems, and lost the debit card that she uses to buy food through a state program. She leaves the social worker a voicemail one morning, saying that she is "tired of people messing with me" and that " the next person who tries to put me down or take something from me is getting dead." The social worker knows that the client carries a gun and a knife with her in most places. What should the LCSW do next?

notify law enforcement and attempt to contact and locate the client to initiate the process of hospitalization While the client is potentially dangerous this is not a Tarasoff situation as the client poses a general danger to others, and not a specific danger to reasonably identifiable others. As a result, we can immediately rule out response choices that involve Tarasoff. Notifying law enforcement is appropriate, as is attempting to contact and locate the client. Depending on the client's history, their statements may or may not be a result of intoxication; with only the information in the question, the LCSW would air on the side of caution and take steps to protect public safety.

As a client leaves an lcsw's office, the LCSW believes the client poses a serious danger to the client's spouse. (The client had been making threats in session about what he would do to her.) the LCSW, knowing the couple lives roughly 30 minutes from the lcsw's office, calls the client immediately, and is able to resolve the danger. The client disavows any continued plan to harm his spouse, and apologizes to the LCSW for getting so out of hand. What does the LCSW need to do to resolve the lcsw's legal responsibility?

notify law enforcement within 24 hours (While warning and intended victim in Tarasoff situation grants the LCSW certain additional legal protections, it is not always necessary or appropriate to do so. In this case, the LCSW was able to fully resolve the threat on their own, before notifying the intended victim or law enforcement. Still, under state law, the fact that the lcsw's Tarasoff responsibilities were triggered at all means that the LCSW must report the threatening person to law enforcement within 24 hours, even if notifying law enforcement was not necessary to resolve the initial threat. As noted in the study guide, the idea of this law is to prevent potentially dangerous individuals from buying guns.)

An LCSW in private practice grows frustrated with a client who seems to be frequently in crisis, and determines that the client needs a higher level of care than what the LCSW can provide. The LCSW informs the client in person and in writing that in 30 days the LCSW will no longer provide treatment, and offers referrals to inpatient and partial hospitalization programs as well as other local crisis resources. As the 30 days approach their end, the client has a scheduled termination session with the LCSW. The client reports that they have not even attempted to contact any of the provided referrals, they don't feel capable of doing so, and they are feeling moderately suicidal but without a specific plan or intent. Ethically, the LCSW should:

offer to assist the client during session in contacting other service providers to create a warm handoff (This question assesses your knowledge of the ethical requirement to prevent client abandonment. While extending the termination deadline does prevent abandonment in the immediate term, it does little more than kick the can down the road - and may have the result of encouraging future client crises if the client feels that voicing a crisis is necessary to keep the LCSW involved. (the client's voicing of a new crisis may actually support the notion that the client needs a higher level of care than the LCSW can provide.) A better answer is to take necessary steps in session to assist the client in connecting with appropriate providers, ensuring that a transition occurs without crisis needs falling through the cracks.

The parents of a developmentally delayed 16 year old bring the teenager to therapy and provide consent for the teenagers individual therapy. the LCSW providing therapy finds the teenager to be witty and charming. the LCSW also finds a teenager to be emotionally immature and believes her intelligence to be around a second grade level. after a few sessions where the client appears to be making limited progress, the parents express their dissatisfaction with the LCSW and inform the LCSW that they are pulling their child out of therapy. considering the lcsw's ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

offer to assist with continuity of care to another provider or referrals for additional services It's arguably problematic that the LCSW even took on someone with a second grade level of intelligence as an individual client, as children at this maturity level are often better served with family-based care. However, that is not what the question asks about, and it is entirely possible that the LCSW has been regularly involving the parents and treatment up to this point. the question assesses whether you understand parents'' rights and responsibilities when their child does not have the ability to make effective choices on their own. While social workers "should seek to ensure that the third party [ here, the parents] acts in a manner consistent with clients' wishes and interests" ( standard 1.03 (c)., asking the child their wishes in the presence of the parents puts the child in a difficult and stressful position. Social workers honor the rights of clients' Guardians and representatives to make treatment decisions on behalf of those in their care who are unable to make decisions for themselves.

An LCSW is consulting with the physician who sent a young couple to the LCSW for couple therapy. Both partners in the couple are struggling with symptoms of anxiety. The physician provides the LCSW with useful information on the couple's medications and their possible side effects. The LCSW offers the physician useful information on the progression of the couple's symptoms. Toward the end of the conversation, The physician asks whether the older partner in the couple is "still wearing that same brown sweater twice a week." the LCSW should:

politely declined to answer, as it is not relevant to the consultation. (when taking part in a consultation, an LCSW only provides information relevant to the purposes of that consultation.)

A supervisee expresses frustration to their LCSW supervisor that the supervisee is still having many of the same clinical challenges they were having a year ago when they started working under the supervisor. The supervisee explains to the supervisor that the supervisee has reviewed clinical records and session tapes and still does not understand what they are doing wrong in therapy. While some of the supervisees clients appear to be improving, many are not. Considering the supervisors ethical obligations, how should the supervisor proceed?

provide a summary of the supervisee strengths and weaknesses as the supervisor perceives them While any of the options here could theoretically be useful and appropriate, only the evaluation of supervisees represents an ethical obligation.

Following an arrest for assault, a 20-year-old man has been seeing an LCSW for private anger management and substance use counseling on orders from the court. 3 months into the therapy process, and 1 month prior to the client's next court date, he reveals to the social worker that he recently had a relapse with methamphetamine. He asks the LCSW to keep this information private. As the court date approaches, the LCSW receives a subpoena from the court demanding all records from the client's treatment. the LCSW is obligated to:

provide full and complete records to the court When therapy is taking place by court order, privilege does not apply. the social worker should provide the court with complete records. California does not protect psychotherapy notes from subpoena, so if the LCSW is keeping separate psychotherapy notes for this client, those two would need to be provided.

A private university contracts with a group practice to provide long-term therapy to university students in need of such services. The university agrees to pay the group practice for up to 20 sessions per student per year at a discounted rate. The practice owner, an LCSW receives the first request from the university for records that will allow the university to issue payment to the practice. The university requests a list of client names, session dates, and procedure codes for all sessions held with the university's students in the past month. legally, how should the LCSW respond?

provide the university with all of the requested data The law creates a clear and specific exemption to confidentiality for information that is necessary for billing purposes. In this case, it is reasonable for the university to request client names, so that the university can verify that each client is indeed a student. The university is not asking for diagnosis or other treatment details beyond the scope of what is necessary to facilitate billing. The LCSW is free to provide the information requested, understanding that they should only provide the minimum information necessary to achieve the purposes of the disclosure.

A polyamorous couple experiencing difficulty in their sexual relationship presents for therapy with an LCSW who believes sexual activity outside of a monogamous relationship is inappropriate and harmful. The couple does not believe that their sexual relationships outside of their own relationship are causing their sexual problems with each other. ethically, the LCSW should:

refer the couple to a therapist who does not share the lcsw's belief. (The therapist's belief is closely related to the issue for which the couple is seeking treatment, and is likely to interfere with that treatment.)

A social worker has been working with a family for several sessions and plans a session where the entire family will participate in a ceremony relieving the oldest daughter of the responsibility she has taken on as a co-parent. Shortly before the session, the mother informs the LCSW that she will be away on a business trip and asks whether she can participate in the session by phone or video conferencing. The mother's frequent absences are part of the reason why the daughter felt obligated to take on parenting tasks. The social worker should:

refuse the mother's request and reschedule the ceremony for a time when she can attend in person. (lcsws are required to carefully assess whether telemedicine services are appropriate in a given case. Here, the mother's absence would likely have a major impact on the planned ceremony; having her participate by phone or video conference rather than in person appears likely to impact the effectiveness of the intervention.)

A prospective client contacts an LCSW who offers therapy services via telehealth through a secure video platform. The client identifies themselves only as "Jose" an informs the LCSW that they are 27 years old and interested in receiving treatment for childhood trauma. The client is willing to attest that they live in California and will complete and take intake paperwork the therapist sends, as long as they can sign as just " Jose." they say they are ashamed of what they experienced as a child, and this will make it easier for them to discuss it. considering the lcsw's legal responsibilities, what must the LCSW do?

refuse to conduct sessions via Telehealth unless the client is willing to provide their full name. (A legal requirement for lcsws at each telehealth session is that they verbally obtain and document the client's full name and current location. If the client is not willing to provide their full name, the LCSW would be violating the law by conducting the session. Prepayment is not legally required under any circumstances, an lcsw's offering telehealth must document the reasonable efforts made to locate crisis resources local to the client; that does not necessarily require them to locate the closest hospital and crisis house, especially if the client does not present concerns about risk.

A group practice specializing in working with depression is considering implementing a new policy to build awareness of their work; as part of the consent process, clients would be required to agree to post at least once on social media about their experience in therapy, making specific mention of the group practice when they do. The policy specifies that the post does not need to be an endorsement or testimonial; even negative discussion is allowed, so long as it is truthful. clients who have no social media presence would be exempt. Considering the lcsw's ethical responsibilities, what should the LCSW do around this policy?

refuse to implement the policy, and ask the group practice to withdraw it. (Even though the policy says that the content of social media posts doesn't matter, this policy, if enacted, would likely be considered solicitation of endorsements from current clients, which is expressly prohibited in the nasw code of ethics. In any case, the proposed policy is inherently exploitative, meant to place the business interests of the practice ahead of the clinical needs of clients. The fact that it applies to all clients with social media accounts means that even clients who are deeply depressed or otherwise desperate to receive services would be bound by it. the LCSW should not Implement such a policy, and should work with the employer to withdraw it.)

An LCSW is working with a family where the parents are in the process of getting a divorce and are arguing over custody of their two children. Therapy has focused on maintaining effective co-parenting, as neither parent wants an extended court battle. Because the LCSW knows the family well and has seen both parents interacting with the children, the parents ask the LCSW to submit a letter to the court with the LCSW clinical evaluation of each of their parenting skills. The best course of action for the LCSW would be to:

refuse to send the letter. (The nasw code of ethics requires social workers to clarify their role and avoid conflicts of interest. The parents in this case are asking the LCSW who has been in the treatment provider role, to also take on an evaluative stance. If the LCSW were to do so, the parents would likely be less forthcoming in the future about any struggles they experienced in parenting. Options (A), (B), and (C) all place the LCSW in an evaluator position that should be avoided if the LCSW had provided clinical treatment.)

An adult client who has been seeing an LCSW in therapy for 6 months ask the LCSW for a copy of her treatment record. Because the LCSW has documented that she suspects the client is being dishonest in her denials of recent drug use, the LCSW worries that sharing the file would harm the therapeutic relationship. The most appropriate course of action for the LCSW would be to:

refuse to turn over the records, offer a treatment summary instead, and inform the client that if she wishes, she can select a neutral therapist to review the file. (The LCSW has good reason to believe that releasing the full treatment record could harm the therapeutic relationship and thus harm the client. under the law, the LCSW is allowed to offer treatment summary instead. Further, when an LCSW refuses to release records due to the risk of harm, the LCSW must also inform the client of their right to a third party review of the record by another therapist.)

A client sees an LCSW at a local community clinic for court mandated anger management groups. The client comes to dislike the LCSW and becomes disruptive, frequently comparing the group to jail, and saying "I'm not free when I'm here." in considering her ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

remind the client that he is free to attend any anger management group he wishes, or none at all. option (C) supports client autonomy and maximizes client's choice. While failure to attend groups may have legal consequences for the client, they do have the right to make that choice. the client can attend any group, or none; the social worker is not holding the client against their will.)

An LCSW is working with a Latina mother and her 7 year old son in therapy, when the LCSW observes unusual bruises on the boy's face and arms. the bruises seem to be in several different stages of healing. his mother says, " he's a normal boy, he likes to play rough" and refuses to discuss the matter further. the LCSW should:

report suspected child abuse (While the injuries and both clients' response to the therapist inquiries, are not a guarantee that abuse has taken place, remember that the therapist is not need to be certain. they just need to reasonably suspect abuse. the location of the injuries, the fact that they are in multiple stages of healing, and the refusal to explain them would amount to reasonable suspicion in almost any lcsw's.

An LCSW is working for an agency that contracts with a local private school to provide mental health services. The social worker is called to the school to assess a nine year old girl who has been falling asleep in class. The girl's teacher tells the social worker that the teacher is concerned in part because the girl recently wrote a story as part of a class assignment, and in the story a young girl wasn't allowed to sleep when she got into trouble at home. During the assessment, the girl repeatedly asks whether she can take a nap, and refuses to answer any questions about the story she wrote. Ask how things are at home, the girl will only say, " I got in trouble. I'm always getting in trouble." The girl is being raised by a single mother, and the school nurse says that the girl is otherwise in relatively good health, but that her grades have been dropping and her behavior in class has been increasingly disorganized

report suspected child abuse The child's statements and behavior are enough to reasonably suspect that she is being kept from sleeping at home as a punishment. while the social worker does not have certainty, such certainty is not required to develop reasonable suspicion. a report here (under the category of "willful harm or endangerment") is appropriate.

A mother arrives late for her therapy session and is enraged. she reports that she just spent an hour dealing with police, who came to the grocery store where her car was parked and were about to break a window when she returned to the car and stopped them. The police, she said, rudely lectured her about the infant son she had left in the car while she was grocery shopping. While the car was in sunlight, it was only about 80° out at the time and she had been away from the car for less than 20 minutes, she said. the LCSW should:

report suspected child neglect. (leaving an infant alone in a car in direct sunlight, on a warm day with the windows up, presents significant danger to the child. Even if the child did not suffer actual harm, a report is justified.)

An LCSW is conducting a home visit with a 16 year old client who lives with their 43 year old mother and 70 year old grandmother. The family is poor and lives in a small apartment. The LCSW had previously met the mother when the mother provided consent for the daughter's treatment, but had not previously met the grandmother. When the client introduces the LCSW to the grandmother, the LCSW notices that the grandmother is in bed in the middle of the afternoon, appears to have an untreated infection on her arm, and the bed smells strongly of urine. The client apologizes for the mess in the apartment and says that she is working an after-school job to help her mother, who works two full-time jobs, so that they can save up for a caregiver for the grandmother, who has dementia. How should the LCSW proceed?

report suspected elder neglect (There is no evidence in the question to suggest that the child is being neglected, but the grandmother's untreated infection and urine smell suggests that she is. While the LCSW should be sensitive to the family circumstances, reporting in this case is an obligation. Doing so can help ensure that the grandmother receives the care she needs. Rather than attempting to punish the child or mother, the most likely outcome would be that the local adult protective Service Agency would connect the family with appropriate services.)

A family from Cambodia is seeing an LCSW for family therapy. During a family session, the father tells the therapist that he sometimes disciplines his 15-year-old son the same way the father had been disciplined in Cambodia when he was young: with lashes across his back, using a stick. The mother voices her objection to this form of discipline, and notes that on multiple occasions the son was left bleeding and crying. the most appropriate action for the LCSW would be to:

report suspected physical abuse to the local Child Protective Service Agency. (if the intentional striking of a child leaves an injury, it is reportable as physical abuse. It is up to the local Child Protective Service Agency to determine whether and how to involve cultural factors in their response to the abuse.)

An LCSW provided therapy for a 16 year old boy for several months with his parents' consent. A few months later. the LCSW receive a subpoena from the attorney for a classmate of the boy. The class mate accused the client of physical assault, and the classmate's family is suing to recover medical expenses. The subpoena requests complete records of the boy's treatment. The LCSW attempts to contact the client and his parents but is unsuccessful. the LCSW should:

respond to the subpoena by asserting privilege, and continue attempts to contact the client and his parents. (when clients cannot be reached to determine their preferred response to a subpoena, asserting privilege on their behalf is a reasonable default position to take.)

An LCSW is providing services to an individual client through the client's insurance plan, which the LCSW serves as an in-network provider. The LCSW provides the client with treatment for major depressive disorder and for substance use disorder, but comes to find that the insurer is only paying for claims related to the depressive disorder treatment and not the substance use treatment. How should the LCSW address the legal elements of this case?

resubmit the billing and advocate for the insurer to pay for all services to the LCSW provided Parity law demands that insurers who provide mental health coverage do so on a level parallel to their coverage for physical health treatment, and the mental health care coverage includes substance use treatment. The insurance is obligated to pay these claims. The LCSW can best demonstrate their knowledge of parity law by resubmitting the claims and advocating for payment. Simply billing under the depression code when that is not the actual issue being treated could be considered misleading.

A client on probation comes to a scheduled session with an LCSW appearing angry. The client confronts the LCSW on a report the LCSW recently filed with the probation officer, updating the probation officer on the client's attendance and therapy. (there is a release in place allowing for the report to be sent directly.) The client had been making good progress in therapy, and is disappointed that the probation officer " didn't seem to know or care." To manage their ethical responsibilities, the LCSW should:

review with the client what information is sent to the probation officer, and how that information can be used The ethical responsibility here is to review confidentiality and its limitations as needed through the therapeutic process. That reasonably includes what information is sent and how it can be used ( or, as in this case not used).]

An LCSW has been treating a 16 year old under consent from the child's father. The child's parents are divorced, and under the terms of their joint custody agreement, either parent has the authority to consent to health care on behalf of any of the couple's three children. The mother contacts the LCSW to say that she objects to the therapy and is concerned that the LCSW has not prevented the 16 year old from using marijuana. Consistent with the lcsw's legal responsibilities, the LCSW should:

say nothing to the mother, and review the custody agreement (In the absence of release of information, the mother has no right to any information about the minor's treatment - including even that the minor is a client of the LCSW. Any response to the mother that acknowledges the minor is a client could be seen as a breach of confidentiality. Further, the question stem specifically notes that either parent can consent for treatment so the LCSW does not need to establish a rule that both parents must consent. (the LCSW can establish such a rule, but they are not required to do so.) The best option is to say nothing to the mother in order to protect confidentiality, and to review the custody agreement to determine whether the mother has the right to revoke consent provided by the father. such a scenario is unlikely, but possible, and the agreement may also include other language that is instructive to the LCSW.

An LCSW working in a rural area begins taking on client to have friendships or professional relationships with other clients. to LCSW does not always know of these connections between clients when treatment begins with a new client. While the LCSW is confident in their own ability to maintain strong boundaries, they wonder what will happen if one client starts speaking about someone else in session, not knowing that that person they are speaking of is also a client, how should the LCSW address this issue?

seek consultation from other therapists who are working in rural areas (lcsws are expected to engage in consultation when doing so in clients' best interests, and this is the only option that reflects an ethical obligation in this circumstance. In this instance, the LCSW is not obligated to move to telehealth, and asking clients not to speak of specific other people in their lives would make it difficult to assess or intervene in client relationships. But the LCSW may need to take steps to manage the dual relationships that can arise in rural areas, and consultation will help the LCSW determine how to best to do so.)

An LCSW with strong religious beliefs is talking with a trans male client about the client's family history. The client reveals that his parents have strong religious beliefs, but the client described himself as an atheist and says, " I just never understood why people buy into those fairy tales." the client says he has never found comfort or strength in religious or spiritual activity. I have judgment toward those who do. the LCSW should:

show understanding of the client's beliefs and inquire further about their family history

An LCSW is close to successful termination with a father who has been in treatment for 15 sessions. The father expresses his gratitude to the LCSW, and says he would like to find a way to help families with similar needs. The LCSW is aware of an online discussion group where the father could share his experience in therapy, steering potential clients toward the LCSW and offering hope to families experiencing similar problems to the ones his own family had experienced at the beginning of therapy. Ethically, the LCSW should:

thank the father for his work in therapy, and discuss potential benefits and risks of several potential means by which the father could help similar families. (confidentiality is the client's right, and they are free to share information from therapy as they see fit.)

An LCSW is serving as a consultant for a software company that is developing a platform where prospective clients can connect with licensed mental health treatment providers, and where providers can make referrals to one another by securely sharing client data when clients have given permission to do so. The company proposes several different pricing models for therapists who wish to participate on the platform. Which of these models could social workers participate in understate law?

therapists subscribe to the service to be included in its directory; for an added subscription fee, they can be notified each time a prospective client who matches with them on specified criteria joins the platform and allows clinicians to reach out to them (Each of the first three options amounts to paying for referrals, which is specifically prohibited by law. ( in the third case, therapists might also get paid for accepting referrals; that is also legally prohibited). the final option operates like traditional advertising, which lcsws can legally pay for)

An adult client with an extensive history of gambling seeks couple therapy with his wife of 14 years. Despite the best efforts of an LCSW, the treatment fails, and the couple chooses to divorce. The man's gambling worsens, eventually leaving him bankrupt. He sues the LCSW, claiming that the lcsw's misconduct negatively impacted his mental health, causing him to lose his job and ultimately to run out of money. The LCSW believes that records of the case will ultimately lead a court to rule in the lcsw's favor, but the client refuses to release the records. Instead, the client goes on television, where he discloses his gambling and therapy history again and accuses the therapist of misconduct. legally, how should the LCSW proceed?

through an attorney, move to submit the client file into evidence (The client's accusation of a therapist breach of duty is an exception to privilege, but it is the role of the court, and not the therapist, to make that determination. The therapist should move to submit the client file into evidence and the client can raise privilege claims in dispute of this if they wish. the file should not be disclosed unless and until a judge has determined that privilege does not apply.)