2
LCSW Law & Ethics Test questions with precise detailed || || || || || || || || ||
answers
1. Two social workers are dating. They are at dinner and they are talking about their clients.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
They discover that each of them is seeing a different member of the same couple for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
individual therapy. What should these social workers do? || || || || || || ||
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
|| || || || || ||
This question is about the legal responsibility of social workers outside of the therapeutic
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
setting discussing a client. || || ||
A. No action is necessary since licensed health professionals may consult for purposes of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
diagnosis and treatment without a release. || || || || ||
B. Stop the discussion and obtain releases so that such discussions in the future do not
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
breach confidentiality. ||
||
C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
D. There are no legal or ethical guidelines requiring social workers in such situations to do
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
anything. - ✔✔C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
The rules of confidentiality would require the social workers to stop the discussion and not
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
talk about these clients.
|| || ||
2. Revocation of a LCSW's license after having been found to have engaged in sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
misconduct with a client would occur after: || || || || || ||
Content Area: Ethics: Professional Competence and Preventing Harm
|| || || || || || ||
,2
This question tests your knowledge of the penalties for social workers having sex with a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
client.
A. A social worker filed a complaint with the BBS on behalf of a client.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
relationship.
C. The social worker gives the client the pamphlet "Professional Therapy Never Includes
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Sex" and discusses it with the client.
|| || || || || ||
D. The BBS cites the offending social worker within 10 years of the statute of limitations. -
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
✔✔B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
relationship.
Terminating therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship with a client is prohibited.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
3. Your client, George, tells you that his mother just got remarried. He tells you that he is
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
worried that the new husband's children are going to go after his inheritance. He tells you
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
that he has very little contact with the new family and wants to keep it that way. What is
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
your legal obligation?
|| ||
Content Area: Law: Limits to Confidentiality/Mandated Reporting
|| || || || || ||
This question tests your knowledge of how to proceed when you may need to assess for or
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
report elder abuse. || ||
A. You must asses for elder abuse, considering "undue influence" regarding the mother's
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
estate.
,2
B. You should refer the client to an attorney to determine if he has a case.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Report elder abuse, considering "abandonment" because he has "very little contact" with
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
his mother. - ✔✔C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
mother.
You would maintain confidentiality because you do not know his mother's age and you do
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
not have "reasonable suspicion" of elder abuse.
|| || || || || ||
4. Ki is a 26-year-old Korean who immigrated to the U.S. with his father 10 years ago. Ki
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
wants to be an artist but his father has saved his money and demands that Ki goes to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
medical school like his grandfather. Ki says he's depressed and he would rather die than
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
become a doctor. He says he's too stupid to pass the classes in medical school anyway. He
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
doesn't know how to tell his father. The social worker determines that Ki is not suicidal.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
The most appropriate ethical intervention is to:
|| || || || || ||
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
|| || || ||
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to cultural
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
competence.
A. Recognize the importance of cultural considerations and acknowledge that Ki may have
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
to follow his father's wishes.
|| || || ||
B. Ask Ki to bring his father in for a family session because of cultural values that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
encourage respect for elders. || || ||
, 2
C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits o - ✔✔C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may change some of his family values.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Informing a client about the risks and benefits of therapy which includes altering their
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
sense of self and their family, is an ethical obligation.
|| || || || || || || || ||
5. June discloses that she had been molested by a step-brother when she was 15. She is now
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
28 and was divorced from her husband three years ago. Before seeing you, she saw another
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapist and she has just told you that she had sex with him. She wants therapy to focus on
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the stormy relationship issues that led to her divorce, not on past sexual molestation or
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
exploitation. You would: || ||
Content Area: Law: Legal Standards for Professional Practice, tests your understanding of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
the legal responsibilities of therapists who learn that a client has had sex with a previous
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapist.
A. Respect her wishes and continue to focus on resolving the issues on which she wants to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
work.
B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
options.
C. Report the therapist to the BBS to protect the other therapist's present and future clients.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Work on the sexual exploitation in therapy. - ✔✔B. Give her the brochure "Professional
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
|| || || || || || ||
Therapist sex with a client is prohibited. When a client reveals that s/he has had sex with a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
former therapist, the treating mental health professional is required to give her/him the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex," as well as discuss it with them.
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
LCSW Law & Ethics Test questions with precise detailed || || || || || || || || ||
answers
1. Two social workers are dating. They are at dinner and they are talking about their clients.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
They discover that each of them is seeing a different member of the same couple for
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
individual therapy. What should these social workers do? || || || || || || ||
Content Area: Law: Confidentiality, Privilege, and Consent
|| || || || || ||
This question is about the legal responsibility of social workers outside of the therapeutic
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
setting discussing a client. || || ||
A. No action is necessary since licensed health professionals may consult for purposes of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
diagnosis and treatment without a release. || || || || ||
B. Stop the discussion and obtain releases so that such discussions in the future do not
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
breach confidentiality. ||
||
C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
D. There are no legal or ethical guidelines requiring social workers in such situations to do
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
anything. - ✔✔C. Stop the discussion and do not talk about these clients again.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
The rules of confidentiality would require the social workers to stop the discussion and not
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
talk about these clients.
|| || ||
2. Revocation of a LCSW's license after having been found to have engaged in sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
misconduct with a client would occur after: || || || || || ||
Content Area: Ethics: Professional Competence and Preventing Harm
|| || || || || || ||
,2
This question tests your knowledge of the penalties for social workers having sex with a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
client.
A. A social worker filed a complaint with the BBS on behalf of a client.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
relationship.
C. The social worker gives the client the pamphlet "Professional Therapy Never Includes
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Sex" and discusses it with the client.
|| || || || || ||
D. The BBS cites the offending social worker within 10 years of the statute of limitations. -
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
✔✔B. The BBS found that the therapist terminated therapy in order to pursue a sexual
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
relationship.
Terminating therapy in order to pursue a sexual relationship with a client is prohibited.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
3. Your client, George, tells you that his mother just got remarried. He tells you that he is
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
worried that the new husband's children are going to go after his inheritance. He tells you
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
that he has very little contact with the new family and wants to keep it that way. What is
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
your legal obligation?
|| ||
Content Area: Law: Limits to Confidentiality/Mandated Reporting
|| || || || || ||
This question tests your knowledge of how to proceed when you may need to assess for or
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
report elder abuse. || ||
A. You must asses for elder abuse, considering "undue influence" regarding the mother's
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
estate.
,2
B. You should refer the client to an attorney to determine if he has a case.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the mother.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Report elder abuse, considering "abandonment" because he has "very little contact" with
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
his mother. - ✔✔C. Maintain confidentiality because you do not know the age of the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
mother.
You would maintain confidentiality because you do not know his mother's age and you do
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
not have "reasonable suspicion" of elder abuse.
|| || || || || ||
4. Ki is a 26-year-old Korean who immigrated to the U.S. with his father 10 years ago. Ki
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
wants to be an artist but his father has saved his money and demands that Ki goes to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
medical school like his grandfather. Ki says he's depressed and he would rather die than
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
become a doctor. He says he's too stupid to pass the classes in medical school anyway. He
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
doesn't know how to tell his father. The social worker determines that Ki is not suicidal.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
The most appropriate ethical intervention is to:
|| || || || || ||
Content Area: Ethics: Therapeutic Relationship/Services
|| || || ||
This question tests your knowledge of the ethical obligations that pertain to cultural
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
competence.
A. Recognize the importance of cultural considerations and acknowledge that Ki may have
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
to follow his father's wishes.
|| || || ||
B. Ask Ki to bring his father in for a family session because of cultural values that
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
encourage respect for elders. || || ||
, 2
C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits o - ✔✔C. Inform Ki that the risks and benefits of
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapy may be that he "finds himself" but may change some of his family values.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Informing a client about the risks and benefits of therapy which includes altering their
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
sense of self and their family, is an ethical obligation.
|| || || || || || || || ||
5. June discloses that she had been molested by a step-brother when she was 15. She is now
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
28 and was divorced from her husband three years ago. Before seeing you, she saw another
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapist and she has just told you that she had sex with him. She wants therapy to focus on
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
the stormy relationship issues that led to her divorce, not on past sexual molestation or
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
exploitation. You would: || ||
Content Area: Law: Legal Standards for Professional Practice, tests your understanding of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
the legal responsibilities of therapists who learn that a client has had sex with a previous
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
therapist.
A. Respect her wishes and continue to focus on resolving the issues on which she wants to
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
work.
B. Give her the brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
options.
C. Report the therapist to the BBS to protect the other therapist's present and future clients.
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Work on the sexual exploitation in therapy. - ✔✔B. Give her the brochure "Professional
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
Therapy Never Includes Sex" and discuss her options.
|| || || || || || ||
Therapist sex with a client is prohibited. When a client reveals that s/he has had sex with a
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
former therapist, the treating mental health professional is required to give her/him the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
brochure "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex," as well as discuss it with them.
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
