MHACBO - QMHA 1 Exam Questions and Answers
(Verified Answers) Updated (Actual Exam) 2025\2026
Latest Version
What is a QMHA?
Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHAs) work within state certfied mental health programs,
assistng mental health professionals, Licensed Clinical Psychologists, and Psychiatrists.
What do QMHA's do?
QMHA's communicate with clients receiving mental health services, assist in gathering information for
evaluations, help clients reach mental health goals and report back to professionals, assist them in
overcoming barriers to participation, instruct in various living skills, provide navigation, and do safety
checks.
Whats required to be a QMHA-I?
A bachelors degree in behavioral science, or a combination of three years of education and relevant
behavioral health occupational experience. Obtain an initial competency assessment from a qualified
supervisor at a state certified mental health agency.
What are the QMHA Domains?
1. Clinical Competency
2. Professional Responsibility
3. Safety
4. Administrative Responsibility
What are the 11 tasks of clinical competency
1. Engaging Clients
2. Orienting Clients
3. Collecting information for assessments
4. Supporting Clients
5. Monitoring, Observing and reporting
6. Teaching basic and community living skills
7. Resource referral
8. Implementing Interventions
9. Enhancing clients participation
10. Assisting with activities of daily living
11. Facilitating family involvement
What is motivational interviewing?
- Identifying ambivalence
- Focusing communication on the part of the person that wants to change
- Change Talk
What is the 3rd most needed training for QMHA's?
Motivational Interviewing
What does Orienting clients consist of?
- Client Rights
- Confidentiality including mandatory reporting
- Rules and expectations
- Letting people know where things in the facility are located
What is informed consent?
, To consent to treatment they need to know what they are consenting to
What is B.A.R.F?
Benefits of proposed treatment
Alternatives of treatment
Risk associated with the treatment
Fees for the treatment
What are the two laws regarding confidentiality?
1. HIPPA
2. CFR 42 part 2
What are the exceptions to HIPPA and CFR 42 part 2?
- Mandatory reporting
- Non identifying research and education
- Audit
- Harm to self or others
- Crime
- Court order
- Medical emergency
- QSOA
- ROI
What is the reasonable person standard?
A legal premise from 1837 that asks what would a reasonable person do in this circumstance?
What is client inclusion?
Using person centered approaches and support from family and community, respectfully assisting in
helping clients with strengths, needs and goals.
What does it mean to be person centered in treatment?
Clients are active participants vs passive recipients of services
What is the modern peer consumer movement?
Active participation in treatment plan that is strengths based and that recognizes trauma and relies on
mutual respect and inclusion of clients support system
What 6 things does monitoring, observing and reporting consist of?
1. Awareness of current treatment plans, goals and tasks
2. Implements evidence based interventions
3. Observes behavior and verbal content
4. Understands and uses clinical terminology appropriately
5. Recognizes medication side effects
6. Recognizes impacts of substances on treatments
Examples of evidence based interventions?
- Active listening
- Motivational interviewing
- Crises intervention approaches
- Suicide intervention approaches
- Case management
- Referral to other evidence based programs
What is a pinpoint pupil a sign of?
Opiate intoxication
What is a diluted pupil a sign of?
Meth/ coke intoxication or opiate withdrawal
What is a horizontal or vertical gaze and eyes not tracking a sign of?
(Verified Answers) Updated (Actual Exam) 2025\2026
Latest Version
What is a QMHA?
Qualified Mental Health Associates (QMHAs) work within state certfied mental health programs,
assistng mental health professionals, Licensed Clinical Psychologists, and Psychiatrists.
What do QMHA's do?
QMHA's communicate with clients receiving mental health services, assist in gathering information for
evaluations, help clients reach mental health goals and report back to professionals, assist them in
overcoming barriers to participation, instruct in various living skills, provide navigation, and do safety
checks.
Whats required to be a QMHA-I?
A bachelors degree in behavioral science, or a combination of three years of education and relevant
behavioral health occupational experience. Obtain an initial competency assessment from a qualified
supervisor at a state certified mental health agency.
What are the QMHA Domains?
1. Clinical Competency
2. Professional Responsibility
3. Safety
4. Administrative Responsibility
What are the 11 tasks of clinical competency
1. Engaging Clients
2. Orienting Clients
3. Collecting information for assessments
4. Supporting Clients
5. Monitoring, Observing and reporting
6. Teaching basic and community living skills
7. Resource referral
8. Implementing Interventions
9. Enhancing clients participation
10. Assisting with activities of daily living
11. Facilitating family involvement
What is motivational interviewing?
- Identifying ambivalence
- Focusing communication on the part of the person that wants to change
- Change Talk
What is the 3rd most needed training for QMHA's?
Motivational Interviewing
What does Orienting clients consist of?
- Client Rights
- Confidentiality including mandatory reporting
- Rules and expectations
- Letting people know where things in the facility are located
What is informed consent?
, To consent to treatment they need to know what they are consenting to
What is B.A.R.F?
Benefits of proposed treatment
Alternatives of treatment
Risk associated with the treatment
Fees for the treatment
What are the two laws regarding confidentiality?
1. HIPPA
2. CFR 42 part 2
What are the exceptions to HIPPA and CFR 42 part 2?
- Mandatory reporting
- Non identifying research and education
- Audit
- Harm to self or others
- Crime
- Court order
- Medical emergency
- QSOA
- ROI
What is the reasonable person standard?
A legal premise from 1837 that asks what would a reasonable person do in this circumstance?
What is client inclusion?
Using person centered approaches and support from family and community, respectfully assisting in
helping clients with strengths, needs and goals.
What does it mean to be person centered in treatment?
Clients are active participants vs passive recipients of services
What is the modern peer consumer movement?
Active participation in treatment plan that is strengths based and that recognizes trauma and relies on
mutual respect and inclusion of clients support system
What 6 things does monitoring, observing and reporting consist of?
1. Awareness of current treatment plans, goals and tasks
2. Implements evidence based interventions
3. Observes behavior and verbal content
4. Understands and uses clinical terminology appropriately
5. Recognizes medication side effects
6. Recognizes impacts of substances on treatments
Examples of evidence based interventions?
- Active listening
- Motivational interviewing
- Crises intervention approaches
- Suicide intervention approaches
- Case management
- Referral to other evidence based programs
What is a pinpoint pupil a sign of?
Opiate intoxication
What is a diluted pupil a sign of?
Meth/ coke intoxication or opiate withdrawal
What is a horizontal or vertical gaze and eyes not tracking a sign of?
