Ethical Standards & Professional Conduct Flashcards

A client requests a copy of their psychotherapy notes specifically. Under HIPAA, the psychologist:

Answer: May deny access to psychotherapy notes specifically

HIPAA's Privacy Rule allows covered entities to deny client access to psychotherapy notes, which are treated differently from the general designated record set.

An employer asks a psychologist to administer personality tests to job candidates without their full knowledge of how results will be used. This arrangement raises primary concerns about:

Answer: Informed consent and potential harm to candidates

Informed consent requires that individuals understand the purpose and use of psychological assessments before participating, especially when results affect employment decisions.

The ethical principle of justice in professional psychology primarily refers to:

Answer: Providing fair and equal treatment and access to psychological services

Justice requires psychologists to be fair in their practices and to work toward equal access to psychological services across diverse populations.

A psychologist's website includes testimonials from satisfied former clients. This practice is ethically problematic primarily because:

Answer: It may exploit the trust and transference of former clients

The APA Ethics Code warns against soliciting testimonials from current or former therapy clients because the therapeutic relationship creates a power imbalance that makes truly free consent unlikely.

When conducting an independent medical examination (IME), a psychologist must make clear to the examinee that:

Answer: There is no therapist-client relationship and results will be shared with the retaining party

In forensic contexts, examiners must clarify the nature of the evaluation, including that no treatment relationship exists and that results are not confidential.

A psychologist working with a minor client learns from the child of ongoing domestic violence in the home. The mandated reporting obligation applies:

Answer: To any reasonable suspicion of child abuse, regardless of who discloses it

Mandated reporting laws apply whenever there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect, regardless of the source of information or the timeframe.

A psychologist who disagrees with a managed care company's denial of additional sessions should ethically:

Answer: Appeal the denial and assist the client in accessing alternative resources

Psychologists are ethically obligated to advocate for clients' clinical needs through appropriate channels and help clients find alternative care when services are denied.