Deck 4: Professionalism and Professional Relationships

Question 1

Once you are a licensed professional,

A) you no longer need to engage in learning activities.
B) you need to remain dedicated to on-going learning.
C) You may choose whether or not to engage in professional development.
D) professional development is only necessary if you change jobs.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is FALSE about professional relationships?

A) The practitioner is responsible for structuring the relationship and for making it work as effectively as possible.
B) The relationship is collaborative in many ways.
C) Conversations are more goal-oriented than in personal relationships.
D) There is equal focus on the client's and the professional's problems.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Clients sometimes begin treating the professional relationship with the practitioner as the same as a relationship with all of the following EXCEPT

A) a doctor.
B) a parent.
C) a friend.
D) a child.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true about areas of competence?

A) They are narrower for beginning practitioners.
B) They are areas in which you compete with other professionals.
C) They are identified by the professional organization and licensing board.
D) They are within your scope of practice.

Question 5

Which of the following statements gives the BEST definition of a "mediator"?

A) A mediator provides an impartial forum for disputing parties to discuss misunderstandings and hopefully reach an acceptable resolution.
B) A mediator mediates situations.
C) A mediator listens to both sides in a dispute and gives a ruling as to which party is correct.
D) A mediator is responsible for the media requirements of a private practice or other organization.

Question 6

One way to get the most from supervision is to

A) engage in non-judgmental self-reflection that allows you to share successes and missteps with your supervisor.
B) let the supervisor know that you are doing fine with your clients so he/she knows what a great therapist you are.
C) only share your successes.
D) engage in self-criticism to highlight areas of discouragement.

Question 7

Professional behavior should be guided by

A) personal values and ethical guidelines.
B) professional values and ethical guidelines.
C) past professional behaviors.
D) professional relationships with clients.

Question 8

What does "fiduciary relationship" mean?

A) The client has confidence in the practitioner based on the expertise, superior knowledge, and education of the practitioner.
B) The client has more power than the practitioner and can dictate the course of therapy based on his/her superior knowledge of the situation.
C) The client holds more responsibility since the client must do adequate research into the nature of the professional relationship before engaging in a professional relationship with a practitioner.
D) The client expects the practitioner, as the expert, to solve all of his/her problems for him, which is the reason why the client is paying the practitioner in the first place.

Question 9

Professional relationships differ from friendships in all of the following ways EXCEPT

A) whether empathy is necessary.
B) who has the most power or responsibility for the relationship.
C) whether it involves payment for services.
D) whether there is mutual sharing of information.

Question 10

When working collaboratively with other professionals,

A) one professional may take the lead and tell the others what is most appropriate in the situation.
B) different professionals working toward the same goal should use the same methods to ensure continuity of care.
C) debate over the most effective treatment, with each professional defending his/her theoretical perspective.
D) different professionals working toward the same goal may use different methods.

Question 11

Roles in which a generalist may work include all of the following EXCEPT

A) practicing outside of one's scope of practice to provide what the client needs.
B) case management or coordination to provide interagency coordination and monitoring of services.
C) brokering access to services by helping the client alleviate fears.
D) advocating to obtain services or improve political, social, or environmental conditions.

Question 12

The role of the helping professional is not as clearly defined as that of other professionals due to all of the following EXCEPT

A) the clientele is diverse.
B) situations vary extensively.
C) the governing organizations have unclear ethical guidelines.
D) training is not standardized.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT an aspect of professional demeanor?

A) Timeliness and organization.
B) Appropriate dress.
C) Using age appropriate and culturally appropriate language.
D) Using psychological terminology to show your uneducated client that you are an expert.

Question 14

Scope of practice involves

A) knowing what activities, knowledge, and skills identified by licensing boards and professional organizations relate to your discipline.
B) practicing activities and skills based on the needs of the client, regardless of whether you have received training for the activity.
C) using your personal values to guide your professional behavior.
D) only working with individuals who are of the same cultural background as you.

Question 15

Working cooperatively and productively in interdisciplinary teams is an important aspect of

A) maintaining personal boundaries.
B) advocacy.
C) serving clients as a professional.
D) ethical behavior.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate reason to terminate a practitioner-client relationship?

A) You and your client agreed at the beginning that you would only work together for 8 weeks.
B) Your client talks about the same thing every session and you are bored.
C) Your client has achieved her goals and resolved the issues that brought her to see you.
D) Your client does not have the money to pay you for your services.

Question 17

Effective supervision involves all of the following EXCEPT

A) discussing cases with your supervisor.
B) having your supervisor tell you you're doing a great job without providing areas of improvement.
C) having your supervisor watch examples of your work.
D) having your supervisor observe you working with clients.

Question 18

Which of the following is a beneficial question/statement to address in supervision?

A) My clients are great, and I don't have any questions.
B) I totally blanked and couldn't think of a question to ask my client. I am incompetent and shouldn't be working in this field.
C) I felt very uncomfortable when the client said that her partner hit her child. I wonder what led to my discomfort.
D) My client didn't show up for session for the third time in a row, but it's okay. I'll figure something out on my own.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a way in which you should advocate for your clients?

A) Be involved with issues related to laws regulating insurance and managed care.
B) Contacting your legislature about addressing threats in the environment.
C) File a lawsuit on behalf of your client.
D) Join local, state, or national professional organizations.

Question 20

It is up to the _______ to explain the unique nature of the professional relationship to the client.

A) client
B) referral source
C) practitioner
D) licensing board

Question 21

As a helping professional, your professional and personal life should be kept separate. Therefore, people will not judge your professionalism based on what you do when you are off the job.

Question 22

You are working at a community mental health center in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood. How might you advocate for human rights and social and economic justice?

Question 23

One good way to maintain professionalism is to note what other professionals in your setting are wearing and dress in a similar manner.

Question 24

You are a graduate student who works hard and does well with your clients in your practicum. You are professional and dependable, and your supervisors praise your competence. On Friday nights, after a long week of work, you like to let loose a little and enjoy life, which usually consists of having several drinks to help you loosen up, dressing up, and going out with a group of friends to several of the local dance clubs and bars. Since your Friday night entertainment is considered your personal life, why might it be a problem with regard to your professional life? Give three examples of how your "clubbing activities" may pose a problem in your professional life.

Question 25

What are four unique aspects of the client-practitioner relationship that differs from other relationships a client may have?

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT an appropriate statement to deal with the emotional side of the professional relationship?

A) "How are you feeling about your relationship with me and the work we are doing together?"
B) "I noticed that you became very quiet and looked down when I mentioned rescheduling next week's session. What were you feeling?"
C) "Last session, you became very angry, yelled at me, and stormed out of the room. It seems that you blame your spouse for your being in therapy?"
D) "You need to be able to control your temper in session because we are here to work on your relationship with your spouse, and I'm not being paid to work on your emotional problems."

Question 27

You are a newly licensed practitioner and have just started your first job on a community mental health team. List three ways in which you could engage in career-long learning to maintain licensure.

Question 28

You are completing your first practicum at a community counseling center. One of your clients comes into treatment for her depressive symptoms. She shares in the session that she was recently raped, and that those memories are contributing to her depressive symptoms. You have no idea what to do as you haven't learned about working with clients with a trauma history. You are feeling quite incompetent and stressed. How might you appropriately use supervision and consultation in this situation?

Question 29

When working with clients, the professional should

A) Focus on understanding a situation or problem from the client's point of view.
B) Apply his/her own point of view to the client's situation to provide alternative solutions.
C) Base suggestions on personal opinions and what the professional would do in the situation.
D) Allow personal values to influence professional behavior.

Question 30

Jane is working with a client, Joe, with a substance use problem. Which of the following is one of Jane's obligations?

A) Jane should advise Joe that she has been having a difficult day and may not be able to concentrate as fully on the session, and ask Joe if they can use the session to debrief about the stresses of her day.
B) Jane should share her personal struggles with alcohol with Joe and tell Joe what to do in his case, based on her personal experience.
C) Jane should strive to learn more about Joe than Joe learns about Jane.
D) Jane should advise Joe that substance abuse indicates a lack of willpower, and that she will only work with clients who have the personal qualities of motivation and willpower.