Deck 12: Social Work Accountability and Regulation

Question 1

Rod sues a social worker for malpractice, claiming the social worker did not conduct a proper assessment. To be successful in court and receive an order for compensation, Rod must prove that the social worker:

A) Intentionally provided bad services
B) Was negligent by providing an assessment that fell below a reasonable standard of care
C) Provided an assessment that was worse than any other social worker might have provided
D) Provided an assessment that was worse than any assessment which would be provided by at least 50% of social workers in a similar situation

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The concept of "professional accountability" means that social workers are:

A) Answerable for the quality of the services that they provide to clients or others
B) Immune from being sued by clients or others
C) Held to a lower standard of conduct than the general public
D) Required to be perfect in their practice

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Under the NASW Code of Ethics, promoting social justice is an "aspirational standard." This means that promoting social justice is:

A) A minimum or baseline standard, below which social workers may be held accountable in court or by the NASW
B) A mandatory rule or law
C) An option that social workers may ignore
D) An ideal to which social workers should aspire

Answer 3

D

Question 4

For a NASW National Ethics Committee hearing panel to make a positive finding that a social workers breached Standard 1.06 regarding conflict of interest, the panel needs clear evidence that:

A) The conflict of interest was intentional
B) The conflict of interest was unintentional
C) The social worker intended to hurt the client
D) The social worker engaged in a conflict of interest, regardless of whether it was an intentional conflict of interest

Question 5

A social worker physically assaults a client. The social worker could be held accountable for this conduct through a:

A) Criminal charge
B) Professional review process conducted by the NASW
C) Civil lawsuit for compensation
D) Either a criminal charge, professional review process, or civil lawsuit

Question 6

A client is concerned that her social worker is treating her with disrespect. The most informal and least costly method of holding the social worker accountable for this misconduct is through:

A) Filing a malpractice lawsuit
B) Initiating a criminal prosecution
C) Making a complaint to the social worker's supervisor
D) Issuing a complaint with the state licensing board

Question 7

An NASW professional review hearing panel permanently revokes Xavier's NASW membership for violating the NASW Code of Ethics by sexually harassing clients. As a result, Xavier:

A) Is legally prohibited from ever practising social work
B) Is prohibited from practising social work for a maximum of 6 months
C) May continue to practice social work, provided that his agency and clients are willing to hire him
D) Is automatically guilty of a criminal offense

Question 8

One of the primary purposes of having an ethics committee within a social agency is to provide social workers and other employees with:

A) Ethics consultation
B) Legal advice
C) Clinical supervision
D) Basic skills training

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of an "administrative law" that governs certain aspects of practice by social workers who provide services within an organization that provides health or mental health services?

A) Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
B) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
C) Divorce and Family Law Act (DFLA)
D) U.S. Criminal Code

Question 10

Morticia is a social worker serving on an interprofessional team with physicians and nurses. An ethical issue arises regarding how the team should maintain appropriate professional boundaries with a client. Morticia should consider:

A) The NASW Code of Ethics only
B) The code of ethics of the professional who is the official team leader
C) The client's code of ethics
D) The codes of ethics of all the professionals who are working with the client