MN Board of Psych Rules of Conduct

Question 0

Who is responsible for verifying a claim of competence?

Answer 0

The psychologist must demonstrate the education and training that supports the psychologist’s claim of competence.

Question 1

Who determines competence?

Answer 1

The board. The psychologist shall limit practice to the areas of competence in which proficiency has been gained through education and training or experience and which have been stated in writing to the board by the psychologist.

Question 2

When expanding your areas of competence, what must you do?

Answer 2

Engage in ongoing consultation with other psychologists or similar professionals as skills are developed in the new area and seek continuing education which corresponds to the new area.

Question 3

You are working with a child with autism who exhibits high levels of anxiety. What must you do?

Answer 3

At the beginning of the professional relationship, I must inform the minor client that the law imposes a limit on the right of privacy of the minor with respect to the minor’s communications with me (the psychologist).

Question 4

When may you disclose information without informed consent of the client?

Answer 4

When disclosure is necessary to protect against a clear and substantial risk of imminent serious harm being inflicted by the client on the client or another individual.

In such cases the private information is to be disclosed only to appropriate professional workers, public authorities, the potential victim, or the family of the client.

Question 5

You are working with a child with autism and a new staff member wants to see the programs that have been developed. What is the correct response?

Answer 5

I cannot share that information as it is limited only to the psychologist with whom the client has a professional relationship, an individual associated with the agency or facility whose duties require access, and an individual authorized to have access by the informed written consent of the client.

Question 6

When presenting information on a particular treatment protocol at a conference, what must you do?

Answer 6

Disguise the materials such that no identification of the individual occurs.

Question 7

You are collecting baseline data and notice your IOA is not adequate. You meet with the team and decide to videotape a couple sessions for training purposes. What must occur?

Answer 7

I must obtain the informed written consent of the client first.

Question 8

Can you release private information?

Answer 8

Yes, upon court order or to conform with state or federal law, rule, or regulation.

Question 9

A client wants to see your notes and data. What do you say?

Answer 9

I will allow it since the client has the right of access to the records relating to psychological services maintained by the psychologist on that client, provided the records are not classified as confidential under MN Statutes, section 13.84.

Question 10

When working with a child, you notice bruising on the child’s arm. You talk with the parents and they say the child fell down. What must you do?

Answer 10

Make a report to the proper authorities. Even if the parents were telling the truth, that is not up to me to decide.

Question 11

You are consulting with parents regarding the treatment of their child and you state you use VB combined with pivotal response training. What is wrong with this description of services?

Answer 11

A nontechnical explanation of the nature and purpose of the psychological procedures needs to be used.”VB” and “pivotal response training” are technical terms that need user-friendly definitions.

Question 12

What is the bill of rights of clients?

Answer 12

A document used to promote the interests and well-being of the patients of health care facilities. No one can require patients to waive these rights, which include:
information about rights; courteous treatment; appropriate health care; physician’s identity; relationship with other health services; information about treatment; participation in planning treatment; continuity of care; right to refuse care; experimental research; freedom from maltreatment

Question 13

A parent asks you to develop a gluten-free diet for their child. What must you do?

Answer 13

Tell them that this is beyond the scope of my training and experience and that it would not be ethical for me to do so. I would refer them to a dietician, ideally one specializing in gluten-free diets.

Question 14

A parent insists on hiring a “therapy dog” for their child and you have severe reservations regarding this treatment. What must you do?

Answer 14

I must disclose my preferences for choice of treatment and shall present other options for the consideration or choice of the client. However, it is ultimately the parents’ decision as to whether a “therapy dog” is hired.

Question 15

What are 2 conditions for terminating a professional relationship?

Answer 15

When the client is not likely to benefit from services or the services are unneeded.

Question 16

How do you inform a client when terminating services?

Answer 16

Orally or in writing; and the psychologist must assist the client in obtaining services from another professional if necessary.

Question 17

If you see a psychologist who appears to be in violation of a rule of conduct (with the exception of sexual contact, failure to report abuse), what must you do?

Answer 17

Directly communicate with or seek to counsel the other psychologist or may file a complaint directly with the board.

Question 18

If you learn that a psychologist has had a sexual relationship with a client, what must you do?

Answer 18

File a complaint with the board. The only exception is when the belief is based on information obtained by the first psychologist in the course of providing psychological services to the second psychologist.

Question 19

If a psychologist comes to you for help (counseling) and states they have an ongoing sexual relationship with a minor, what must you do?

Answer 19

Make a report to the proper authorities and file a complaint with the board. If the client were an adult, I would counsel the psychologist on the issue, reminding him or her of the MN Board of Psychology Rules of Conduct. However, I am required to report this to the authorities and the board due to mandatory child-abuse reporting laws.

Question 20

A parent comes to you for services and asks if you have worked with other families who have children with autism. You indicate you have. The parent then asks if they may contact a couple of these families to get their opinion of your services. What do you say?

Answer 20

I would tell them that I am not able to release private information such as this without consent. Further, I cannot solicit testimonials from current or previous clients.

Question 21

You have taken a new job and on the agency webpage it notes your degree and credentials and states you have completed the BCBA coursework requirements. How would you handle this?

Answer 21

I would immediately contact my supervisor and whoever was in charge of website content to ask them to remove the portion stating that I have completed BCBA coursework requirements. Even if this is true, it is not ethical to refer to the BCBA credential pertaining to someone that has not obtained that credential. It may give people the impression that this credential will be obtained when that is not necessarily the case. Instead, it could state that I have completed coursework in the field of behavior analysis.

Question 22

How is unprofessional conduct defined?

Answer 22

Any conduct violating these Rules of Conduct (parts 7200.4600 to 7200.5600) or violating those standards of professional behavior that have become established by consensus of the expert opinion of psychologists as reasonably necessary for the protection of the public interest.