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TX SW Juris practice questions

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Question 1Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

The Texas statute that governs the licensure and practice of social work, including the scope of practice for each license level, is codified in which chapter of the Occupations Code?

  1. Chapter 505 Correct answer.
  2. Chapter 551
  3. Chapter 501
  4. Chapter 507

Explanation

The Social Work Practice Act is codified as Occupations Code, Chapter 505. It establishes the license levels, the requirements for each, and the disciplinary authority over social workers in Texas.

Question 2Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which of the following is a license level established under the Texas Social Work Practice Act?

  1. Registered Social Work Aide
  2. Licensed Social Work Technician
  3. Licensed Master Social Worker Correct answer.
  4. Certified Social Work Associate

Explanation

Chapter 505 creates three social work licenses: Licensed Bachelor Social Worker, Licensed Master Social Worker, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The other titles do not exist under the Act and may not be used to suggest licensure.

Question 3Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Under Chapter 505, 'clinical social work' is defined as the use of social work methods and theory in the diagnosis and treatment of:

  1. mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders Correct answer.
  2. organizational budgets and personnel systems
  3. community zoning and public infrastructure
  4. housing placement and benefits eligibility

Explanation

The Act defines clinical social work around the diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, conditions, and addictions. That definition is what separates clinical practice from other social work services.

Question 4Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A person who holds no Texas social work license describes herself as a 'Licensed Clinical Social Worker' on her business cards. Under the Act, this is:

  1. permitted if she holds a master's degree in a related field
  2. permitted if she works under a physician's supervision
  3. permitted if she charges no fee for services
  4. prohibited because the titles are reserved for license holders Correct answer.

Explanation

Chapter 505 restricts the licensure titles and their abbreviations to persons actually licensed at that level. Using a protected title without the corresponding license misrepresents the person's credentials and violates the Act.

Question 5Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

The minimum educational credential required for licensure as a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) is:

  1. an associate degree in human services
  2. a master's degree in social work
  3. a bachelor's degree in any field plus one year of experience
  4. a bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited program Correct answer.

Explanation

The baccalaureate license requires a bachelor's degree in social work from a program accredited by the recognized social work accrediting body, along with passing the required examination. Degrees in unrelated fields do not satisfy the education requirement.

Question 6Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which license holder may independently provide clinical social work services, including diagnosis and psychotherapy, without clinical supervision?

  1. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Correct answer.
  2. Licensed Bachelor Social Worker
  3. A social work intern in an accredited program
  4. Licensed Master Social Worker

Explanation

The clinical license is the level at which a social worker may practice clinical social work independently. Master's-level licensees may deliver clinical services only under the supervision required by board rule, and baccalaureate licensees do not provide clinical services.

Question 7Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A social worker generally may disclose confidential information obtained from a client when:

  1. a colleague is curious about the case
  2. the social worker changes employers
  3. the client authorizes the release in writing Correct answer.
  4. the client's employer requests it

Explanation

Confidentiality under the Act yields when the client gives valid authorization or when disclosure is required or permitted by law, such as a court order or a mandated abuse report. Curiosity of others or a change of employment is not an exception.

Question 8Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Under Chapter 505, a person may perform social work services for compensation only if the person:

  1. is supervised by any licensed health professional
  2. has a bachelor's degree in a helping profession
  3. has at least five years of related experience
  4. holds a license issued under the chapter Correct answer.

Explanation

Licensure is the mechanism the Act uses to protect the public, so compensated social work practice requires a license issued under Chapter 505. Neither experience nor supervision by an unrelated professional substitutes for holding the license.

Question 9Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

In addition to holding a master's or doctoral degree in social work, an applicant for the LCSW license must complete:

  1. a residency in a psychiatric hospital
  2. an internship of at least six weeks
  3. a doctoral dissertation in clinical practice
  4. supervised clinical experience and passing the required examination Correct answer.

Explanation

The clinical license builds on the graduate social work degree with a required period of supervised clinical social work experience and a passing score on the clinical examination. Board rules specify the hour and time requirements for that supervised experience.

Question 10Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Before a social work license is issued in Texas, the applicant must pass, in addition to the licensing examination:

  1. an examination covering the Act and board rules Correct answer.
  2. a CPR and first aid certification course
  3. a background check conducted by a physician
  4. an oral interview before the full board

Explanation

Texas requires applicants to demonstrate knowledge of the Social Work Practice Act and the board's rules through a jurisprudence examination. This requirement is separate from the national licensing examination that tests practice knowledge.

Question 11Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which conduct is a ground for disciplinary action against a license holder under Chapter 505?

  1. Charging a fee for professional services
  2. Declining a client who cannot pay the full fee
  3. Referring a client to another qualified provider
  4. Obtaining the license through fraud or misrepresentation Correct answer.

Explanation

Procuring a license by fraud or misrepresentation undermines the integrity of the licensing system and is expressly a basis for discipline. Legitimate business decisions such as setting fees or making appropriate referrals are not violations.

Question 12Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Texas social workers must satisfy continuing education requirements in order to:

  1. supervise other social workers
  2. renew their license Correct answer.
  3. qualify for an additional license level
  4. increase their fee schedule

Explanation

Continuing education is a condition of license renewal, and the board sets the number of required hours and any specified content areas by rule. Completing hours does not by itself raise a licensee to a higher license level or create supervision authority.

Question 13Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

On what cycle is a Texas social work license renewed?

  1. Every three years
  2. Annually
  3. Every two years Correct answer.
  4. Every five years

Explanation

Texas social work licenses are renewed biennially, and renewal is conditioned on completing the continuing education required for the period. A licensee who continues to practice after the license lapses is practicing without a license.

Question 14Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Under Chapter 505, 'independent practice' refers to social work practice by a licensee who:

  1. has more than five years of experience
  2. owns any type of business corporation
  3. is self-employed rather than an employee of an agency Correct answer.
  4. works without any supervision in any setting

Explanation

The Act ties independent practice to the licensee's relationship to the work: the licensee is self-employed and not an employee of an agency or organization, and is responsible for the services delivered. Experience alone does not create independent practice.

Question 15Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

During a session, a client reveals that she has been physically abusing her child. The social worker must:

  1. maintain confidentiality because the client holds the privilege
  2. wait until the next session to confirm the details
  3. discuss the report with the client's extended family first
  4. report the suspected abuse to the appropriate state agency Correct answer.

Explanation

Confidentiality yields to the legal duty to report suspected child abuse, and the report is made to the designated state agency. The social worker does not need to investigate or corroborate before reporting, and family consultation is not a substitute.

Question 16Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A social worker licensed in another state moves to Texas and wants a Texas license. Under the Act, the board may:

  1. waive all requirements automatically for any out-of-state licensee
  2. issue a temporary license that never expires
  3. require the applicant to repeat a bachelor's degree program
  4. issue a license to an applicant with substantially equivalent qualifications Correct answer.

Explanation

The Act permits licensure of out-of-state applicants whose education and experience the board finds substantially equivalent to Texas requirements, typically subject to examination and verification. There is no automatic waiver of Texas requirements.

Question 17Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A social worker engages in sexual contact with a current client who consents. Under the Act, this conduct is:

  1. a matter solely for the client's insurer
  2. acceptable only in non-clinical settings
  3. a ground for discipline even if the client consents Correct answer.
  4. acceptable if documented in the case record

Explanation

Sexual contact with a client is prohibited conduct and a basis for disciplinary action regardless of the client's agreement, because the professional relationship makes genuine consent impossible. Documentation does not legitimize the conduct.

Question 18Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which task falls within the lawful scope of a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker?

  1. Independently providing psychotherapy in a private practice
  2. Supervising an LMSW who is earning clinical hours
  3. Independently diagnosing a client with a mental disorder
  4. Providing non-clinical services within the license's scope Correct answer.

Explanation

The baccalaureate license authorizes general, non-clinical social work services, performed within the boundaries of the license and applicable supervision requirements. Diagnosis, psychotherapy, and clinical supervision require higher-level licensure.

Question 19Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

The Act defines 'social work' as the application of social work methods and theory to help individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to:

  1. resolve legal disputes through arbitration
  2. increase their household income
  3. enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning Correct answer.
  4. obtain medical diagnoses from physicians

Explanation

The statutory definition focuses on enhancing or restoring capacity for social functioning and creating conditions favorable to client goals. It reaches practice at individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels.

Question 20Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A Licensed Master Social Worker provides clinical social work services. Under the Act and board rules, the LMSW must:

  1. hold a separate state certification in counseling
  2. limit the practice to six months after graduation
  3. obtain a physician's signature on each treatment plan
  4. practice under clinical supervision as required by board rule Correct answer.

Explanation

Master's-level licensees may deliver clinical services only while under the clinical supervision the board requires, by a qualified clinical supervisor. The supervision requirement protects clients while the licensee builds the experience needed for the clinical license.

Question 21Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A Texas LCSW who lives in Texas provides video therapy to a client who recently relocated to another state. What does the Act require?

  1. The worker must transfer the case to a relative of the client
  2. The worker must meet the licensing requirements where the client is located Correct answer.
  3. The Texas license authorizes practice anywhere in the United States
  4. No license is required for services delivered by video

Explanation

Professional practice occurs where the client is located, so a Texas licensee serving a client in another state must satisfy that state's licensure requirements as well as Texas law. A Texas license has no extraterritorial effect on its own.

Question 22Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LMSW's clinical supervisor allows her own Texas license to lapse for four months but continues to sign off on the LMSW's supervised hours during that period. What is the effect on those hours?

  1. The hours count if the LMSW later passes the clinical exam
  2. The hours count because the supervisor's training is unchanged
  3. The hours are invalid because supervision must come from a currently licensed supervisor Correct answer.
  4. The hours count at half value toward the clinical license

Explanation

Supervision only qualifies when it is provided by a supervisor who holds a valid license authorizing that supervision. Hours accrued under a lapsed supervisor do not meet the requirement and would not be credited toward the clinical license.

Question 23Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LCSW in a busy clinic asks an unlicensed receptionist to administer a standardized depression inventory, score it, and discuss the results with the client. This arrangement:

  1. is acceptable if the receptionist receives on-the-job training
  2. violates the Act because the aide is performing social work Correct answer.
  3. is acceptable if the LCSW reviews the score later
  4. is acceptable because testing is not a social work service

Explanation

Administering and interpreting assessment instruments and discussing results with clients are professional services that require licensure. A licensee may not delegate such functions to unlicensed staff, and doing so can support a charge of aiding unlicensed practice.

Question 24Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A social worker posts a story on a public social media account describing a client's unusual presenting problem and the small town where the client lives. This post:

  1. is acceptable because no name is used
  2. breaches confidentiality because the client can be identified Correct answer.
  3. is acceptable if the client never sees the post
  4. is acceptable if the post is deleted within a day

Explanation

Confidentiality protects information that identifies a client, whether directly or through a combination of details. A vivid clinical description tied to a small community can identify the client even without a name, so the post is an impermissible disclosure.

Question 25Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An applicant holds a master's degree in counseling psychology and has worked at a mental health agency for six years. May the board license her as an LMSW?

  1. Yes, if she passes the jurisprudence examination
  2. No, because the Act requires a doctoral degree for that license
  3. Yes, because any master's degree in a mental health field qualifies
  4. No, because the master's degree must be in social work from an accredited program Correct answer.

Explanation

The master's-level social work license requires a master's or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited social work program, not a degree in another mental health discipline. Work experience and jurisprudence examination scores do not substitute for the required degree.

Question 26Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

What is the minimum educational credential required for licensure as a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker in Texas?

  1. A bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited social work program Correct answer.
  2. An associate degree in human services plus one year of supervised experience
  3. A master's degree in social work from an accredited program
  4. A bachelor's degree in any field with 30 semester hours of social work coursework

Explanation

Chapter 505 requires the LBSW applicant to hold a bachelor's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, or a program the board determines is substantially equivalent. Degrees in unrelated fields do not qualify for the bachelor's-level license.

Question 27Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Under Chapter 505, who may use the title 'Licensed Clinical Social Worker'?

  1. Any social worker who holds a master's degree in social work
  2. A social worker employed by a clinic that provides psychotherapy
  3. A person who holds a current LCSW license issued by the board Correct answer.
  4. An LMSW who has begun supervised clinical experience

Explanation

Chapter 505 restricts the use of the clinical title and its abbreviation to persons who actually hold the LCSW license. Holding a master's degree or working in a clinical setting does not authorize use of the title.

Question 28Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which body issues social work licenses in Texas?

  1. The Health and Human Services Commission
  2. The Texas Board of Behavioral Health Examiners
  3. The Texas Medical Board
  4. The Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners Correct answer.

Explanation

Chapter 505 creates the Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners and gives it authority to license and regulate social workers. Other agencies may provide administrative support, but they do not themselves issue social work licenses.

Question 29Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Under Chapter 505, clinical social work is the application of social work methods and theory in the:

  1. organization and administration of social service programs
  2. diagnosis and treatment of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders Correct answer.
  3. development of public policy affecting social welfare
  4. provision of case management and community referral

Explanation

The Act distinguishes clinical social work, which centers on diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders, from non-clinical social work services. Administrative, policy, and referral activities fall on the non-clinical side of that line.

Question 30Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which of these activities is an example of non-clinical social work?

  1. Interpreting a personality test to formulate a treatment plan
  2. Helping a client apply for a housing subsidy and linking her to community resources Correct answer.
  3. Diagnosing a client with an anxiety disorder
  4. Conducting psychotherapy with a client who has depression

Explanation

Non-clinical social work includes case management, advocacy, information and referral, and community resource linkage. Diagnosis, psychotherapy, and test-based treatment planning are clinical services.

Question 31Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A social worker's license expires on March 31, but she continues to see clients through June without renewing. Under the Act, her conduct is:

  1. Acceptable if she discloses the lapse to her clients
  2. A violation subject to disciplinary action by the board Correct answer.
  3. Permissible because her qualifications have not changed
  4. Permissible if she completes her continuing education first

Explanation

Practicing social work after the license expires is practicing without a current license, which is prohibited and exposes the licensee to disciplinary action. Continuing education or disclosure to clients does not cure the lapse; the license must be renewed or reinstated before practice resumes.

Question 32Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LMSW who is accumulating the clinical experience required for the LCSW license must be supervised by:

  1. An agency administrator with five years of social service experience
  2. Any social worker who holds a master's degree in social work
  3. A licensed psychologist employed at the same agency
  4. A board-approved LCSW clinical supervisor Correct answer.

Explanation

Clinical experience credited toward the LCSW must be obtained under a clinical supervisor who is an LCSW approved by the board for supervision. Neither a master's-level license alone nor non-social-work credentials satisfy the supervision requirement.

Question 33Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Who may file a complaint with the board alleging that a licensee violated Chapter 505?

  1. Only the licensee's employer or supervisor
  2. Only a client who received services from the licensee
  3. Any person Correct answer.
  4. Only another licensed social worker

Explanation

The board accepts complaints from any source, including clients, family members, employers, colleagues, and the public, and may also initiate an investigation on its own. A complainant need not be a client or a licensee.

Question 34Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LCSW provides clinical supervision to an LMSW. Which statement best describes the supervisor's duty?

  1. The supervisor is responsible only for the supervisee's administrative tasks
  2. The supervisor is responsible only for services she personally observes
  3. The supervisor must co-sign every progress note the supervisee writes
  4. The supervisor oversees and is accountable for the supervisee's clinical work Correct answer.

Explanation

A clinical supervisor accepts responsibility for the quality of the supervisee's clinical services and must provide the required amount and type of supervision. Accountability is not limited to services the supervisor happens to observe.

Question 35Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A physician refers several clients to an LCSW and asks for 20 percent of the fee for each referred client. Under board rules, the LCSW may:

  1. Not pay the percentage, because paying for client referrals is prohibited Correct answer.
  2. Pay the percentage if it is documented in the physician's records
  3. Pay the percentage because physicians may accept referral fees
  4. Pay the percentage if the physician discloses it to the clients

Explanation

Paying or receiving compensation for the referral of clients is fee splitting and is prohibited because it places financial gain above the client's interest. Client disclosure or documentation does not make the arrangement permissible.

Question 36Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee in solo practice must close her office on short notice because of a family emergency. To comply with her professional obligations, she should:

  1. Notify clients by a public social media post and close the practice
  2. Ask a colleague to take over the caseload without informing the clients
  3. Refund unused fees and end services without further contact
  4. Give clients notice and provide referrals or another plan for continuity of care Correct answer.

Explanation

A licensee may not abandon clients; when services must end or be interrupted, the licensee must give notice and arrange appropriate referrals or continuity of care. Public posting and silent withdrawal do not satisfy that duty.

Question 37Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Before beginning a counseling relationship, a licensee should obtain the client's informed consent, which includes:

  1. The client's agreement not to terminate services without 30 days' notice
  2. A guarantee that the client's goals will be met
  3. Information about the nature of services, fees, confidentiality, and its limits Correct answer.
  4. A waiver of the client's right to file a board complaint

Explanation

Informed consent means the client understands the nature of the services, the fees, the limits of confidentiality, and other material terms before treatment begins. Clients cannot be asked to waive rights, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

Question 38Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee is asked to evaluate a client in an area in which she has no training or experience. Consistent with the Act, she should:

  1. Accept the case if the client signs a written waiver
  2. Decline all future referrals from that source
  3. Practice within her competence and refer or seek needed training and supervision Correct answer.
  4. Accept the case and learn the necessary methods while working with the client

Explanation

A licensee must limit practice to areas in which she is competent and must obtain the training, consultation, or supervision needed, or refer the client elsewhere. Learning a new specialty on a live case without safeguards is practicing outside one's competence.

Question 39Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A client offers to sell the licensee a car at a steep discount in exchange for continued services. The licensee should:

  1. Accept if the discount is documented in the client record
  2. Accept if the client is the one who initiated the offer
  3. Decline the arrangement, because it creates a conflict of interest and potential exploitation Correct answer.
  4. Accept if the value of the car equals the fees owed

Explanation

Entering a financial or personal relationship with a client creates a conflict of interest and risks exploitation, and client-initiated offers do not cure that risk. Documentation or rough equivalency of value does not make such an arrangement appropriate.

Question 40Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A former client asks for a copy of her clinical record. Under board rules, the licensee should:

  1. Refuse, because services have already ended
  2. Refuse, because the record belongs solely to the licensee
  3. Provide a copy, withholding only information whose disclosure would be harmful to the client Correct answer.
  4. Provide the record only if the client pays for future services

Explanation

Licensees must maintain records and generally must make them available to the client on request, limiting access only where disclosure would be harmful to the client. The licensee's ownership of the physical record does not defeat the client's access rights.

Question 41Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LCSW program director allows an unlicensed case aide to conduct therapy sessions alone and signs the aide's notes as though supervision had occurred. This conduct is:

  1. Acceptable, because the aide works under the LCSW's license
  2. Acceptable, if the aide holds a bachelor's degree in psychology
  3. A violation, because a licensee may not aid or abet unlicensed practice Correct answer.
  4. Acceptable, if clients are not billed for the aide's sessions

Explanation

A licensee may not assist, encourage, or conceal social work practice by an unlicensed person, and falsifying supervision records compounds the violation. An unlicensed aide cannot provide therapy regardless of the degree held or whether the service is billed.

Question 42Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee is unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety because of chemical dependency. Under the Act, the licensee:

  1. May continue practicing if a colleague monitors him informally
  2. Is subject to discipline only if a client files a complaint
  3. Faces possible board action, including a required evaluation before returning to practice Correct answer.
  4. Is protected from discipline because impairment is considered a disability under the Act

Explanation

Impairment that prevents a licensee from practicing with reasonable skill and safety is a ground for board action, and the board may require an evaluation and compliance with treatment conditions before practice resumes. Informal monitoring by a colleague does not satisfy the board's process.

Question 43Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee's website states that she is 'board certified in psychotherapy' although she holds no such certification. Under the Act, this statement is:

  1. Acceptable, if the statement does not name a specific client
  2. Acceptable, if a disclaimer appears in small print
  3. Acceptable, because websites are not regulated
  4. A violation, because credentials in advertising must not be false or misleading Correct answer.

Explanation

Advertising and public representations about a licensee's credentials must be accurate and not misleading, and this applies to websites and other electronic media. A small-print disclaimer does not cure a false claim of certification.

Question 44Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee wishes to consult with a specialist about a difficult case. Under board rules, she may share client information:

  1. For professional purposes, sharing only the information necessary Correct answer.
  2. Only if the client's attorney approves the consultation
  3. With any colleague, since consultation is always privileged
  4. Only after the client has been discharged from services

Explanation

Consultation for professional purposes is a recognized practice, but the licensee must limit disclosure to what is necessary and protect identifying information where possible or obtain appropriate consent. Consultation is not a general license to share client information freely.

Question 45Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which of the following is a sanction the board may impose on a licensee under Chapter 505?

  1. An order that the client pay restitution to the licensee
  2. A reprimand or suspension of the license Correct answer.
  3. A jail sentence of up to six months
  4. Criminal prosecution of the licensee

Explanation

The board's disciplinary authority is administrative and includes sanctions such as reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, and administrative penalties. Criminal prosecution, incarceration, and orders directing a client's payments are outside the board's authority.

Question 46Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

The board may deny a license based on an applicant's criminal conviction when:

  1. Any conviction exists, regardless of the offense or its age
  2. The offense directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of social work Correct answer.
  3. The applicant has not yet completed community supervision
  4. The conviction was entered in another state

Explanation

A conviction supports denial only when the offense relates to the duties and responsibilities of the licensed occupation, considering factors such as the nature and seriousness of the crime and its relationship to social work practice. A conviction alone, wherever entered, is not an automatic bar.

Question 47Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

An LCSW's client states that he intends to kill his former girlfriend, whom he names, and describes a specific plan. Under Texas law, the licensee may:

  1. Disclose the threat to the identified person and to law enforcement Correct answer.
  2. Notify the licensee's other clients of the threat
  3. Take no action, because confidentiality is absolute
  4. Disclose only after obtaining the client's written consent

Explanation

Texas law permits a licensee to disclose confidential information, including to the identifiable target and to law enforcement, when necessary to protect against a serious threat of violence. Protection of an identifiable victim takes precedence over confidentiality in this narrow circumstance.

Question 48Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A licensee receives a subpoena duces tecum for a client's records in a divorce case. Absent client consent or a court order, the licensee should:

  1. Send the complete record to the requesting attorney as soon as it is requested
  2. Assert the client's privilege and seek guidance from the court before releasing records Correct answer.
  3. Destroy the record to protect the client from disclosure
  4. Send the record to the court and to both attorneys at the same time

Explanation

A subpoena from a private party is not itself a court order compelling disclosure, so the licensee should assert confidentiality on the client's behalf and ask the court to resolve the dispute. Releasing or destroying records in response to a subpoena would violate the client's interests.

Question 49Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

A client's employer calls and asks whether the client is receiving treatment at the licensee's clinic. The licensee should:

  1. Confirm only that the client is a patient
  2. Neither confirm nor deny that the person is a client without written authorization Correct answer.
  3. Provide a summary of progress if the employer promises confidentiality
  4. Answer the question if the employer pays for the client's insurance

Explanation

Even the fact that a person is a client is confidential, so the licensee may not confirm or deny it without proper written authorization or a legal mandate. This protects clients from the stigma and consequences that can follow an unauthorized disclosure of treatment.

Question 50Texas Social Work Practice Act (Occupations Code, Chapter 505) and scope of practice for each license level

Which circumstance would make a board-approved clinical supervisor ineligible to supervise a particular supervisee?

  1. The supervisee has less than one year of post-master's experience
  2. The supervisee works at a different agency than the supervisor
  3. The supervisor and supervisee prefer different theoretical orientations
  4. A close personal or family relationship with the supervisee that could impair objectivity Correct answer.

Explanation

Clinical supervision must be free of conflicts that impair objectivity, so a personal or family relationship that compromises evaluation makes the supervisor ineligible. Agency differences, length of experience, and theoretical orientation do not by themselves disqualify a supervisor.