Chapter 15
Supervision and Consultation
Answer Key
1. Clinical supervision is the process whereby the work of counselors is reviewed by other
mental health professionals, usually with the goal of:
a. ensuring that counselors’ services are delivered in a manner that satisfies the
counselors’ employers.
b. increasing the counselors’ effectiveness.
c. increasing the counselors’ knowledge of the counseling literature.
d. ensuring that counselors perform their job functions appropriately.
e. helping counselors practice in an ethical manner.
2. When administrative and clinical supervisors give corrective feedback to supervisees, that
feedback:
a. must be followed by the supervisee.
b. should be broad and general, avoiding specifics.
c. must be given very gently to avoid distressing the supervisee.
d. should be given only at specified intervals, such as once a month or once a quarter.
e. should be ongoing, coupled with periodic evaluation and opportunities to correct
deficiencies.
3. Supervision agreements between a clinical supervisor and supervisee:
a. must be in writing to be legal.
b. should not be in writing, to avoid the appearance of a relationship that is too formal.
c. should be in writing so both parties understand the terms of the relationship clearly.
d. are required by federal law to be in writing.
e. can be modified once they begin only if they are in writing.
4. An agreement for clinical supervision between a supervisor and supervisee when the
supervisee has an administrative supervisor at a work site SHOULD:
a. ensure that the supervisee understands that the clinical supervisor is the one whose
directives must be followed.
b. emphasize the co-equal status of the clinical and administrative supervisors.
c. state that the clinical supervisor defers to the authority of the administrative
supervisor.
d. state that the counselor should contact the clinical supervisor if there is an emergency
situation at work.
e. be worded in such a manner that the supervisee understands that the clinical
supervisor is legally responsible for the counselors’ activities during work hours.
5. Whether or not a supervisor is likely to be held responsible, along with the supervisee,
when a supervisee’s client commits suicide depends on whether:
a. the supervisor has offered consultation to the supervisee regarding his or her
counseling practice on a regular basis.
b. the supervisor has direct control and authority over the supervisee’s day–to-day
activities.
c. the wording of the supervision contract.
d. the supervisor knew that the supervisee was counseling an at-risk client.
e. the supervisor has professional liability insurance.
6. If a supervisee is having emotional problems that are interfering with his or her ability to
function effectively as a counselor, the clinical supervisor SHOULD:
a. avoid addressing the personal issues in supervision sessions because the focus of
clinical supervision should be on the professional services rendered by the supervisee.
b. counsel the supervisee to the degree necessary to resolve the issues so that the
counselor can function effectively.
c. immediately refer the supervisee for personal counseling and suspend supervision
until the personal issues have been resolved.
d. address the personal issues in relationship to their impact on the supervisee’s
effectiveness as a counselor but avoid becoming the supervisee’s personal counselor.
e. address the personal issues in one session only, and then avoid personal issues in the
future.
7. If a consultant is not a consultee’s administrative supervisor, the consultant:
a. is still responsible for any outcomes related to the consultee taking the consultant’s
advice.
b. legally would be considered to have control and authority over a consultee, even
though the consultant is not the consultee’s boss.
c. can avoid liability for any actions of the consultee by purchasing professional liability
insurance.
d. can avoid liability for any actions of the consultee by having the consultee sign an
agreement that releases the consultant from liability.
e. generally, would not be held legally responsible for actions taken by the consultee
based on the consultant’s advice.
8. Ethical standards for consultants in the mental health field are:
a. covered extensively in all codes of ethics.
b. given minimal attention in codes of ethics.
c. not needed because consultants rarely face ethical dilemmas.
d. published by an association of mental health consultants.
e. being developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and will soon be
published.
9. A supervisor is competent if he or she:
a. holds the supervisor certificate offered by the Center for Credentialing and Education
(CCE), a corporate affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
b. is a competent counselor.
c. has completed a graduate level course in supervision.
d. is approved to be a supervisor by a state licensing board.
e. can supervise other counselors in a professional and appropriate manner.
10. A counselor who is under the clinical supervision of another counselor SHOULD:
a. introduce the supervisor to all clients.
b. inform clients that he or she is in supervision and disclose the name of the supervisor
to them.
c. require that clients sign a document indicating they know the counselor is under
supervision and that they do not object to the supervisor knowing their personal
information.
d. inform clients that he or she is a beginning counselor.
e. avoid telling clients he or she is in supervision so that clients will not be concerned.
11. Consultation and supervision are alike in that BOTH:
a. consultants and supervisors serve as gatekeepers to the profession.
b. consultants and supervisors are accountable for the work of the counselors who have
sought their services.
c. consultants and supervisors are required to be licensed to provide their services in
most states.
d. the consultative and the supervisory relationships are tripartite.
e. consultants and supervisors provide direct services to clients.
12. With respect to cultural differences in supervision:
a. it is the supervisor’s responsibility to initiate discussions of cultural differences with
their supervisees.
b. supervision is more likely to be successful if the supervisor and supervisee are
culturally similar along multiple dimensions.
c. the worldviews of supervisors are not likely to influence the therapeutic choices made
by their supervisees.
d. research has demonstrated that the variable of race in the supervisory dyad has little
impact on the supervisory process.
e. supervisors should not broach the topic of cultural differences if they do not feel
comfortable and competent to do so.
13. Administrative supervision occurs when direct-line administrators give direction to
counselors who are their:
a. employees, and has the goal of ensuring that counselors are performing their job
duties appropriately.
b. determining whether the counselors should receive a pay raise.
c. increasing the counselors’ counseling skills.
d. remediating the counselors’ clinical deficiencies.
e. endorsing the counselors’ applications for licensure.
14. When a counselor who is working under supervision shares confidential information about
clients with her or his supervisor:
a. the counselor is legally responsible if the supervisor inappropriately discloses the
confidential information to a third party.
b. privileged communication is destroyed.
c. this is acceptable behavior because the supervisor needs the information in order to
supervise effectively.
d. the information should be shared verbally, but not put in writing.
e. the counselor is unethically breaching client confidentiality.
15. A difference between consultation and counseling is that:
a. consultation is a mandated activity, whereas counseling is usually sought voluntarily.
b. consultants provide indirect services to clients, whereas counseling is a direct service.
c. consultation involves a relationship among equals and does not involve a power
differential.
d. consultation focuses on work relationships, whereas counseling focuses on personal
and interpersonal relationships.
e. confidentiality is not an issue in consultation, while it is a primary concern in
counseling.
Answer Key
13. a
14. c
15. d