1. ____________ refers to “the fair and equitable distribution of power, resources, and obligations in society to all
people, regardless of race, gender, ability, status, sexual orientation, and religious or spiritual background.”
a. Confidentiality
b. Diversity
c. Informed consent
d. Social justice
2. In addition to learning about ethical decision making regarding dilemmas encountered in group work, three other
experiences are suggested as adjuncts to a training program for group workers. Which of the following is NOT one
of these experiences?
a. Personal experience in a self-exploration group
b. Survey of evidence-based practice
c. Personal (individual) psychotherapy
d. Becoming involved in supervised experiences
3. ASGW addresses both ______________ in their guidelines for training group workers and various other guidelines
to increase their
knowledge and skills in developing competence in addressing both these issues.
a. knowledge and skill
b. liability and skill
c. multiculturalism and social justice
d. knowledge and liability
Chapter12—EthicalIssuesinGroupWork
4. ____________ is a process of presenting basic information about group treatment to potential group members to
enable them to make better decisions about whether or not to enter and how to participate in a group.
a. Confidentiality
b. Diversity
c. Informed consent
d. Social justice
5. With respect to confidentiality, group leaders have a responsibility to do all of the following EXCEPT:
a. clearly define what it means and its limits.
b. explain its importance.
c. inform members of the difficulties involved in enforcing it.
d. explain it is not mandatory, but a voluntary process.
6. Which of the following is NOT considered to be one of the characteristics of diversity sensitive group work?
a. Group counselors establish norms that accept, value, and respect cultural differences.
b. Group counselors respect the roles of family and community hierarchies within a client’s culture.
c. Group counselors treat all members as if they are the same and have the same values.
d. Group counselors acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for effectively working with the diverse range
of members in their groups.
7. Gail feels like she has not accomplished what she wanted in her therapy group and has decided to leave. Gail’s
therapist needs to:
a. encourage her to explain why she wants to leave to other group members.
b. encourage her to leave before her negative attitude affects other members of the group.
c. put undue pressure on her to stay in group.
d. encourage other members to pressure her to stay.
8. Which of the following is TRUE in regards to group ethics?
a. As a rule, group leaders should conduct only those types of groups for which they have been trained.
b. The legal concept of privileged communication applies in group settings the same as it applies to individual
sessions.
c. Group leaders are not obliged to inform psychiatric hospital patients that they are documenting group sessions.
d. Parents and guardians have the legal right to all communications that have occurred in groups for minors.
9. When participation in a group is part of a counseling master’s program, safeguards must be in place to manage
boundaries and reduce the risk of harm to students. These safeguards include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. systematic instructor self-reflection.
b. exhibit problematic behaviors.
c. informed consent of students.
d. self-disclosure training.
10. The fact that groups can be powerful catalysts for ____________ means that they can also be risky.
a. skill competencies
b. personal change
c. professional codes
d. didactic course work
11. The ___________ phase of group work may be the one that leaders handle most ineptly.
a. initial
b. transition
c. working
d. final (termination)
12. _____________ are basic for group workers who hope to practice ethically and responsibly.
a. Techniques and theory
b. Status and privilege
c. Social justice and advocacy competencies
d. Influence and outcome
13. People with traumatic brain injuries, paranoid individuals, hypochondriacs, those who are actively addicted to drugs or
alcohol, acutely psychotic individuals, and antisocial personalities are considered poor candidates for a:
a. heterogeneous outpatient intensive therapy group.
b. inpatient therapy group.
c. group dealing with specific issues such as addiction, brain injuries, personality disorders, and psychosis.
d. specific group created for their specific issue.
14. Research in group counseling and psychotherapy notes that evidence-based practice reflects a commitment to what
works, not on what theory applies. Groups should incorporate three pillars, which include all of the following
EXCEPT:
a. clinical expertise.
b. client characteristics.
c. best available evidence.
d. frequent use of behavioral techniques.
15. Group workers must remain current and increase their knowledge and skills through specific activities. These include
all of the following EXCEPT:
a. continuing education.
b. watching the news every day for global information.
c. participation in various personal and professional development activities.
d. supervision.
16. Groups remain a powerful intervention tool:
a. primarily for school-aged children and adolescents.
b. primarily for adults dealing with a host of issues and stressors.
c. primarily for older adults dealing with geriatric concerns.
d. across the life span, positively impacting childhood, adult, and geriatric disorders.
17. Potential drawbacks to the co-leadership model include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. leaders who complement and balance each other.
b. competition between leaders.
c. overdependence on the co-leader.
d. ineffective communication.
18. Dan and Rachel have been assigned to work together as co-leaders of an anxiety disorders group. In order to be
effective models for their group members, they should:
a. seek supervision only if issues arise between them.
b. explore their personal beliefs and perspectives about co-facilitation.
c. inspire each other by competing with each other to develop the most creative techniques.
d. depend heavily on each other.
19. Group leaders need to attend to all of the following EXCEPT:
a. their own individual development.
b. their development as a co-leading team.
c. the development of the group they are facilitating.
d. There is no specific issue to which group leaders should attend.
20. Which of the statements below is TRUE about the informed consent process in groups?
a. There is no such thing as providing too much information to group members at one time.
b. Experienced group members have the responsibility of ensuring that new members become aware of their
rights and responsibilities as group participants.
c. Clients should be informed at the outset that informed consent is an ongoing process and that various aspects
of the consent process may need to be revisited at different stages of a group.
d. A very lengthy informed consent process that emphasizes the legalistic aspects of group work is ideal.
21. The authors believe that some type of screening, which involves interviewing and evaluating potential members,
should be employed to select suitable members for a group. What question needs to be pondered when screening
prospective group members?
a. If I do not allow this person to become a member of this group, what consequences may I face as a leader?
b. Is it appropriate for this person to become a participant in this type of group, with this leader, at this time?
c. Do I like this person?
d. What are the odds that this person will make the dynamics interesting in this particular group?
22. How do the authors describe their approach to orienting group members to the group experience before it begins?
a. They provide minimal structure and little discussion of group guidelines and expectations.
b. They avoid a discussion of fears so as to not scare timid members.
c. They explore the members’ expectations, clarify goals and objectives, discuss procedural details, explore the
possible risks and values of group participation, and discuss guidelines for getting the most from a group
experience.
d. They avoid discussing the limitations of group work so as to not diminish the power of the group experience.
23. Which of the following is NOT considered a benefit of group supervision?
a. Supervising several group leaders at one time can be ineffective.
b. Group supervision increases the skill development of trainees.
c. Group supervision offers unique advantages for observing group process in action.
d. Group supervision provides trainees with many experiential opportunities to learn about the process and
development of a group.
24. The importance of multicultural competence for group psychotherapists has emerged as a:
a. option, but not a necessity.
b. ethical imperative.
c. lower priority than it used to be.
d. reason to extend training programs by an extra year.
25. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
a. Since confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in a group, it is not an ethical issue for group practitioners.
b. Confidentiality is a concern for therapists holding group psychotherapy, but not for those running other types
of groups.
c. Groups are invariably determined to be less effective than individual psychotherapy in helping clients.
d. The ethical, legal, and professional aspects of confidentiality have a different application in group situations.
26. Which of the following is NOT included in the guidelines for competence in diversity issues?
a. Group counselors strive to increase their awareness of their own multicultural identity and how their race,
ethnicity, socioeconomic class, migration status, ability, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation,
and religion and
spirituality are influenced by their life experiences and histories.
b. Group counselors are committed to acquiring specific knowledge and information about the life experiences,
cultural heritage, and sociopolitical background of group members who have experienced violence, trauma,
and any form of oppression.
c. Group counselors do not consider the impact of adverse social, environmental, and political factors in
assessing problems and designing interventions.
d. Group counselors increase their awareness of how myths, stereotypes, and assumptions they learned by living
in society influence their work in facilitating groups.
27. Neglecting the process of _____________ can easily leave the members with unfinished work and will limit
opportunities for them to conceptualize what they learned from a group experience.
a. informed consent
b. termination
c. practice-based evidence
d. evidence-based practice
28. The ethics codes of several professional organizations address a group practitioner’s role in ensuring confidentiality in
a group setting. Which of the following is NOT one of these codes?
a. When working with a group, confidentiality and privacy are impossible to adhere to; therefore, these are both
voluntary aspects of a group experience.
b. Group workers define confidentiality and its limits (for example, legal and ethical exceptions and expectations;
waivers implicit with treatment plans, documentation, and insurance usage). Group workers have the
responsibility to inform all group participants of the need for confidentiality and potential consequences of
breaching confidentiality; and that legal
privilege does not apply to group discussions (unless provided by state statute).
c. Marriage and family therapists, when working with a group, educate the group regarding the importance of
maintaining confidentiality, and are encouraged to obtain written agreement from group participants to respect
the confidentiality of other members of the group.
d. Social workers have a responsibility to inform participants that confidentiality agreements cannot be
guaranteed because all participants may not honor such agreements.
29. If you possess _____________, you are likely to misinterpret patterns of behavior displayed by group members
who are culturally different from you.
a. social justice
b. confidentiality
c. informed consent
d. cultural tunnel vision
30. When ______________ in a student arises, the group counselor-educator has multiple responsibilities to limit the
risk of harm: to the individual student, to the other students in the experiential group, and to the training program.
a. appropriate behavior
b. proper boundaries
c. problematic behavior
d. healthy self-exploration
31. _____________ uses data generated from clients during treatment to inform the process and outcome of
treatment.
a. Practice-based evidence
b. Evidence-based practice
c. Follow-up
d. Termination
32. Implications of group members and their therapists communicating with each other online, and when group members
communicate with other members via the Internet, include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. increased risk of breach of confidentiality.
b. increased risk of breach of privacy.
c. lack of technological skills and knowledge to protect information that is intended to remain private creates a
risk of making this information public for all to see.
d. addressing parameters of online behavior through informed consent and establishing ground rules regarding
members’ commitment to avoid posting pictures, comments, or any type of confidential information about other
members online.
33. Legal limits of confidentiality in a group setting do NOT include which of the following?
a. If a member poses a danger to themselves or others
b. When a counselor is working under supervision and discusses a client with the supervisor
c. If a counselor suspects child or elder abuse
d. When mandated by a court to release information
34. Ethical practice demands that group practitioners inform prospective participants of the potential risks involved in the
group experience and reduce unnecessary psychological risks. A variety of factors or events result in members
having a negative group experience. Which of the following is NOT a factor or event?
a. Leader support
b. Premature pressure to disclose
c. Aggressive leadership style
d. Lack of clarity about group norms
35. Voluntary participation is an important beginning point for a successful group experience. _____________ in a
group raises a different set of ethical issues and the negative attitudes of some members can contaminate the entire
group experience.
a. Voluntary participation
b. Supported participation
c. Mandatory participation
d. Group norms