CRCC CRC Exam Questions

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81.

Which of the following most accurately describes the goal of DBT? 

  • Skill development 

  • Catharsis 

  • Therapeutic insight 

Correct answer: Skill development 

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a methodology that, while therapeutic, does not aim at the typical and expected gains of traditional therapy, such as catharsis or therapeutic insight. 

DBT is essentially about skill building so that the person undergoing DBT develops a way to address crisis, uncontrollable affective states, and impulsive/reactive emotionality with concrete and effective personal means.

82.

What is the proper course of action when one finds one is sexually attracted to a client? 

  • Acknowledge it and deal with it appropriately

  • Immediately terminate the counseling relationship

  • Refer the client to another counselor

Correct answer: Acknowledge it and deal with it appropriately 

The issue of sexual attraction to clients is something that counselors must deal with appropriately on their own, following their best judgment as to what will cause the least harm to themselves and the client. It is not unexpected for this kind of attraction to occur; in fact, most counselors report it at one time or another. 

It would not be ethical to immediately terminate the counseling relationship, as this may jeopardize therapeutic gain; in much the same way, all of these cases do not demand referral to another counselor. It is hoped that the individual counselor would find a way to deal with the issue with limited impact on client well-being. 

83.

What is the difference between a boundary crossing and a boundary violation?

  • A boundary crossing likely causes no harm, but a boundary violation carries this potential

  • A boundary violation likely causes no harm, but a boundary crossing carries this potential

  • In practice, the two are difficult to distinguish and should be avoided

Correct answer: A boundary crossing likely causes no harm, but a boundary violation carries this potential 

The counseling profession observes strict boundaries of conduct that seek to keep the relationship between counselor and client completely professional in character. However, there are certain circumstances, called boundary crossings, that involve actions outside the strict confines of the Code of Ethics but can be done without realistically causing harm; for example, attending a client's graduation from a trade school. Boundary violations, on the other hand, are clear breaches of the Code that have the potential to cause harm, such as inappropriate physical contact with a client. Boundary crossings in some cases are therapeutic and should not be avoided; boundary violations are potentially harmful and should be avoided in all cases.

84.

When is a mental status exam usually conducted?

  • At the beginning of treatment

  • At the end of treatment 

  • When a person is in crisis

  • When a person is psychotic

Correct answer: At the beginning of treatment 

A mental status exam (MSE) is a broad-ranging instrument usually conducted at the beginning of treatment in order to establish the current level of functioning in such areas as sensorium, thought content, orientation, memory, and other factors. It is also used to establish a baseline that will then go on to inform longer and more in-depth psychological assessments if needed.

An MSE is sometimes used with a person in crisis, but usually at the beginning of their treatment for that crisis. Similarly, an MSE might help establish whether or not a person is psychotic and is not expressly used on psychotic people per se. 

85.

Which of the following would be considered adaptive behavior?

  • Waking up earlier to get to work on time

  • Becoming hostile when needs are not met

  • Not changing when challenged to change

  • Not responding to environmental cues

Correct answer: Waking up earlier to get to work on time 

Adaptive behavior can be defined in the context of learning as the behavior that a person engages in that more closely matches the behavior needed to accomplish a goal through successive adaption and approximation. A simple example would be deciding and making plans to wake up earlier in order to make it to work on time. 

Becoming hostile when needs are not met would usually be considered maladaptive behavior, or behavior that does not help a person reach a goal. Not responding to environmental cues or being reluctant to change could be adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the context.

86.

What is the difference in terms of participation between counseling consultation versus counseling supervision? 

  • Counseling supervision involves at least two parties, while consultation involves at least three

  • Counseling supervision involves at least three parties, while consultation involves at least two

  • Counseling supervision and counseling consultation involve no minimum personnel

Correct answer: Counseling supervision involves at least two parties, while consultation involves at least three

There is a difference between counseling supervision, which is meant to help a trainee counselor become a better counselor, and counseling consultation, which seeks to provide insight and support on a given client case. In the case of supervision, there are generally two parties concerned; the trainee and the supervisor. In counseling consultation, there are at least three parties concerned; the client, the consultant, and the consultee (usually the counselor serving the client in question).

87.

What is the difference between an achievement test and an ability test?

  • Achievement measures what has been learned; ability measures present ability

  • Achievement measures present ability; ability measures what has been learned

  • The two terms are interchangeable for the purposes of career counseling

  • Both terms refer to the potential a person has to learn

Correct answer: Achievement measures what has been learned; ability measures present ability 

In the career counseling discipline, achievement and ability have very specific meanings, especially when applied to testing that informs career counseling. In this context, achievement really refers to what has been learned already and can be tested, and ability refers to maximum ability and performance at the current level of learning. 

Contextually, the terms refer to different things differently placed in time. 

88.

Why are issues of sexism often overlooked in the counseling literature?

  • There is a perception that equity has been achieved

  • Counseling literature is mostly produced by men

  • The profession is more interested in clinical issues per se

  • Most counselors are men and do not pursue this kind of research 

Correct answer: There is a perception that equity has been achieved 

Though other issues of multicultural sensitivity are often discussed in the counseling literature, there is comparatively little such literature that directly addresses issues of sexism and gender. This is not due to a lack of interest by the profession or due to a preponderance of men in the profession (in fact, the vast majority of master's level counselors are female). It is more a function of the perception that a level of equity has been achieved in the profession in light of overwhelming female representation. 

89.

Is poorly designed research considered unethical?

  • Yes, for a variety of reasons

  • No, it is not an ethical concern

  • Yes, if it also violates confidentiality

Correct answer: Yes, for a variety of reasons 

Research designs can be widely variable in character, design, and quality. Unfortunately, many such designs—even those that pass the review of an institutional review board or other such body—are poorly thought out. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the researcher to uphold the ethics of the profession by advancing research for study and implementation that does not diminish the reputation of the profession of counseling and waste the time of everyone concerned. 

It is for these two factors and not confidentiality that poorly designed research is considered unethical.

90.

Which of the following is the critical assumption of human capital theory?

  • All people have an equal competitive chance in the labor market

  • There is an unequal distribution of opportunity in the labor market

  • The labor market does not produce its own capital

Correct answer: All people have an equal competitive chance in the labor market 

Human capital theory asserts that people are willing to engage in various investments in training and education, in the belief that these will improve their prospects for higher-paying or more rewarding jobs later. Human capital theory assumes that people have an equal competitive chance in the labor market so that the various efforts of people to better their situation have a chance of success.

91.

How is practice-based evidence gathered?

  • Directly from participants in counseling

  • From peer-reviewed articles

  • From conferences and public events

  • From books by experts in counseling

Correct answer: Directly from participants in counseling 

As opposed to evidence-based practice, which is a perspective that suggests that no treatment takes place without a firm grounding in the body of research literature, practice-based evidence solicits feedback directly from participants in counseling settings. In this way, a practitioner can know what works and what does not on a micro level. 

The evidence-based practice approach would be more supported by peer-reviewed articles, conferences, and books on counseling.

92.

What is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)?

  • Comparative information on more than 300 occupations 

  • An interpretive guidebook for personality psychology in career development

  • An informal assessment tool for measuring affective response to occupations 

Correct answer: Comparative information on more than 300 occupations 

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), though not in itself an assessment tool or interpretive guidebook for use in career development, serves another important purpose in the field of career counseling. The OOH contains comparative information on more than 300 occupations and is updated every two years. Its purpose could be described as helping job seekers who are considering a specific occupation assess the probability of success in that profession based on the status of the profession in the marketplace. 

93.

What is an aptitude test meant to reveal?

  • Probable future ability 

  • Past achievement 

  • Current ability 

  • Strengths and weaknesses

Correct answer: Probable future ability 

An aptitude test is meant to measure the future ability of the person undergoing the examination. The test may include elements that deal with current ability and past achievement, but the point is to assess how well the person will do undergoing a future task based on what they can demonstrate at the time of the examination. 

Strengths and weaknesses are no doubt revealed during this process, but it is a measurement of aptitude that is the object. 

94.

How is work adjustment theory different from other theories of career development?

  • It is concerned with job performance

  • It is concerned with psychopathology

  • It is concerned with aptitude

Correct answer: It is concerned with job performance 

There are many theories of career development, each with a theoretical basis and emphasis. Work adjustment differs from most other such theories in that it is explicitly concerned with job performance, with key elements of the theory being evaluative from the employer's point of view. 

Most theories of career development do not address psychopathology per se, but many address aptitude.

95.

Which of the following is the most accurate characterization of discrimination against women in the workplace?

  • It is a global concern with specific cultural issues depending on location 

  • It is mainly a phenomenon of the United States due to sexism 

  • It is a phenomenon of Western culture as reflected in hiring practices

  • It is no longer a concern in the United States but has become more of a concern globally

Correct answer: It is a global concern with specific cultural issues depending on location 

Discrimination against women in the workplace is not limited to the United States or Western culture and is present for a wide variety of cultural reasons globally. For example, in the United States, the issue seems to be reflected most in wages, but in Nigeria and China, the issue seems to be more about hiring practices and expectations of women in the workplace.

96.

In terms of career development, how different are the IQs of men and women?

  • Individual differences seem more significant than gender differences

  • Men and women tend to score equally on measures of intelligence

  • Women tend to have much greater IQs than men on career-related tests

Correct answer: Individual differences seem more significant than gender differences 

Though there are many ways to measure intelligence, and there likely is no more controversial area of assessment than that of IQ, it can be fairly said that in most measures of general intelligence, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, individual differences in IQ are far more prominent than differences related to gender. 

It is difficult to say that men and women score equally, however, and women do not have much greater IQ than men on career-related tests. 

97.

What is the purpose of administrative supervision?

  • To ensure adequate job performance 

  • To increase clinical skills 

  • To foster greater supervisee well-being

Correct answer: To ensure adequate job performance 

There are many types of supervision. Clinical supervision is generally aimed at helping supervisees increase their clinical skills. Administrative supervision is more focused on helping supervisees perform their jobs adequately to a defined standard. 

Supportive supervision, though it goes by many names and can be included in other types, is generally about helping supervisees achieve greater well-being. 

98.

Why is structuring so important to family therapeutic process?

  • It enforces therapeutic discipline in general

  • It creates a one-on-one dialogue between family members

  • It addresses acute psychopathology in the family unit

  • It helps family members identify the core issue of concern

Correct answer: It enforces therapeutic discipline in general 

In the context of family therapeutic process, structuring refers to many aspects of care that enforce therapeutic discipline. From setting ground rules for the family intervention, to the statement of non-toleration of bullying, to the enforcement of rules around time on task and fulfillment of assignments; structuring is in the hands of the family therapist and is seen as their major responsibility at the outset of treatment. 

The concept has less to do with dialogue between family members, acute psychopathology per se, or issue identification.

99.

Should counselors in community mental health share their program evaluation data with the community? 

  • Yes, in most circumstances

  • No, under no circumstances

  • Only if it is positive

Correct answer: Yes, in most circumstances 

There is increasing need for counseling programs in various environments, such as schools or community organizations, to prove their effectiveness to the larger community. There is a strong likelihood that the community is the source of the resources for these programs, making their transparency an ethical necessity, even if the program evaluation data is not what would be desired. Not reporting evaluation data risks lack of community support and buy-in, and if the program evaluation data happens to be positive, it can lead to greater funding and continued support from stakeholders. 

100.

Is goal-setting appropriate to crisis intervention?

  • Yes, to deal with the crisis

  • Yes, to help the client in crisis focus

  • Yes, to deal with post-crisis life

Correct answer: Yes, to deal with the crisis 

Goal-setting is appropriate to helping clients in crisis, who often will need stable, structured, measurable benchmarks to help them through the crisis. Crisis, in general, is a time-limited situation in which available resources are not adequate to the circumstances. 

While the crisis is underway, it would not be appropriate to plan very much for post-crisis life, as the concern should rest on the resolution of the crisis. The client is likely to be focused on the crisis without goal-setting.