07-24-2008, 08:21 PM
The case manager for an 18-year-old man that you are
treating notifies you that your patient has been acting
strangely lately. You learn from the case manager
that the patient makes provocative sexual comments
toward her on a daily basis. During your session, the
patient expresses concern that his case manager is
somehow conspiring against him and he plans to do
something about it. On further questioning, he
becomes increasingly anxious and abruptly storms
out of your office. You hear him in the hallway,
exclaiming, œThat woman, I™m going to stab her and
she won™t bother me anymore.
1. Your first course of action should be which of
the following?
(A) Respect the patient™s confidentiality and
wait until your next scheduled appointment
with him to discuss his feelings.
(B) Contact the patient™s family and let
them know about his threats toward the
case manager.
© Inform the police of the content of your
previous sessions and his recent threat
toward the case manager.
(D) Notify the case manager of the potential
danger.
(E) Attempt to contact the patient over the
next several hours to discuss the intent
of his parting comments.
2. The legal precedent that guides the appropriate
course of action in this case is which of the
following?
(A) Rogers v Commissioner of the Department
of Mental Health
(B) Tarasoff v Regents of University of
California
© Durham v United States
(D) Zinerman v Burch
(E) Kansas v Hendricks
treating notifies you that your patient has been acting
strangely lately. You learn from the case manager
that the patient makes provocative sexual comments
toward her on a daily basis. During your session, the
patient expresses concern that his case manager is
somehow conspiring against him and he plans to do
something about it. On further questioning, he
becomes increasingly anxious and abruptly storms
out of your office. You hear him in the hallway,
exclaiming, œThat woman, I™m going to stab her and
she won™t bother me anymore.
1. Your first course of action should be which of
the following?
(A) Respect the patient™s confidentiality and
wait until your next scheduled appointment
with him to discuss his feelings.
(B) Contact the patient™s family and let
them know about his threats toward the
case manager.
© Inform the police of the content of your
previous sessions and his recent threat
toward the case manager.
(D) Notify the case manager of the potential
danger.
(E) Attempt to contact the patient over the
next several hours to discuss the intent
of his parting comments.
2. The legal precedent that guides the appropriate
course of action in this case is which of the
following?
(A) Rogers v Commissioner of the Department
of Mental Health
(B) Tarasoff v Regents of University of
California
© Durham v United States
(D) Zinerman v Burch
(E) Kansas v Hendricks