If a minor client is in imminent danger, what is the appropriate course of action regarding confidentiality?

Prepare for the LPCC Law and Ethics Test 2. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with explanations. Enhance your understanding of ethics and legal standards for effective counseling practice.

When a minor client is in imminent danger, confidentiality is overridden to protect the child’s safety. The appropriate action is to involve those who can take immediate protective steps: notify the parents or guardians if they are available, so they can intervene. If the parents or guardians aren’t immediately reachable, you should contact the police or a psychiatric emergency team to ensure the child’s safety right away. This reflects ethical and legal expectations to take urgent protective action in emergencies, while limiting disclosures to what’s necessary and documenting what was done.

Why the other options don’t fit: simply notifying a school counselor doesn’t address the immediate risk or the guardians’ role in protection; breaking confidentiality only with the client’s consent isn’t appropriate in an imminent-danger situation; and doing nothing would leave the minor at serious risk.