You have treated a 14-year-old girl who reports suicidal intent with a plan during a final session. What is the appropriate action?

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.

Multiple Choice

You have treated a 14-year-old girl who reports suicidal intent with a plan during a final session. What is the appropriate action?

The key idea here is protecting a minor who is expressing imminent risk of self-harm. When a child or adolescent presents with suicidal intent and a concrete plan, the clinician has an ethical and legal duty to take steps to ensure their safety, and for minors that duty usually involves informing and engaging the parents or guardians right away. Even though confidentiality is important in therapy, the safety of a vulnerable minor overrides confidentiality in situations of imminent risk, so notifying the parents promptly is the appropriate first action. Involving the family enables immediate safety measures, coordination of care, and the possibility of hospitalization or emergency evaluation if needed, especially since there is no ongoing session to continue the risk assessment with the minor alone. Waiting for the next session would leave the minor unprotected during a high-risk moment. Relying on police or emergency services alone can be necessary if the danger is immediate and the guardian cannot be reached, but the primary step is to involve the parents to secure supervision, remove means, and arrange appropriate help. Doing nothing until a formal risk assessment is completed would fail to address the urgent safety needs of the minor in your care.

The key idea here is protecting a minor who is expressing imminent risk of self-harm. When a child or adolescent presents with suicidal intent and a concrete plan, the clinician has an ethical and legal duty to take steps to ensure their safety, and for minors that duty usually involves informing and engaging the parents or guardians right away. Even though confidentiality is important in therapy, the safety of a vulnerable minor overrides confidentiality in situations of imminent risk, so notifying the parents promptly is the appropriate first action. Involving the family enables immediate safety measures, coordination of care, and the possibility of hospitalization or emergency evaluation if needed, especially since there is no ongoing session to continue the risk assessment with the minor alone.

Waiting for the next session would leave the minor unprotected during a high-risk moment. Relying on police or emergency services alone can be necessary if the danger is immediate and the guardian cannot be reached, but the primary step is to involve the parents to secure supervision, remove means, and arrange appropriate help. Doing nothing until a formal risk assessment is completed would fail to address the urgent safety needs of the minor in your care.

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