Case Study
Patient Demographic: Client Age: 26 Sex: Male Gender: Male Sexuality: Heterosexual Ethnicity: African American Relationship Status: Single Counseling Setting: Community Mental Health Center Type of Counseling: Individual Presenting Problem: Depressive Symptoms Diagnosis: Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) (Dysthymia) Diagnostic Criteria 300.4 (F34.1)
Mental Status Exam: Mental Status Exam: The client is dressed in age-appropriate clothing and is well groomed. His affect is blunted and anxious at times. The client denies anxiety but discloses that he is nervous about the counseling process and doesn’t know what to expect. He is cooperative but hesitant to offer more information than is asked. The client is tearful when discussing his breakup and states that there are days when it is a struggle to get out of bed and go to work. He denies suicidal ideation, and he says that he has had no previous attempts. The client is oriented to person, place, time, and situation, and his thought content is organized. Fam
Presenting Problem: You are a counselor working in a community mental health center. Your initial intake appointment is with a 26-year-old African American male who presents with symptoms of depression. The client states that he has felt depressed since his teens, with symptoms increasing within the last couple of months. He reports feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, and occasional bouts of insomnia. In addition, the client indicates that his symptoms worsened after his girlfriend of 2 years broke things off with him. He explained that she grew tired of his low energy and pessimistic outlook on life. As a result, he has been hesitant to seek help, believing that he just needed to “man up” and handle his problems privately. The client is unsure of his insurance benefits but thinks his policy allows for a limited number of counseling sessions.
Other Contexts:    ily and Work History: The client grew up in a home with his mother, father, and maternal grandmother. He has a 22-year-old sister who he believes also experiences depression, but he is unsure if she has received treatment. The client says that he attends church “most Sundays” with his family, primarily because he knows it is important to his grandmother. The client holds an associate degree in information technology and is a computer network support specialist. He has worked for the same company for the past 4 years.  The client is unsure of his insurance benefits and allotted counseling sessions

Question: The client is unsure of his insurance benefits and allotted counseling sessions. You review his benefits plan and any associated fees as part of which of the following?
(A): The confidentiality agreement
(B): The process of informed consent
(C): An explanation of limitations
(D): The client’s privacy rights

Correct Answer: The process of informed consent
Explanation: The process of informed consent includes reviewing with the client payment, fees, and insurance benefits, including policies and procedures for nonpayment. Practitioners provide informed consent on an ongoing basis throughout the counseling relationship. Informed consent includes all of the essential information for the client to make an informed decision about receiving services. Other aspects of informed consent include the potential risks and benefits of counseling, emergency procedures, the overall purpose and goals, counselor credentials, and the role of technology. The confidentiality agreement is also part of informed consent. Privacy involves keeping confidential information secure. Therefore, privacy and confidentiality fall under the client’s rights and responsibilities section of informed consent. Lastly, an explanation of limitations is part of the confidentiality agreement and refers to informing clients of the circumstances in which a breach of confidentiality may occur. Therefore, the correct answer is (D)
Competency: professional practice and ethics