Texas LMSW License Practice Exam

When a client poses a credible threat to others, there is an ethical and often legal obligation to take steps to prevent harm, which usually means warning the potential victim and/or notifying authorities. This duty to warn is an exception to confidentiality: safeguarding others takes precedence when there is imminent risk. It’s not a blanket breach of privacy—evaluations are needed to determine seriousness and imminence, and the goal is to minimize harm while keeping disclosures as limited as possible. This is why the statement about informing third parties when there is danger to others best captures the duty. By contrast, simply maintaining confidentiality at all times ignores the safety exception, informing the client about rights covers informed consent rather than danger protection, and limiting warnings to family disputes misstates the scope and timing of the duty.