California Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) Law and Ethics Exam 2025 - Free RDH Law and Ethics Practice Questions and Study Guide

The ethical obligation revolves around maintaining professional boundaries and avoiding dual relationships that could potentially impair judgment or lead to conflicts of interest. When a social worker is asked to take on the role of a sponsor for a client, this establishes a dual relationship because the social worker has a professional responsibility to the client as their therapist and then would also have a personal relationship as a sponsor.

Dual relationships can complicate the therapeutic dynamic, leading to issues such as favoritism, dependency, or a reduced objectivity in the professional relationship. Ethical guidelines emphasize that professionals should refrain from relationships that could exploit or harm the client, which is why the social worker should decline the request to avoid creating this dual relationship.

While the other options provide varying degrees of caution or consideration, they do not specifically address the fundamental concern of dual relationships as clearly as the option that articulates the concern directly. This highlights the importance of maintaining clarity in professional boundaries in the helping professions to ensure the best care for clients.