(a) Social workers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.
(b) Social workers whose personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties interfere with their professional judgment and performance should immediately seek consultation and take appropriate remedial action by seeking professional help, making adjustments in workload, terminating practice, or taking any other steps necessary to protect clients and others.
How might this look on an exam question? Possibly something like this: A social worker who has 60 days sober from alcohol in AA meets with a client who is struggling with alcohol dependence. What is the BEST way for the social worker to proceed? A) Refer client out B) Seek consultation C) Proceed as with any client D) Disclose shared alcohol problem to client.
What answer do you you like? You can probably throw out C and D. There's something that needs special attention here and disclosure is best used sparingly (in life as on the exam). That leaves A and B. Which is the better answer? We like B, which could read "Seek consultation about possible impairments in judgment and countertransference due to shared experience with client." No, it doesn't say all that, but on the exam it might. In any case, there's no indication in the vignette that the social worker is currently impaired. Referring out doesn't seem necessary.
For more code in the general topic area, see Impairment of Colleagues. Good luck on the exam!