Final answer:
The claim that a professional does not need to file a mandatory report if the client agrees to do it is false. Mandatory reporters have the legal obligation to report specific types of incidents and cannot delegate this responsibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'You do not need to file a mandatory report if the client says they will do it instead' is generally false. In professions that require mandatory reporting, such as healthcare, social work, and education, the responsibility to report certain types of incidents, such as abuse or threats of harm, lies with the professional who has observed or become aware of the incident. It is not sufficient for a client or any other third party to take on this responsibility. If a mandatory reporter fails to report, they may be subject to legal penalties.
Professionals are trained to understand the procedures for mandatory reporting and the types of incidents that must be reported. Typically, reports must be made to specific authorities or organizations that handle such incidents, and the professional can't delegate this responsibility to someone else, even the client themselves.