ASWB Clinical Practice Questions Flashcards
A client who thinks that he is doing a good job is having problems at work. He reports being frustrated as his boss keeps telling him that he is not doing what is expected of him. The client is likely experiencing:
A. Role reversal
B. Role discomplementarity
C. Role ambiguity
D. Role complementarity
B. Role Discomplementarity
Social workers must be aware of role theories and terms. The case scenario states that the client is “not doing what is expected of him.” Role discomplementarity is when role expectations of others differ from one’s own. The client is not switching roles with another (role reversal) or unclear in his own mind about his role (role ambiguity)
All of the following are true about delirium and dementia EXCEPT:
A. Delirium is often reversible while dementia is generally irreversible.
B. Delirium can develop in clients with dementia, but is often misdiagnosed.
C. In both delirium and dementia, cognition is disordered, but dementia affects mainly memory and delirium affects mainly attention.
D. Delirium is characterized by slow and gradual onset while dementia is not.
D. Delirium is characterized by slow and gradual onset while dementia is not.
Delirium and dementia are the most common causes of cognitive impairment. Delirium and dementia are separate disorders but are sometimes difficult to distinguish. One of the differences between delirium and dementia is that the former emerges suddenly with a definite beginning point whereas the latter’s onset is slow and gradual, making it difficult to determine the exact date on which dementia started.
When engaging in structural family therapy, social workers may use which of the following techniques to understand and diagnose structures that maintain families’ dysfunctional interactions?
A. Confrontation
B. Journaling
C. Collateral information
D. Enactments
D. Enactments
Structural family therapy is based on the premise that there is an overall structure or organization that maintains family dysfunction. Restructuring is based on observing and manipulating interactions within therapeutic sessions. Enactments are suggested by social workers as ways to diagnose structure and provide openings for restructuring interventions.
Which of the following is true about transference in social work practice?
A. It is more likely with clients with certain personality features.
B. It is a conscious process.
C. It is always sexual in nature.
D. It does not have any therapeutic value
A. It is more likely with clients with certain personality features.
Clients with Borderline Personality Disorder or its associated features are more likely to engage in transference. Transference-focused psychotherapy is, therefore, often used with clients who have Borderline Personality Disorder. Transference is unconscious, can be used therapeutically, and/or does not have to be sexual in nature.
After completing an assessment, a social worker diagnoses a client with Binge Eating Disorder. In order to MOST effectively treat the client for this condition, the social worker should use:
A. Psychoanalysis
B. Ego psychology
C. Task-centered treatment
D. Cognitive behavioral therapy
D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
The DSM-5 introduces important changes in the diagnostic system for Feeding and Eating Disorders that improves the ability for social workers to arrive at accurate diagnoses. Perhaps the most significant improvement with the DSM-5 is that Bing Eating Disorder (BED) has been moved from an appendix in the DSM-IV to being designated in the DSM-5 as a full-fledged diagnosis that parallels the other main eating disorders of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. In the DSM-IV, Clients with BED would have been diagnosed with an Eating disorder not otherwise specified.
BED is defined as recurring episodes of eating significantly more food in a short period of time than most people would eat under similar circumstances, with episodes marked by feelings of lack of control. A client with BED may eat too quickly, even when he or she is not hungry. The client may have feelings of embarrassment, or disgust and may binge eat alone to hide the behavior. This disorder is associated with marked distress and occurs, on average, at least once a week over 3 months.
With this diagnosis and others, social workers must be able to understand the differential use of therapeutic techniques, including those which are evidence-based practices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - alone or in combination with medication- is effective in reducing binge eating. It is unclear which medications provide the greatest benefit in terms of binge eating remission; however, they do facilitate short-term weight loss clients who are overweight due to BED. In addition to reducing binge eating, CBT can improve related psychological comorbidities.
When engaging in reflective listening, it is critical for social workers to:
A. Think about what should be said next to move clients through the therapeutic process.
B. Reconstruct what clients are thinking and feeling through verbal and nonverbal methods
C. Direct discussion toward nonthreatening topics when clients become emotional
D. Help clients understand social workers’ responsibilities in the problem-solving process.
B. Reconstruct what clients are thinking and feeling through verbal and nonverbal methods.
Reflective listening is a valuable method used to facilitate communication. Reflective listening is at times used interchangeably with active or empathic listening. It is a way of listening and responding to clients that improves mutual understanding and trust. It is an essential skill and critical to the therapeutic process. Empathic listening builds trust and respect with clients by enabling them to share their emotions and reduce tensions. It encourages the surfacing of information and crates “safe” environments that are conducive to collaborative problem solving. When engaging in empathic listening, social workers should:
concentrate on not talking and pay attention while looking directly at clients
Prepare their replies
Ask for time to respond if needed
Pay attention to how the person is behaving nonverbally
Demonstrate listening by nodding or shaking head
Paraphrase or translate what is said; reflect it back
Recognize client feelings
Be attentive
Avoid interrupting
For which diagnoses is brief cognitive behavioral therapy MOST appropriate?
A. Substance Use Disorders
B. Personality Disorders
C. Dissociative Disorders
D. Adjustment Disorders
D. Adjustment disorders
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combines cognitive and behavioral therapies. The basic premise of CBT is that emotions are difficult to change directly, so CBT targets emotions by changing thoughts and behaviors that are contributing to the distressing emotions. CBT builds a set of skills that enables an individual to be aware of thoughts and emotions; identify how situations, thoughts, and behaviors influence emotions; and improve feelings by changing dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors. The process of CBT skill acquisition is collaborative. Skill acquisition and homework assignments are what set CBT apart from “talk therapies.” Brief CBT is the compression of CBT material and the reduction of the average 12 to 20 sessions into four to eight sessions. In brief CBT, the concentration is on specific treatments for a limited number of client problems. Specificity of the treatment is required because of the limited number of sessions and because a client is required to be diligent in using extra reading materials and homework to assist in his or her therapeutic growth. Brief CBT can range in duration from client to client and provider to provider.
Certain problems are more appropriate for brief therapy than others. Problems amenable to brief CBT include, but are not limited to, Adjustment, Anxiety, and Depressive Disorders. Therapy also may be useful for problems that target specific symptoms or lifestyle changes whether or not these issues are part of a formal psychiatric diagnosis. Brief CBT is particularly useful in a primary care setting for clients with anxiety and depression associated with a medical condition. Because these clients often face acute rather than chronic mental health issues and have many coping strategies already in place, brief CBT can be used to enhance adjustment. Issues that may be addressed in primary care include but are not limited to, diet, exercise, medication compliance, mental health issues associated with a medical condition, and coping with a chronic illness or new diagnosis.
Other problems may not be suitable for the use of, or may complicate , a straightforward application of brief CBT. Borderline Personality Disorder or Antisocial Personality Disorder typically are not appropriate for a shortened therapeutic experience because of the pervasive social, psychological, and relational problems individuals with these disorders experience. Long-standing interpersonal issues often require longer treatment durations. Clients exhibiting comorbid conditions or problems also may not be appropriate because the presence of a second issue may impede progress in therapy. For example, a client with a substance use disorder comorbid with major depressive disorder may not be appropriate because the substance use requires a higher level of care and more comprehensive treatment than is available in a brief format. However, brief CBT could be used with personality disorders and comorbid clients in dealing with specific negative behaviors or in conjunction with more intensive treatment. Lastly, conditions such as serious mental illness require focused and more intensive interventions.
The goal of a client with terminal cancer is to receive hospice services at home. Her health has deteriorated rapidly, but the social worker is having difficulty finding an appropriate provider due to the complexity of the client’s medical condition and her current living situation. In order to meet the needs of the client, which social work value is most critical when intervening?
A. Dignity and worth of the person
B. Competence
C. Integrity
D. Social justice
A. Dignity and worth of the person
The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of professional values. These core values - service, social justice, dignity worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence - are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective.
These core values reflect what is unique to the social work profession. Core values, and the principles that flow from them, must be balanced within the context and complexity of the human experience.
When providing service, social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation of significant financial return.
Social workers value social justice, challenging social inequities on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice.
Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person, treating each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote client’s socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs.
Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships as relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities.
Integrity means that social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.
Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice.
During an initial session, a client appears reluctant to speak and states, “I am not sure if this is going to work out.” In this situation, it is BEST for the social worker to:
A. Ignore the comment as the feelings will likely subside over time.
B. Clarify what can be expected, including the roles of the social worker and client
C. Use this comment as an opening to address any hesitancy as a therapeutic issue
D. Ask about other situations in which the client has felt this way
B. Clarify what can be expected including the roles of the social worker and client.
Engagement within the context of a building and maintaining helping relationships is defined as a point at which clients view treatment as a meaningful and important process. It involves developing agreement with social workers on the goals and tasks of treatment. Engagement can also be described as the time when the therapeutic relationship or therapeutic alliance forms between social workers and clients. The engagement process is sometimes described using words like cooperation, collaboration, participation, or buy in. During th engagement process, clients’ worldviews including their values, core beliefs, and ways of life are challenged in order to facilitate substantive change.
As clients realize the need to change, resistance can occur. Resistance to change can occur throughout the problem-solving process as it helps clients to protect the status quo. Closely related to resistance is ambivalence, which is a condition of both wanting and not wanting a particular change. Social workers must be alert to the forces of ambivalence and, when necessary, assist clients in working through these blocks to decision-making and action. Such work involves various interviewing and therapeutic techniques, but initially it is critical that clients feel that social workers are there to help and will not be judging or giving advice.
A social worker, who is counseling a couple, learns that the husband has been recently diagnosed with a rare medical condition that is being treated with medication. The wife reports that this medication causes dramatic mood changes, which she has witnessed. Due to a lack of knowledge about this medical condition and the medication prescribe, the social worker contacts a physician for consultation. The social worker’s action is based on which of the following concepts?
A. Interdisciplinary collaboration
B. Coordinated service delivery
C. Team building
D. Standard of care
D. Standard of care
Relying on the expertise of other professions when needed can reduce major liability risks for social workers. For example, in situations which require medical or other expertise, social workers should look to obtain appropriate guidance from others or else clients may be harmed. If such consultation does not occur, social workers breach standards of care through acts of omission (not acting when they should have done so).
Under the common law doctrine of standard of care, courts usually seek to determine what a typical, reasonable, and prudent (careful) social worker with the same or similar education and training would have done under the same or similar conditions. In many instances, establishing the standards of care is easy. But in other instances, it is not easy to establish what constitutes ordinary, reasonable, and prudent practice. Well-educated, skilled, thoughtful, and careful social workers may disagree with colleagues about the best course of action in complex circumstances, perhaps because of their different schools of thought, training, and experience.
To be diagnosed with Cyclothymic Disorder, an adult must experience mood cycling over:
A. 2 years
B. 6 months
C. 90 days
D. 12 months
A. 2 years
Cyclothymic disorder is a rare mood disorder which describes clients who experience mood cycling over a 2-year period, but have not met the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar I, Bipolar II, or Depressive disorder. There is debate if Cyclothymic disorder is a discrete disease process, a temperamental variation, or a premorbid syndrome for Bipolar I or II, as many clients with Cyclothymic Disorder will develop one of these conditions.
Unconditional positive regard is supported by the social work core value of:
A. Importance of human relationships
B. Self-determination
C. Dignity and worth of the person
D. Integrity
C. Dignity and worth of the person
After social workers determine that ethical dilemmas exist, they should NEXT:
A. Seek supervision to determine which agency policies impact on the situation
B. Prioritize the ethical values which must be used to choose correct courses of action
C. Weigh the issues in light of key social work values and principles
D. Determine the root causes of the problems so that they can be eradicated
C. Weigh the issues in light of key social work values and principles
An ethical dilemma is a predicament when a social worker must decide between two viable solutions that seem to have similar ethical value. Sometimes two viable ethical solutions can conflict with each other. Social workers should be aware of any conflicts between personal and professional values and deal with them responsibly. In instances where social workers’ ethical obligations conflict with agency policies or relevant laws or regulations, they should make a responsible effort to resolve the conflict in a manner that is consistent with the values, principles, and standards expressed in the NASW Code of Ethics
Using a public health model, what would NOT be the resulting action from screening for substance disorders of those in emergency rooms, trauma centers, child protection settings, and other medical or behavior environments?
A. No intervention
B. Referral to treatment
C. Short-term intervention
D. long-term intervention
D. Long-term intervention
Social workers must be well versed in techniques and instruments used to assess client problems. There is evidence that early identification of problematic alcohol or drug use can save lives and reduce costs related to health care and behavioral health care, crime and incarceration, and overall loss of productivity. Thus, Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is reimbursable service by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services. SBIRT has been identified as an evidence-based practice by the substance abuse and mental health services administration as it matches clients with the appropriate type and amount of services they require, avoiding under-or overtreatment.
A school social worker learns that the academic needs of a new student can be adequately met in either the regular classroom with additional supports or a separate resource room for students who require special assistance. The parents would like their child to remain with his friends in the classroom, but the guidance counselor feels strongly the student would be better served in a resource room for at least part of the day. In this situation, the social worker should:
A. Meet with the child to determine whether there is a preference about the settings offered
B. Review the academic record to better understand the guidance counselor’s recommendation
C. Suggest ways to maintain friendships while the child receives instruction in a resource room
D. Advocate for the child to receive any supports needed in the regular classroom
D. Advocate for the child to receive any supports needed in the regular classroom.
The individuals with disabilities education act requires that all children with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment that is appropriate. The spirit of this requirement is to ensure that children are not unnecessarily removed from the regular classroom or isolated from other nondisabled children of their age.
To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, must be educated with children who are not disabled. Thus, special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment can only occur when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
Which nonverbal technique used in social work practice aims to primarily gain rapport at the unconscious level?
A. Questioning
B. Clarifying
C. Mirroring
D. Reframing
C. Mirroring
Mirroring is a technique used to gain rapport at the unconscious level. Mirroring, as the name suggests, means copying another person’s gestures, tone of voice, or even catchphrases. Mirroring has numerous benefits provided social workers carry it out properly.
One reason that spiders are hated, but other mammals are not, is that mammals look much more similar to people than insects. Individuals are hard-wired to like and feel comfortable around other humans.
When mirroring, social workers try to convince the subconscious mind of clients that they are similar to them. If it works, clients feel comfortable without knowing why. In mirroring, social workers copy the gesture so clients consciously with the goal of making them feel comfortable, even if they didn’t feel that way initially. Mirroring requires copying their gestures, using the same tone, or talking about common interests in a manner that is slow enough to make it unnoticeable to their conscious mind. There are other features that can be mirrored using neurolinguistic programming such as blinking rate, facial expressions, or tension in the muscles of the person. Even repeating words can lead to successful mirroring. For instance, if clients say “yes” social workers say “yes”, they say “no” social workers say “no”, and so on. The key is to do it very moderately and occasionally, without making clients suspicious.
A social worker is hired by an agency to provide consultation aimed at reducing high client dropout rates. According to the funder, a greater proportion of this agency’s clients leave services when compared with clients of similar providers. What is the source of the social worker’s authority when making recommendations?
A. Agency employment
B. Funding mandates
C. Professional expertise
D. Organizational structure
C. Professional expertise
Social workers often serve as consultants for problems related to clients, services, organizations, and/or policies. Consultation is the utilization of an “expert” in a specific area to assist with developing a solution to the issue. Consultation is usually time limited and the advice of consultants can be used or not used by those who have formal decision-making power. Although consultants do not have formal authority within agencies, they have informal authority as “experts” based upon their expertise and skill. Formal authority comes from one’s official position with agencies, with those at the top of organizational structures having more formal authority than those at the bottom.
Performance monitoring in social work agencies does NOT aim to:
A. Identify key aspects about how a program is operating
B. Determine whether program objectives are being met
C. Justify the need for service delivery to meet target problems
D. Suggest innovations based on unachieved results
C. Justify the need for service delivery to meet target problems.
Performance monitoring is used to provide information on key aspects of how programs are operating; whether, and to what extent program objectives are being attained and identification of failures to produce program outputs, for use in managing or redesigning program operations. Performance indicators can also be developed to monitor service quality by collecting data on the satisfaction of those served and report on program efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity by assessing the relationship between the resources used and the outcome indicators.
What is the MOST critical factor in the selection of an appropriate intervention?
A. Available resources
B. past service history
C. Agency setting
D. Presenting problem
D. Presenting problem
Effective interventions depend on using the most appropriate theory and practice strategies for a given problem or situation. Different theories/interventions are best suited for different problems. Evidence-based practices are treatments that have been proven effective through outcome evaluations. EBPs are interventions that have strong scientific proof that they produce positive outcomes for certain types of disorders. Clearly defining problems will help rationalize the implementation of EBPs and help inform the selection process.
A social worker who wants to afford a client the greatest confidentiality protections should store psychotherapy notes:
A. In a section of the client’s file so that they will not get disconnected from other key documents.
B. Separate from the rest of the client’s medical or clinical record with restricted access.
C. At home as they are intended only for the social worker’s use.
D. According to agency policy so that administrative standards provide additional client protections.
B. Separate from the rest of the client’s medical or clinical record with restricted access.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act of 1996 Medical Privacy Regulations has important implications for the confidentiality of psychotherapy notes. The HIPAA Privacy rule recognizes the unique characteristics of “psychotherapy” notes and defines them as notes that are:
Recorded by a mental health professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint, or family counseling session; and
Separated from the rest of the medical or clinical record.
A social worker has additional information on a client situation that he would like to add to the record. It helps clarify discussions that took place with the client during the last session. In order to handle this situation properly, the social worker should:
A. Ask his supervisor about agency protocol related to management of client records
B. Add the material to the previous case note as it clarifies material presented in the last session
C. Record the information as new, separate entry in the record with a reason for its addition.
D. Refrain from documenting it in the record as it was not collected during a session with the client.
C. Record the information as new, separate entry in the record with a reason for its addition.
Family centered social work practice is preferred over individual counseling when:
A. Boundaries within the family structure are continually being violated
B. A family member lacks commitment to address critical issues
C. Violence is being perpetrated by one family member against another.
D. Stabilization is needed for a family member in crisis due to substance abuse and/or psychosis
A. Boundaries within the family structure are continually being violated.
There are a number of contraindications to family centered social work practice. These include, but are not limited to, when:
There is an unstable member or members and the risk of stimulating intense affect in session might lead to decompensation or other adverse effects.
There is violence in the family
Family members are physically or emotionally destructive toward one another
Essential members of the family cannot or refuse to be included.
Detoxification of a family member or the stabilization of a family member with psychosis is the goal.
There is not a commitment to address issues by all family members or one member is being deceptive
Which statement BEST supports the need for professional development of social workers?
A. Staying well-informed of social work issues and trends makes social workers more competitive in the job market.
B. Government reforms require social workers to be knowledgeable about changes in funding and reporting requirements.
C. New research provides social workers with information that can impact the use of interventions in practice.
D. Many licensing boards require social workers to take continuing education courses in order to obtain or maintain professional credentials.
C. New research provides social workers with information that can impact the use of interventions in practice.
Delusions of reference are BEST defined as:
A. Insisting assertions are correct despite contradictory evidence
B. Becoming disoriented with regard to person, place, and/or time
C. Believing neutral stimuli or communications have personal meaning or messages.
D. Attributing personal failure to external factors that cannot be controlled.
C. Believing neutral stimuli or communications have personal meaning or messages
When social workers engage in peer supervision, the PRIMARY method for learning is:
A. Modeling
B. Summative evaluation
C. Positive reinforcement
D. Formative Feedback
D. Formative Feedback
A client who has recently promoted speaks to a social worker about how he believes that his boss does not like him and is critical of his work despite never verbally stating any dissatisfaction. The client, who has lost a previous job due to company downsizing, is nervous that he might be fired if rumors of financial troubles in the business prove accurate. After accurately reflecting the client’s nervousness, the social worker can demonstrate a higher level of validation by:
A. Listening as the client describes further feelings about his relationship with his boss.
B. Suggesting that the client’s feelings may result from his prior job loss
C. Helping the client examine behavioral cues by his boss that support or dispel his claims
D. explaining that this recent promotion makes it unlikely that he will be fired in the future.
B. Suggesting that the client’s feelings may result from his prior job loss.
There are many methods that social workers use to facilitate communication. For example, within the teaching of DBT, conscious validation is often called upon to help clients improve interpersonal effectiveness and mindfulness skills. DBT has six levels of validation, with each “level” offering a different tactic for validating a client.
When making a determination of the needed level of care for an older adult client who will be moving from home into a residential setting, it is MOST helpful to assess the ability to:
A. Adapt to life changes
B. Manage medical problems
C. Complete cognitive tasks
D. Perform activities of daily living
D. Perform activities of daily living
Many programs use the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) as eligibility criteria to determine eligibility and/or level of care. Whether or not clients are capable of performing these activities on their own or if they rely on family caregivers to perform the ADLs can serve as a comparative measure of their independence. Assessments can help with determining assistance needed.
A client is referred to a social worker as she has been repeatedly hospitalized due to medication noncompliance. During the assessment, the client admits to frequently missing doses of her prescribed medication. This behavior has resulted in numerous inpatient stays, which she complains are both costly and adversely impacting her quality of life. Which is the BEST question for the social worker to ask?
A. “Why haven’t you been able to take your medication as prescribed?”
B. “Can you think of any advantage of having to stay in the hospital?”
C. “ What are some of the reasons for skipping your medication?”
D. “How can I help to ensure that your medications are taken properly?”
C. “What are some of the reasons for skipping your medication?”
Interviewing skills are essential to ensuring that clients feel understood, problems are assessed, and effective treatment is delivered. A comprehensive social work interview includes conducting a multiple biopsychosocial-spiritual-cultural assessment in order to better understand the presenting problem. Questions asked and techniques used may promote or inhibit information gathering and other aspects of the problem-solving process. Skills and questioning techniques used include active listening, empathy, rapport building, open and closed ended inquiries, silence and so on.
The most effective treatment for alcohol withdrawal is:
A. Psychopharmacology
B. Self-help group participation
C. Cognitive behavioral therapy
D. Family therapy
A. Psychopharmacology
Alcohol withdrawal is potentially life-threatening condition tht can occur in clients who have been drinking heavily for weeks, months or years and then either stop or significantly refuce their alcohol consumption. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can begin as early as 2 hours after the last drink, persist for weeks, and range from mild anxiety and shakiness to severe complications, such as seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). DTs are characterized by confusion, rapid heartrate, and fever.
When completing a functional behavioral assessment, a social worker should FIRST:
A. Determine why an intervention is needed now
B. Identify antecedents which are hypothesized to cause the behavior
C. Define a problem behavior in measurable terms
D. Explain the limits of confidentiality with govern service delivery.
C. Define a problem behavior in measurable terms
A functional behavior assessment is a comprehensive and individualized strategy to identify the purpose or function of a client’s problem behaviors, develop and implement a plan to modify variables that maintain the problem behavior, and teach appropriate replacement behaviors using positive interventions. While there are a variety of techniques available to conduct a functional behavioral assessment, the step in the process, regardless of technique, is to define the behavior in concrete terms.
A 22-year old woman meets with a social worker due to her excessive fear of heights. During the assessment, the client states that she avoided climbing trees and other activities which raised her above the ground when she was a child. Recently, she has been unable to fly in planes and drive over bridges, causing her to be restricted in her travels. The client is very upset as she spends a great deal of time worrying about whether she will need to cross a bridge, causing her to sweat, breath heavily. During a recent visit with her physician, she was prescribed medication for this condition. Which medication was MOST likely recommended?
A. Mellaril
B. Ativan
C. Risperdal
D. Tegretol
B. Ativan
A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving a persistent fear of an object, place, or situation disproportional to the threat or danger posed by the object of the fear. The person who has the phobia will go to great lengths to avoid the object of the fear and experience great distress if it is encountered. These irrational fears and reactions must result in interference with social and work life to meet the DSM-5 criteria. There are five subtypes of specific phobia: Animal, natural environment, blood injection injury, situational and other social phobia.
Which behaviors would be atypical for a client with a diagnosis of Schizoid personality disorder?
A. Avoiding sexual relationships
B. Engaging in angry outbursts when criticized
C. Declining invitations to social events
D. Living with parents into adulthood
B. Engaging in angry outbursts when criticized
Schizoid personality disorder is characterized by eccentricity; clients with this disorder often appear odd or peculiar. They tend to be distant, detached, and indifferent to social relationships. They generally are loners who prefer solitary activities and rarely express strong emotion. Many people with Schizoid personality disorder are able to function fairly well, although they tend to choose jobs that allow them to work alone, such as night security officers, library workers, or lab workers.
In a sociogram, the intensity of interpersonal relationships is indicated by:
A. Types of lines
B. Arrows which may point one or both ways
C. Shading of circles
D. Shapes of diagrams
A. Types of lines
A sociogram is a graphic representation which serves to reveal and analyze the relationships of a person with his or her family or social circle, or to visualize the relationships within the family or of certain members of the family with their external environment such as health and education services, leisure time activities, work, friends, or place in the extended family.
A hospital social worker being supervised by a professional of a different discipline finds that she is having difficulty with a social work practice issue. In this situation, the social worker should:
A. Seek supervision from another social worker
B. Contact the hospital administrator to request a new supervisor
C. Consult self-help resources to identify possible solutions
D. Determine how the issue would be handled in the supervisor’s discipline
A. Seek supervision from another social worker.
With the increasing focus on interdisciplinary practice in recent years, social workers may be supervised by a professional of a different discipline. Although this may be appropriate within the team or unit context, social workers should seek supervision or consultation from another social worker with regard to specific social worker practices and issues. Similarly, a social worker providing supervision to a member of another discipline should refer that supervisee to a member of his or her own profession for practice-specific supervision or consultation.
A social worker who provides counseling to clients in a job training program is charged with evaluating the program’s effectiveness. The social worker finds that 80% of clients get jobs and keep them for a year after graduation. The social worker is assessing an:
A. outcome
B. impact
C. output
D. input
A. Outcome
When evaluating agency programs, it is necessary to understand different types of assessment and the terms used to describe them. The resources organizations devote to particular programs are called inputs. Those resources can be financial, or the time of staff or volunteers. Expertise such as a consultant or a partner organization, can be considered an input as well.
Outputs, outcomes, and impacts are often used interchangeably but are not the same.
