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Question 1

A weekly meeting is held at a family services agency to determine if referred families meet the criteria for services. Staff members are frustrated because the meetings have become characterized by unrelated discussion and have begun to last several hours. What should the social worker do to facilitate the meeting?
1. Limit the number of cases presented
2. Redirect the staff members who do not stay on topic
3. Schedule individual meetings with problem staff members
4. Set time limits for the meeting

Answer 1

Redirect the staff members who do not stay on topics

One of the key roles of a group facilitator is to keep participants focused on the purpose of the meeting. Sincce staff members are discussing unrelated matters in the meeting, providing redirection is critical.

Question 2

A client is referred to a domestic violence shelter after experiencing abuse by a partner. The client tells the social worker of plans to return to the abusive partner because the client belives returning is God’s will. What concept BEST explains the client’s reasoning?
1. Fatalism
2. Nihilism
3. Familism
4. Paternatalism

Answer 2

Fatalism

Fatalistic thought: a belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable.

Question 3

A client meets with a social worke to discuss parenting a rebellious adolescent. After several sessions, the client shares beliefs that support physical punishment. What should the social worker do FIRST?
1. Inform the client that physical punishment physiologically harms children
2. Validate the client of openly sharing the physical punishment viewpoint
3. Request that the client describe the physical punishment practices
4. Explore the clients own history of physical punishment practices during childhood

Answer 3

Request that the client describe the physical punishment practices

Clarifying the client’s basic undertanding of physical punishment practices is a necessary FIRST step to take before any other action.

Question 4

What is the FIRST thing social workers should do when attempting to evaluate institutionalized racism in an agency?
1. Analzye the agency’s policies and procedures
2. Discuss the issue of fairness with the supervisor
3. Facilitate research on the impact of the agency policies
4. Reivew policies that have been successful in other agencies

Answer 4

Anaylze the agency’s policies and procedures

Analyzing policies and procedures is the FIRST action to take.

Question 5

A social worker meets with a family who believes that alochol has health benefits. The parents purchase alcohol for their young children and permit them to become intoxicated. What should the soical worker do to protect the children?
1. File a report with the appropriate authorities
2. Encourage the family to practice their beliefs
3. Consult with a colleage at another agency
4. Research the family’s beliefs further

Answer 5

File a report with the appropriate authorities

Intoxication of young children is behavior that requires the social worker to report the abuse to appropriate authorities

Question 6

A social worker meets with a 13 year old client and parents because of a parent’s concerns about recent changes in the client’s behavior. The parent says that the clietn was playful, outgoing, and social until last year, when isolation increased. The social worker would FIRST want to determine whether the client is:
1. Struggling with a new developmental crisis
2. Being unconsiously influenced by early childhood issues
3. Becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol
4. Suffering from clinical depression

Answer 6

Struggling with a new developmental crisis

It is important to first determine whether the client’s behavior is related to age appropriate healthy development before considering other issues.

Question 7

A social worker develops educational sessions for parents of adolescents. The sessions focus on how parents can intervene to reduce sexual exploitation of their children on the internet. What developmental need is MOST important for the social worker to discuss with the parents?
1. Industry
2. Intimacy
3. Separation
4. Autonomy

Answer 7

Intimacy

One of the primary tasks of adolescence is to develop intimate relationships with others outside the family unit. Sexual predators prey on adolescents who are seeking intimacy.

Question 8

A social worker meets with a 15 year old client who is promiscuous and struggles with low self-esteem. The client describes symptoms of an eating disorder. What should the social worker assess for FIRST?
1. Oppositional defiant disorder
2. Sexual abuse
3. Suicidal ideation
4. Adjustment disorder

Answer 8

Sexual Abuse

Promiscuity, low self-esteem, and eating disorders are most strongly associated with sexual abuse.

Question 9

What theory of addiction is used by Alcoholics Anonymous as the PRIMARY approach to explaining alcoholism?
1. Psychodynamic
2. Behavioral/social learning
3. Biopsychosocial
4. Disease

Answer 9

Disease

Question 10

What is the PRIMARY barrier to women entering and completing substance abuse programs?
1. Lack of access to programs
2. Limited social support
3. Child care responsibility

Answer 10

Child care responsibility

Question 11

What is the MOST likely reason that a client in an outpatient alcohol treatment program would be prescribed the drug naltrexone in conjunction with counseling?
To treat clinical depression
To ease alcohol withdrawal symptoms
To induce necessary sleep
To decrease cravings for alcohol

Answer 11

To decrease cravings for alcohol

Question 12

A social worker creates a job readiness program for young people transitioning to adulthood. The program is based on developmental theory. What is the PRIMARY goal of the program?
Learning the basics of how to find employment
Keeping track of the number of participants who secure employment
Determining a particular career path at program onset
Ensuring connections to community resources and symptoms

Answer 12

Learning the basics of how to find employment

Learning how to find employment is the only option focusing on the developmental task of young adulthood and is the PRIMARY goal of the program. Tracking numbers of participants is an evaluation of the program, not the goal. Determining a career path may be an individual task but is not a program goal. Ensuring connections to community resources may be a goal, not one that is secondary to learning how to find employment.

Question 13

A social worker assesses a client with an eating disorder. The client expresses ambivalence about changing eating habits. What should the social worker do NEXT?
Advocate for change
Confront the resistance
Explore the client’s values
Validate the client’s concerns

Answer 13

Validate the client’s values

This item requires knowledge of the features of client ambivalence. While advocating for change, confronting resistance, and exploring the client’s values may be appropriate actions, the NEXT step is to validate the client’s concerns.

Question 14

A social worker meets with a client to complete a biopsychosocial assessment. The social worker also speaks with the client’s parents and probation officer to gather additional information. What term BEST describes the social worker’s actions?
Data triangulation
Client debriefing
Historial checking

Answer 14

Data triangulation

Data triangulation is used in assessment to compare and verify information from multiple sources. By speaking with the client’s parents and probation officier, the soical worker is using data triangulation.

Question 15

A social worker facilitates a group for people who have abused a partner. A group member is now able to recognize the triggers for anger and is committed to changing resulting reactions. According to the transtheoretical model of change, what stage is the group member MOST likely experiencing?
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Maintenance
Termination

Answer 15

Contemplation

Because the group member recognizes triggers and is committed to change but has not determined action steps, contemplation is the MOST likely stage.

Question 16

A social worker is interested in the social cohesion of a particular community. What should the social worker assess for FIRST?
The rate of unemployment
The level of trust in neighborhoods
The high school graduation rate
The social mobility within neighborhoods

Answer 16

The level of trust in neighborhoods

The level of trust within the community is most closely linked to social cohesion and this should be assessed FIRST.

Question 17

A social worker wants to assess the impact of heritage and belief systems on a family’s interactions. What form of assessment BEST accomplishes this goal?
Ecomap
Genogram
Person-in-environment
Culturagram

Answer 17

Cultragram

Question 18

What is the MOST appropriate time for social workers in health care settings to gather family histories?
During an acute medical crisis
When directed by agency practice
During the initial visit with the patient
After meeting with a physician

Answer 18

During the initial visit with the patient

History gathering should occur as early as possible in order for the social worker to gain a broad understanding of the elements impacting clients. Agency practice may be an important factor in the timing of history gathering but is not the MOST appropriate time to obtain this information from clients.

Question 19

A 21-year-old patient is approaching discharge from the hospital following a serious suicide attempt. The social worker meets with him before discharge to assess his emotional state. He will not answer any specific questions. The patient tells the social worker that he just needs to get home. What should the social worker do NEXT?
Provide the patient with suicide hotline and mental health resources
Contact the appropriate staff to explore involuntary commitment
Chart the conversation before approving the discharge plan
Explain to the patient the seriousness of the suicide attempt

Answer 19

Contact the appropriate staff to explore involuntary commitment

Keeping in mind the protection and safety of the patient, exploring involuntary commitment is the NEXT step. Given the described behaviors, this patient remains at high risk for suicide. Explaining the seriousness of the attempt to the patient should have occurred earlier in the patient’s hospitalization.

Question 20

A social worker is asked to analyze new social welfare policies that will affect the community. What should the social worker do FIRST?
Examine the likely impact of the policies on the community
Research the historical problems that led to the policies
Organize a grassroots coalition to discuss reaction to the policies
Look into legal precedents that could potentially nullify the policies

Answer 20

Research the historical problems that led to the policies

The social worker must FIRST understand the historical background of the policy before moving to the analysis stage.

Question 21

A client who is depressed mention plans for suicide to a social worker. Privacy and confidentiality had been discussed early in the treatment process. The social worker believes that the threat is serious. What should the social worker do NEXT?
Respect the client’s right to confidentiality
Consult with an agency supervisor
Develop a safety contract with the client
Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client

Answer 21

Discuss the need for hospitalization

Discussing the need for hospitalization is the NEXT step after the social worker has determined the existence of a serious threat. Consulting with a supervisor would be appropriate but only after first discussing the plan for hospitalization with the client.

Question 22

What task is the FIRST step in setting up a program evaluation?
Selecting the criteria for measuring success
Determining the goals and objectives
Assessing the available resources
Designing the methodology

Answer 22

Determining the goals and objections

The goals and objectives must be completed FIRST.

Question 23

What practice has the MOST positive effect on service delivery?
Using employment practices that support diverse staff skills
Making the needs of the clients the focus for all agency policy
Providing paraprofessionals to ensure client attendance at all activities
Providing professional development time for in-service training

Answer 23

Making the needs of the clients the focus for all agency policy

Central to the mission of social work is the importance of clients being the center of service.

Question 24

An adolescent who has been living with her 23-year-old boyfriend for six months calls a crisis hotline at 2am requesting help. She says her boyfriend evicted her because she may be pregnant. She will be 18 in 2 days. The adolescent says that she has no place to go. What should the social worker do FIRST?
Obtain a court order for emergency foster care placement
Notify the police of the boyfriend’s actions
Call the adolescent’s parents, requesting help
Contact a youth shelter facility

Answer 24

Contact a youth shelter facility

In this crisis situation, the social worker must provide immediate, tangible aid.

Question 25

A social worker meets with an adolescent client who wants to run away from home. The client gives several reasons for this desire. What is the BEST technique for the social worker to use?
Confrontation
Rationalization
Exception exploration
Partialization

Answer 25

Partialization

The social worker needs to help the client gain a better understanding of the individual elements that are leading to the desire to run away. By partializing, issues are broken into manageable components that would facilitate discussion and problem solving.

Question 26

A family services agency hsa a high number of clients who do not keep appointments. The agency’s social work administrator conducts a client satisfaction survey, which reveals that clients believe the agency is not welcoming to their children. To alleviate the client’s concern, what should the administrator do FIRST?
Create specialized activities for children
Evaluate the need to change agency programs
Obtain consultation to develop an action plan
Form a committee of clients and staff to identify solutions

Answer 26

Form a committee of clients and staff to identify solutions

Engaging those who are directly involved is an important FIRST step. Forming a committee engages the clients and staff in formulating solutions.

Question 27

A social worker is working with a 16-year-old client who was sexually abused by a former stepparent. The social worker believes it is important for the client to be able to talk about the abuse in order to deal with the complicated feelings the client has already expressed. The client tells the social worker that talking about the abuse is painful and asks not to proceed in that way. What is the social worker’s BEST response?
Reiterate the importance of dealing with feelings through talking about the abuse
Change the course of treatment as the client requests
Refer the client to a support group to hear from others who have experienced abuse

Answer 27

Change the course of treatment as the client requests

Changing the course of treatment as requested is respectful of the client’s self-determination and is likely to further engage the client.

Question 28

What is the MOST practical research design for completing an agency program evaluation?
Correlational
Quasi-experimental
Single-subject
Qualitative

Answer 28

Quasi-experimental

Question 29

Both the general public and decision makers have very little awareness of a community program brought to the attention of a social worker. What strategy can BEST facilitate the development of policies or programs to correct the problem?
Facilitating extensive client satisfaction surveys
Organizing empowerment training for key plays
Using multiple forms of media communication
Circulating a petition in the neighborhood

Answer 29

Using multiple forms of media communication

Using multiple communication techniques BEST addresses the concern about community awareness.

Question 30

A social worker is asked to devise a strategy for promoting greater community involvement. The social worker begins by facilitating a series of community meetings and focus groups to foster a shared sense of common needs and concerns. This approach to community intervention is MOST closely identified with:
Policy advocacy
Social planning
Political activism
Social movement

Answer 30

Social planning

Social planning is MOST closely related to the development of a shared sense of community.

Question 31

A social worker is asked to analyze new soical welfare policies that will affect the community. What should the social worker do FIRST?
1. Examine the likely impact of the policies on the community
2. Research the historial problems that led to the policies
3. Organize a grassroots coalition to discuss reaction to the policies
4. Look into legal precendents that could potentially nullify the policies

Answer 31

Research the historical problems that led to the policies

The social worker must FIRST understand the historical background of the policy before moving to the analysis stage.

Question 32

A client who is depressed mentions plans for suicide to a social worker. Privacy and confidentiality had been discussed early in the treatment process. The social worker believes that the threat is serious. What should the social worker do NEXT?
1. Respect the client’s right to confidentiality
2. Consult with an agency supervisior
3. Develop a safety contract with the client
4. Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client

Answer 32

Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client

Discussing the need for hospitalization is the NEXT step after the social worker has determiend the existence of a serious threat.

Question 33

What task if the FIRST step in setting up a program evaluation?
1. Selecting the criteria for measuring success
2. Determining the goals and objectives
3. Assessing the available resourcces
4. Designing the methodology

Answer 33

Determining the goals and obejctives

The goals and objectivs must be completed FIRST.

Question 34

What practice has the MOST postive effect on service delivery?
1. Using employment practices that support diverse staff skills
2. Making the needs of clients the focus for all agency policy
3. Providing paraprofessionals to ensure client attendance at all activities
4. Providing professional development time for in-service training

Answer 34

Making the needs of the clients the focus for all agency policy

Central to the mission of social work is the importance of clients being the center of service.

Question 35

A social worke ris a member of an advisory committee that is studying racially biased practices of the local police department. To raise community awareness of the issues, the committee has decided to sponsor a forum. Persons who have experienced problems will provide testimony. From an ethics perspective, what should the social worker do?
A. Insist that committee members remain anonymous
B. Invite the public to the forum
C. Speak at the heraings about the committee’s recommendations
D. Ask speakers not to disclose ocnifendital information in the hearings

Answer 35

Ask speakers not to disclose ocnifendital information in the hearings

Reminding speakers at the forum to maintain confidential informatio is an ethically based response. Social workers must support client rights to confidentiality in all settings, including public fourms.

Question 36

A hospital social worker investigates why a patient with home health services was admitted with a severe wound infection and malnutrition. The social worker calls the home health agency and talks with the person who ensres that the agency’s obligaitions and ethical duties are being fulfilled and its rules are followed. What is this person’s role in the agency?
1. Paraprofessional
2. Care planner
3. Ombusperson

Answer 36

Ombudsperson

Question 37

A social worker employed by a retirement home is apporached by a client for help in establishing a recycling program in the facility. The social worker decides to cohost a meeting with a client to discuss the idea with other residents. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach?
1. Antagonizing could be dangerious
2. Legitimizing the resident’s concerns may be helpful
3. Helping residents start new relationships is important
4. Sharing leadership is very effective with groups

Answer 37

Sharing leadership is very effective with groups

By sharing leadership with the resident, the soical worker is supporting the resident’s skill development as well as pormoting positive group dynmaics.

Question 38

After several meetings with a client, a social worker notices the client making multiple complimentary statements about the social worker. What should the social worker do FIRST?
1. Restate the purpose of the therapeutic relationship
2. Ask the client to stop the compliments
3. Confront the client about the inappopriateness of the behavior
4. Help the client explore the reasons for the behavior

Answer 38

Help the client explore the reasons for the behavior

The social worker should assess the reasons for the behavior FIRST before taking action.

Question 39

A social worker meets with an eight year old client to work on impulsivity and anger management. The client tells the social worker of his intent to push his infant sibling down the stairs. The client asks the social worker not to tell anyone. After discussing the client’s concerns, whta should the social worker do next?
1. Report to the appropriate jurisdictional authorities
2. Discuss the client’s statements with the parents
3. Assess the client’s current coping strategies
4. Teach anger management techniques

Answer 39

Discuss the client’s statements with the parents

The social worker has a duty to warn the parents of potential harm to the infant sibling.

Question 40

A client requests mental health services to manage chronic and escalating anger. During the intial session, the client tells the social worker of instances when she was verbally abusive to an individual in her care who uses a wheelchair. The client is remorseful and says that the incidents have occurred on only two or three occasions. What should the social worker do NEXT?
1. Collect collateral information from the care recipent
2. Explain the need to report the incidents to the proper authorities
3. Discuss the incidents further to determine the appropriate action
4. Develop a personalized anger management program for the client

Answer 40

Discuss the incidents fruther to determine the appropriate action

During the initial session, the social worker should assess further before taking action such as collecting collatral information or developing an anger management program.

Question 41

An adolescent who was recently discharged froma pyschiatric hospital is meeting with the school social worker to assist with school adjustment. The social worker would like to speak with the referring psychiatrist about the treatment plan. What should the soical worker do FIRST?
1. Advise the staff that specialized services will be required
2. Review the student’s records to determine if a discharge plan was sent
3. Schedule a case conference to discuss the treatment plan
4. Call the student’s guardian to obtain a release of information

Answer 41

Call the student’s guardian to obtain a release of information

Informed consetn from the student’s guardian must be obtained FIRST before the social worker can speak with the psychiatrist.

Question 42

What is a social worker required to do before beginning work with a clietn that includes electronic transfer of records?
1. Mail a copy of the requirements to all clients, including minor
2. Provide the client with the agency privacy policy
3. Give the client information regarding fee policies
4. Obtain signed insurance releases to protect client privacy

Answer 42

Provide the client with the agency privacy policy

Is is the ethical responsibility of the social worker to ensrue that cients understand the risks and limits of privacy when electronically transferring records.

Question 43

A social worker who recently graduated begins working in a drug treatment program. The social worker notices that clients have many needs, including medical attention, mental health services, social services, housing assistance, and employment training. The social worker feels overwhelmed. What should the social worker do FIRST?
1. Established priorities
2. Be aware of countertrasnference
3. Obtain supervision

Answer 43

Obtain supervision

Because the social worker is feeling overwhelmed, obtaining supervision is necessary,

Question 44

A social worker at a clinic for military veterans meets with a client. The client requests help with finidng a job. Military records show that the client was diagnosed with PSTD when discharged from the military ten years ago. The client denies this diagnosis and refuses to be evaluated by the clinic pychiatrist. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Respect the client’s right to refuse services
B. Focus on the client’s presenting problem of obtaining a job
C. Refer the client to the local employment center

Answer 44

Respect the client’s right to refuse services

The professional code of ethics indicates that the client has the right to refuse services.

Question 45

During a session, a social worker becomes increasingly frustrated with a client’s denial of issues. The social worker chooses to end the session early. What concept BEST fits this action?
A. Boundary diffusion
B. Disengagemnt
C. Countertransference
D. Role Differentiation

Answer 45

Countertransference

Refers to the transference of a therapist’s personal thoughts and feelings onto a client