LMSW EXAM

Triangulation

Introducing a third party into a conflict with two people; used to balance conflict, intimacy or distance in a relationship, and can sometimes be a useful tool (when a parent confides in a child about their marital conflict, pulling the child into the parental dispute as an emotional ally)

Paradoxical Directive

Therapeutic technique; dilemna that uses conterintuitive or absurd statements or perspective after a symptom (a therapist might tell a couple that argues frequently to schedule and have a specific time to argue each day, hoping that this controlled approach will help them become more constructive with their communication and reduce overall conflict) 

Double-Bind Communication

Communication dilemna where 2 or more messages are sent at the time; but one message contradicts the others (a parent might tell their child to “be more indpendent,” but then punish them for making their own decisions or criticizing their choices, trapping the child in a no-win situation)

Symbotic Relationship

close, prolonged association between two or more different bio species (a social worker collaborating with a community organization to provide services)

Catastrophizing 

Expecting or worrying about the worst possible outcome of an event or situation, even when its minor (a client believes a minor work mistake will lead to being fired, which will then cause them to lose their home and become homeless)

Personalization

Occurs when a person takes excessive responsibility for events that are beyond their control (a social worker helping an elderly man with dementia adapt his kitchen with minor changes so he can continue to cook which is important to him and his family, instead of him giving up this activity)

Minimization

Downplaying or underestimating the sig; impact, or intensity of a situation, emotion, or experience (a client minimizing their trauma is saying, “it was a long time ago, and its not a big deal anymore”) 

Black and White Thinking

Thinking extremes and absolutes (a client saying, “If my friend does not call back, they must hate me.” or a professional thinking, “This parent is a terrible person because they missed one appointment”) 

Self-Selection Bias

Occurs when participants voluntarily choose to participate in a study or program group rather than being randomly selected in one (a support group where individuals voluntarily join to address a common challenge, like a group for new parents)

Process-Consistency

Ability of an organization to complete a sequence of steps in the same way to achieve the same results, regardless of who is performing the tastes (following the steps of case management from intake to termination, and using a consistent framework like the SOAP note format for documentation) 

Dual Relationships

Should be avoided at all costs; occur when a social worker has more than one relationship with a client, such as personal, business, or social one, in addition to their professional role (when a social worker and their client also have a social or busniess relationship, such as being friends, business partners, or employer and employee)

Depression Medications

Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sertraline (Zoloft), Paroxetine (Paxil), Phenelzine (Nardil), Duloxetine (Cymbalta), Venlafaxine (Effecxor), Citalopram (Celexa), and Escitalopram (Lexapro)

Side effects of depression medications

Nausea, vommitting, diziness, drowsiness, diziness, headache, fatigue, weight gain, erectile dysfunction, agitation, abnormal voluntary movement, dry mouth, abdominal pain, anxiety, and change in mood or behavior

What do mood stabalizers treat?

They are used to treat symptoms that include mania and depression; used for Bipolar 1 and 2 dx; helps stabalize and provide more constant mood and helps people better function in work and personal life

Mood stabalizer medications

Lithium, Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Diavalproex (Depakote), and Topiramate (Topamax)

Side effects of mood stabalizers

Nausea, tremors, hair loss, sexual problems, weight gain, liver damage, kidney damage, diarrhea, belly pain, and skin reactions

What are antipsychotics used for?

Used for symptoms that include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thoughts

Antipyschotic medications

Risperdone (Risperda), Chlorpromazine, Quetiapine, Haloperidal, Paliperdone (Invega), Lurasidone (Latuda), Asenapine (Saphris), and Aropiprazole (Abilify)

Side effects for antipsychotic medications

Sedation, weight gain, restlessness, and sexual dysfunction

Side effects of hyperthyroidism

restlessness, increased energy, and appetite

SIde effects of hypothyroidism

excessive tiredness, weight gain, movement slowness, etc. 

Side effects of a vitamin deficieny

Side effects of sleep disorders

Difficulty falling asleep and fatigue

Side of effects of a traumatic brain injury

Headaches, diziness, impulsivity, numbness, and vision problems

Side effects of Lyme Disease

Joint pain, rashes, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms

Autoimmune Diseases

Disruption of major bodily symptoms, frequently sick, fatigue, aches, and pains

Program Evaluation Steps

Engage stakeholders, describe the program design, focus evaluation design, gather credible evidence, justify conclusions, and use and share lessons learned

Compensation

Making up for a real or percieved weakness (EX: someone who has problems at school may go above and beyond at home)

Conversion

Repression of an event or feeling is expressed in a bodily function or disruption in the body (EX: someone who unprepared for a test gets physically sick with nausea and a headache the day of the test)

Denial

Blocking events from our awareness. Denial of actions or feelings and the inabiluty toadmit something that has happened (EX: a student is caught cheating on a test by a teacher. He denies cheating and is adament he did not do it) 

Dissocation

Momentary loss of connection to the world. Feeling of being seperated from self or reality (EX: someone who gets in an auto accident cannot remember driving or being involved the next day (amnesia)) 

Displacement

Transfer of negative emotion from one person to an unrelated person or thing (EX: having a bad day at work and come home and yell at mom and dad, when they did nothing wrong)

Projection

When you project your thoughts and feelings onto something else (EX: Having a drinking problem but suggest that it is really your wife who struggles with her drinking) 

Identification with Aggressor 

Victim takes the role of the aggressor and imitates their behavior (EX: a child is being abused by their father and then comes to school and is physically aggressive to the other students) 

Introjection

Accepting another person’s attitudes, beliefs, and values as their own. Especially the ones they find desirable (EX: A teenager buys all name brand clothes because they percieve all the popular kids to wear designer clothes)

Isolation of Affect

Screening out painful feelings by recalling a traumatic or painful event without experiencing the emotion associated with it. Seperating thoughts from feelings while accepting reality (EX: I should be upset that I wrecked my car on the way here but I do not really care)

Rationalization

Providing reasonalble explanations to justify actions. Failures are a threate to the ego so we pick certain elements of the truth and deny others (EX: “I would have won the race but the track was wet and I didn’t try that hard)

Reaction Formation

Expressing the opposite of your inner feelings in outward behaviors. Behaving or reacting the opposite of your true intentions (EX: A woman expresses that she despises her sister and then buys her a “Best Sister Ever” card)

Regression

Reversion to an earlier stage of development when faced with unacceptable fearful or threatening thoughts (EX: a college student who is stressed about upcoming finals begins wetting the bed at night) 

Repression

Unconscious “forgetting” or painful ideas, events or conflicts (EX: an adult may no recall that their parent died in a car accident ten years before because they pushed the incident away in their unconscious)

Sublimation

Redirecting or channeling strong emotions into an activity that is safe and productive (ex: someone who has anger issues takes up boxing as a way to channeling their aggression)

Undoing

Taking back an unconscious behavior that is unacceptable or hurtful (EX: after insulting someone, you spend the next hour praising them and showering them with compliments) 

Partialization

A social work technique used to break down large, overwhelming problems into smaller, more manageable parts (EX: social worker could help a client facing homelessness by first securing emergency shelter, then focusing on applying for benefits, and finally working on finding a job to achieve long-term housing stability)

Engagement and Rapport Building

Establishing trust is the foundation (EX: a social worker saying “I hear you” or “It sounds like you have been through a lot and I can see why you would feel that way” to a client who has been experiencing frustration) 

Active Listening

Verbally and non-verbally demonstrating attentiveness to what they client is saying (EX: a social worker summarizing a client’s feelings by saying “So, it sounds like you are feeling overwhelmed because of your job and the lack of support at home” and then asking follow up questions)

Empathy

Showing a genuine understanding of the client’s feelings and perspectives (EX: when a social worker uses active listening and verbal/non-verbal cues to reflect back a client’s feelings) 

Cultural Humility

Respecting and acknowledging cultural differences to build a stronger relationship with diverse clients (EX: using interpreters, creating treatment plans that honor a client’s religious beliefs, and actively listening to a client’s perspective rather than making assumptions)

What are some client-centered practices for cultural humility?

Using intepreters, providing materials in the client’s language, adapting treatment plans, and active listening and open ended questions

Is it okay to ask and learn about a client’s cultures and identity?

Yes, inviting clients to share aspects of their culture and identity that are important to their experience, and listen to them with an open heart, seeing them as the expert on their own lives 

Advocacy

Speaking up for clients or communities to address identified problems or systemic issues (EX: helping a client get health insurance or secure housing, and macro-levelpolicy advocacy, like lobbying for more supportive housing programs or better mental health funding)

Lobbying

Influencing public policy to promote social justice and advocate for client’s needs through activities like testifying, contacting legislators, and building coalitions (EX: bringing a group of clients and other community members to a state capital to meet with legislators and advocate for increased funding for mental health services)

Strenghts-Based Model

Focusing on a client’s inherent strenghts, resources, and resilience rather than their deficitis (EX: a social worker helping a client with a substance use disorder by focusing on their resilience and past successes in other ares of their life, such as their skills in a previous job or their dedication to family) 

Systems Theory

Viiewing individuals within the context of their interconnected systems (EX: using an eco-map to understand a child’s struggles at school by examining the impact of their family, neighborhood, and school enviornment)

Signs of Child Abuse

Unusal bruising (in odd places), burns (in odd places), hypersensitivity to conflict (hypervigilant), withdraw from activity (depression, playing alone, etc.), changes in behavior - such as aggression, anger hostility or hyperactivity, pain when sitting down (bruising, etc.), low-self esteem or self defeating comments (verbal abuse, etc,) 

Signs of child sexual abuse

Odd bathroom patterns (not using bathroom, spending long time, etc.), bedwetting, overly sexualized behavior, sexual acts towards peers, blood in stool (see medical personnel), and talking about sexual material

Examples of child abuse

Excessive force used for punishment, marks from spanking, using an object for physical punishment, verbally degrading a child, use of excessive force, exposure to DV or community violence, sexual abuse or exposure to sexual acts, and frequent absences from school

Signs of elder abuse

Unusual bruising, social isolation, complaints about being treated poorly, depression, medical decline, etc. 

Examples of elder abuse

Clients being physically restrained, caretaker withholding money, caretakers refusing to allow person to see friends or loved ones, not providing food or basic essentials, verbally abusive, berating person, and taking away priced possessions or items of value

Examples of elder self neglect

Lack of hygiene, inability to keep and remembers medical appointments, malnourishment, unclean or unsage living conditions

First stage of the cycle of abuse

Incident: Abuse or violence occurs

Second stage of the cycle of abuse

“Honeymood stage'“ and the abuser is apologetic

Third stage of the cycle of abuse

Tension building stage: walking on eggshells, unsure of when next incident will occur…

Fourth stage of the cycle of abuse

Relapse: Incident of abuse or violence happens again

Safety Assessment

Important when someone is having suicidal thoughts, giving away of important belongings, little to no energy, and self harming

Signs of alcohol abuse

Impaired judgement, slurred speech, unsteady gait, inappropriate behaviors, unhibitied emotional control, stupor, and coma

Signs of alcohol withdrawl

Tremors, seizures, anxiety, restlessness, nausea, and headaches

Antabuse

Used to treat problem drinking by creatingan unpleasant reaction to alchol; Used in recovery programs that include medical supervision and counseling

Heroin

What is the most abused substance?

Signs of marijuana use

Increased appetite, redness of eyes, social withdrawal, slowed sense of time, slower reaction speed, dry mouth, and increased anxiety

Signs of marijuana withdraws

Mood changes, irritability, stomach issues, sweating, chills, increased depression symptoms

Signs of cocaine/amphetamine use

Dilated pupils, runny nose, euphoria, grandiosity, hyperactivity, energetic, lack of appetite, restlessness

Withdrawals of cocaine/amphetamine use

Insomnia, depression, vivid and unpleasant dreams, high blood pressure, chills, confusion

Cocaine

This is an upper and people who use are normally up for several days

SIgns of Opiod Use: Narcotics and Painkillers

Pupillary constriction, slurred speech, drowsiness/coma, impairment/memory and attention, and chronic constipation

Signs of Withdrawals from Opiods

Restlessness, diarrhea, sweating, nausea, runny eyes and nose, tremors, and abdominal pain

Signs of heroin use

Weight loss, scabs or bruises, delusions, disorientation, hallucinations, paranoia, decreased attention to persoal  hygiene

SIgns of Heroin withdrawal

Muscle spasms, anxiety, extreme sweating, crampomg of limbs, feeling of heaviness, and severe muscle aches and pains

Signs of caffiene use

Restlessness, nervousness, rambling of speech and thoughts, excitement, increased energy, and increased heart rate

Signs of caffeine withdrawal

Headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritable, and depressed moods

Stage 1 of coming out: Self identity

Initial stage of where individual becomes aware of those interactions sexually, romantically, emotionally, and physical attracted

Stage 2 of coming out: Disclosure to others

Begins to share their identity with others; typically starts with close family members and then friends

Stage 3 of coming out: Socialization with other LGBTQ+ members

Find connections with people in the community

Stage 4 of coming out: Positive self-identification 

Start to feel good about themselves

Stage 5 of coming out: Integration and acceptance

Opennes/non-defensiveness about one’s sexual orientation

Stage 6 of coming out: Lifelong journey

Coming out is a lifelong event