LMSW

A social worker is asked to evaluate a ten-year-old child who was reported to be talking with peers about explicit sexual activity and singing a song about incest. After ruling out direct sexual abuse to the child, what should the social worker do NEXT?

• A. other exposures to sexually explicit material

Assess

Due to the recent death of a parent, a hospital social worker is experiencing difficulty concentrating and completing work-related tasks. A colleague reports to the social worker that patients are complaining about the social worker's irritability. The social worker should:

A social worker employed by a retirement home is approached by a client for help in establishing a recycling program in the facility. The social worker decides to cohost a meeting with the client to discuss the idea with other residents. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach?

Sharing leadership is very effective with groups.

At what age does normal separation anxiety typically begin?

12 months

A nine-month-old child is neglected and lacks a secure attachment to a caretaker. What long-term effect should the social worker be MOST concerned about as the child gets older?

Negative social interactions with peers

A 13-year-old adolescent meets with a social worker because of poor hygiene, sleeping in class, and stealing food from the cafeteria. What should the social worker assess for FIRST?

Child neglect

A school social worker meets with parents of a child who has recently completed treatment for cancer. The child's physician is recommending that the child return to school as soon as possible, but the parents believe that more time at home would be beneficial. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Explore the reasons for the parents' beliefs

A social worker begins a job at a psychiatric hospital and is assigned a caseload. One of the clients is a former intimate partner. The social worker and client have not had any contact for several years. What should the social worker do?

Transfer the client to a colleague

A client who is trying to become pregnant uses cocaine consistently and has questions about the effects on the fetus. The social worker tells the client that cocaine use could harm the fetus. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Offer substance abuse treatment options to the client

A social worker is asked to analyze new social welfare policies that will affect the community. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Research the historical problems that led to the policies

A client meets with a social worker at a crisis center. The client is living with a sibling and shares that the sibling's boyfriend is threatening to force the client out of the home. The client does not feel safe. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Determine the nature of the danger

A social worker meets with a new client who is diagnosed with depression. The social worker observes that the client is ambivalent, non-trusting, and passive. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Focus on directly engaging the client

An adolescent who has diabetes is admitted to the hospital for the second time in three weeks after significant changes to the client's insulin levels. The physician believes that the adolescent is intentionally noncompliant with diabetes care and wants to be admitted. The physician refers the patient to a social worker. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Obtain a social and family history

What client factor MOST likely determines the scope and focus of an assessment?

Needs of the client

A social worker is contacted by a client whose initial complaint is depression. The client reports symptoms of insomnia, headaches, inability to eat, vomiting, and neck aches. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A social worker is contacted by a client whose initial complaint is depression. The client reports symptoms of insomnia, headaches, inability to eat, vomiting, and neck aches. What should the social worker do FIRST?

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?

Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client

During a therapy session, a client reveals to the social worker that she has difficulty managing her three-year-old child. The client reports that her child ran into traffic and was nearly hit by a car.

What should the social worker do FIRST?

Discuss the need for Work with the client to develop a safety plan

Parents of a 24-month-old child report their only concern is that their child plays alongside of, but not with, other children. What should the social worker do?

Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age

A social worker is providing marital therapy to a couple. What goal statement is MOST likely to enhance a couple's motivation?

Increase by one-fourth the frequency of positive statements

A social worker at an adoption agency receives a subpoena for the records of an adult client who recently met with a social worker about the client's adoption many years ago. In the process of responding to the subpoena, what should the social worker do FIRST?

Discuss the subpoena with the agency's legal counsel

A new social worker receives a court order to disclose client records. The social worker notes that there are grammatical problems and minor errors regarding dates and events in the recordings.

What should the social worker do FIRST?

Meet with a supervisor

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 faciliate the meeting?

Redirect staff members who do not stay on topic

A medical social worker in a home health setting believes a client is abusing alcohol. The nurse reports that the client is not progressing medically. During a home visit, the social worker notices multiple empty liquor bottles in the trash. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Explore this observation with the client

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 believes returning is God's will. What concept BEST explains the client's reasoning?

Fatalism

What task is the FIRST step in setting up a program evaluation?

Determining the goals and objectives

What practice has the MOST positive effect on service delivery?

Making the needs of clients the focus for all agency policy

A former client contacts a social worker to request access to treatment records. The client and the client's spouse have been seen individually and jointly. What is the social worker's MOST appropriate response?

Allow the client access to information pertaining only to the client

What instrument is MOST likely to be used by social workers in the initial assessment of families?

Ecomap

A hospital social worker works with a terminally ill patient who is refusing the use of a breathing machine to prolong life. What action is the patient choosing?

Natural death

The personality disorder in which the individual is hypersensitive to potential rejection, has low self-esteem, is socially withdrawn, and is generally unwilling to enter social relationships is

Avoidant

What term describes the belief that one's thoughts alone can result in the accomplishment of certain wishes?

Magical thinking

An adolescent who has been living with her 23-year-old boyfriend for six months calls a crisis hotline at 2:00 a.m. requesting help. She says her boyfriend evicted her because she may be pregnant.

She will be 18 in two days. The adolescent says that she has no place to go. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Contact a youth shelter facility

A social worker provides treatment to clients on the sex offender registry. Some clients are discouraged when they are fired from a job after their sex offender status becomes known. What should the social worker do to BEST support clients?

Teach clients how to disclose their background proactively when offered a job

A client reacts to criticism with rage, is interpersonally explosive, has a grandiose sense of self, is preoccupied with thoughts of unlimited success, and has a sense of entitlement. This meets the criteria for which of the following DSM personality disorder diagnoses?

Narcissist

What condition is NOT a cause of mild or major neurocognitive disorder?

Osteoporosis

During an assessment, a social worker is trying to understand a client's perspective. At the same time, the social worker is maintaining the perspective of an outside observer. What concept is

BEST reflected?

Empathy

Termination of a 12-week therapy group needs to be initially discussed in the group:

At the first session

Several clients who have physical disabilities attend a social worker's life skills class. The clients express doubt about voting in an upcoming election because they have heard polling places are not accessible. After determining that the clients' concerns are valid, the social worker should:

empower the clients to educate local officials on the needs of voters with disabilities

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 decrease cravings for alcohol

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

A client is in treatment with a social worker in a fee-for-service setting. After paying in full and on time for the first ten sessions, the client begins to make either partial payments or no payments at all. Assessment of risk indicates that the client poses no danger to self or others. According to ethical standards of social work practice, what is the social worker's BEST response?

Terminate services if debt persists after a discussion of financial obligations

A social worker is providing therapy to a family. The couple have been arguing constantly for several months and are considering a separation. Recently, the oldest child began acting out in school.

With attention focused on the child's problems, arguments between the parents have subsided. What concept BEST describes this family's situation from a systems perspective?

Triangulation

A social worker is working with a client who is severely depressed. The social worker has learned that earlier in the year the client boasted of perceived importance to others, went without sleep for several days, spent large amounts of money, and talked rapidly. What disorder is the MOST likely diagnosis for this client?

Bipolar I

A social worker makes a home visit to a family to investigate alleged neglect of one of the children. The social worker spends the first part of the interview discussing the family's new roof, their garden, and the rising costs of school supplies. In doing this, the social worker is purposefully:

employing an important warm-up period to establish rapport

A social worker facilitating change at a human services organization recognizes that clients are not assigned to the most appropriate personnel. Case assignments are based only on caseloads, with no attempt to match clients' needs with workers' skill sets. On what aspect of the agency is the social worker focused?

Organizational structure

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?

Validate the client concerns

A social worker's research shows that when clients who have been released from prison are given transportation resources, they are less likely to reoffend. The social worker submits the research to officials, advocating for a transportation program. What social work value BEST describes the social worker's efforts?

Promotion of social justice

An agency social worker becomes aware that a coworker frequently consumes alcohol on their lunch break. When this occurs, the coworker does not appear intoxicated. This individual is responsible for driving foster children to and from specialized services throughout the day. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Discuses the drinking directly with the coworker

A social worker receives a call from an angry client who yells at the social worker about perceived mistakes in a case. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Respond empathically to the client's concerns

A. social worker working in a shelter for people experiencing homelessness is reviewing policies and procedures. The social worker wants to focus on what can be done to enhance client trust and mitigate power imbalances. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Interview clients to learn ways of implementing policy to be sensitive to client needs

A social worker provides opportunities to community members to increase political participation. The goal is to affect policy and improve socioeconomic conditions. What approach is the social worker MOST likely using?

Empowerment

In a small community hospital, the newly hired social worker learns that some nurses document that they perform a psychosocial family assessment as part of the patient's admission history. The social worker proposes making this a social work function. What is the BEST approach to advocate for this proposal?

Identify the unique skills and abilities of social workers

A social worker completes an initial assessment of a client diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. The client's weight has dropped significantly resulting in negative affects to physical health. To BEST meet the client's immediate needs, what should the social worker do?

Consult with a physician regarding possible hospitalization

A social worker works in a community where gangs and drugs are a major problem. The mayor has requested that the social worker develop a plan involving the community to reduce gang violence and drug related problems. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Organize a task force to address the problems

What is the MOST important action that can be taken by a social work supervisor to reduce liability resulting from acts or omissions by supervisees?

Document topics discussed in supervision

During an initial interview with a social worker, a client reports a lack of desire for a sexual relationship with the spouse since getting married. The client engages in sex only when pressured, then dissociates during intercourse. The client has been having recurring violent nightmares and suicidal thoughts. What is the social worker's BEST response?

Evaluate for a history of sexual abuse as a child

A child protective services social worker meets with a parent who has allegedly been neglectful. The parent talks about being overwhelmed by the needs of the child. The parent describes having trouble sleeping because of the need to stay alert for messages from a favorite talk show host. The parent also shares beliefs that the child's teacher is working against the parent. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Initiate a mental status examination

A social worker is attempting to secure public income support for a family who recently immigrated. What does the social worker in this situation need to know?

Eligibility varies for public assistance that is provided to people who immigrate.

A social worker supervises volunteers in a day care facility. Parents are complaining about one volunteer's lack of sensitivity. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Assess the volunteer's abilities to connect with others

A client is discharged from inpatient treatment for substance use. A mental health social worker meets for a follow-up session with family members and observes that they avoid discussing the problem. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Determine the extent of denial within the family system

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?

Help the client explore the reasons for the behavior

Which medication would MOST likely be used for treatment of depression?

Zoloft

A preschooler's parents report that their child masturbates at night and has tried to touch a sibling's genitals while bathing. What do these behaviors MOST likely indicate?

Normal sexual development

A social worker facilitates therapy with a married couple. Because of limited experience working with the couple's issues, the social worker approaches a colleague in the community for structured advice. What term BEST describes this action?

Consultation

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

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?

Partialization

A social worker assesses a victim of psychological abuse by a long-term partner. What is MOST important for the social worker to remember about the dynamics of abuse within a relationship?

Abuse is otters an effort to retain control

A social worker meets with an eight-year-old client to work on issues of 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, what should the social worker do NEXT?

Discuss the client's statements with the parents

A social worker is a member of the disaster response team in a community where there was a recent tornado. An elementary school was destroyed and three children were killed. A month later, parents and school officials ask the social worker to evaluate a child whose behavior has become unmanageable in class. The child is having difficulty concentrating and has not completed any assignments in several weeks. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Complete an individual assessment with the child

A social worker meets with a client who is chronically mentally ill. The client often refuses to take psychotropic medications but does not yet exhibit symptoms of active psychosis. What approach is

MOST likely to help the client achieve long-term optimal functioning?

Developing a behavioral program to enhance medication compliance

A social worker is subpoenaed to testify at a court hearing. However, the client asks the social worker not to disclose information from their sessions. The social worker might support adhering to the client's request on the basis of:

Privileged communication

A social worker is asked to evaluate a ten-year-old child who was reported to be talking with peers about explicit sexual activity and singing a song about incest. After ruling out direct sexual abuse to the child, what should the social worker do NEXT?

Assess other exposures to sexually explicit material

A medical social worker discusses discharge planning with a patient's spouse. The patient's spouse is adamant that no follow-up medical care is needed. The patient has the capacity to make medical decisions. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Explain the patient rights to the spouse

A social worker is aware of a client having difficulty paying for prescription medications. What should the social worker do?

Encourage the client to talk with a pharmacist about payment options

A client requests mental health services to manage chronic and escalating anger. During the initial 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?

Discuss the incidents further to determine the appropriate action

What components are included during the contracting phase of intervention?

Goals and objectives

During what stage of development does a gay or lesbian adolescent experience the greatest need for support?

Coming out to others

A couple meet with a social worker about concerns in their relationship. Both partners report the other person does not offer emotional support or affection. What should the social worker explore FIRST?

Relationship expectations

A social worker leads a parenting skills group. During a session, a three-year-old child roars and gestures like a lion. The parent appears embarrassed and scolds the child for this behavior. What should the social worker do?

Discuss the importance of pretend play

A school social worker completes a functional behavioral assessment of a child who is exhibiting challenging classroom behaviors. What is the social worker trying to identify by completing this assessment?

An understanding of why the disruptions occur

Lithium would MOST likely be prescribed for what type of disorder?

Bipolar I

A hospital social worker has a client who is noncompliant with management of diabetes. The client believes that the illness is God's will and God will provide a cure. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Explore the role that religion plays in the client's overall self-care

An adolescent who was recently discharged from a psychiatric 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 social worker do FIRST?

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

A family services agency has 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 clients' concern, what should the administrator do FIRST?

Form a committee of clients and staff to identify solutions

Rationale:

Engaging those who are directly involved is an important FIRST

What is a social worker required to do before beginning work with a client that includes electronic transfer of records?

Provide the client with the agency privacy policy

A client meets with a social worker to discuss parenting a rebellious adolescent. After several sessions, the client shares beliefs that support physical punishment. What should the social worker do FIRST?

Request that the client describe the physical punishment practices

A social worker is in the early stages of intervention with a client who is acutely depressed. What approach style would be MOST effective for the social worker to use at this point in the treatment process?

Supportive

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?

Contemplation

To take into account the information processing deficits of clients with schizophrenia, what should the social worker do to BEST structure group treatment?

Schedule a variety of brief activities

A social worker meets with a client who reports shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat. The client has a fear of losing control. What disorder is the client MOST likely experiencing?

Panic

A social worker disagrees with the way agency policy restricts client services and believes it is an ethical issue. What should the social worker do NEXT?

Determine whether ethical values are in conflict

Which of the following factors is MOST helpful in assessing a client's ability to use insight-oriented psychotherapy?

Level of motivation

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?

Obtain supervision

A social worker in a high school is asked to facilitate a treatment group. What consideration would be MOST important in planning for the group?

Conflict with authority is characteristic of adolescence.

A social work administrator in a public social services agency is assessing how to provide services in response to an increase in immigration of people from multiple countries. What should be the administrator's PRIMARY task?

Ensuring coordinated services for all immigrant groups

The relationship with a client reminds a social worker of the social worker's relationship with a sibling. This is an example of:

Countertransference

A social worker is working with a client who experiences ongoing physical abuse from an intimate partner. The social worker has reviewed and complied with any reporting requirements. The social worker explores the situation further and finds that the client makes excuses for the partner. The client also refuses to go to a shelter. What should be the social worker's NEXT step?

Assist the client in creating a safety plan, in case it is needed

What characteristic is one of the diagnostic criteria of hoarding disorder?

Impaired quality of life

What personality disorder is characterized by a restricted range of emotional experience and expression?

Schizoid

A social work supervisor meets with a staff person who has difficulty setting limits with clients. What is the MOST effective strategy that the supervisor could suggest to correct this pattern?

Increase assertiveness through educational activities