FREE ASWB Clinical Social Worker Question and Answers
When you first meet with Frank, a client whose mother recently passed away following a protracted illness, he self-reports, "I really feel horrible this week." The BEST way for you to reply to a statement of primary empathy would be to express the following:
It's crucial to hold back from drawing inferences when interpreting a communication from Frank after hearing a statement that is so vague, like the one he made to you. While it's conceivable that the specific occurrences you are aware of contributed to your bad mood, it's also possible that Frank is making a generalization about something unrelated to that incident.
The other choices are flawed as a result. Give Frank some time to clarify in his own words rather than assuming that he is upset about something. You should use terminology that is as intense as he is, thus refrain from using words like "miserable" in this context.
The most prevalent type of unethical behavior that social workers have documented is the following:
A confidentiality breach occurs when a social worker divulges information to a third party without the client's express consent; social workers report confidentiality breaches more frequently than any other problem.
The other choices are untrue since social workers record confidentiality breaches more frequently than dual relationships, conflicts of interest, or lack of client consent.
In a drug rehab facility, Vincent is working with his patient Lily. Vincent has heard Lily describe her situation, gathered information from various professionals, and reviewed Lily's medical history while he develops a treatment plan for her.
What ought Vincent to DO NOW?
The first two elements of the conventional SOAP treatment planning approach are gathering data: Subjective (hearing Lily out) and Objective (getting collateral data). The third stage is to combine the first two to undertake an assessment; only after that can Vincent and Lily create a plan.
Rapport building is nevertheless crucial even though it isn't technically a part of treatment planning per se.
When assessing basic "Activities of Daily Living" (ADLs) to identify an appropriate level of care for a person with a long-term disability, the following areas of capacity are LEAST likely to be considered:
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are crucial self-care tasks that are used to evaluate a person's functional capacity or survival function impairment. These include one's capabilities and limitations with regard to bowel and bladder functions, dressing, self-feeding, toileting, getting in and out of bed, and cleanliness.
For the level of support required to live independently in a community, "Instrumental ADLs," such as light housework, meal preparation, medicine administration, shopping, and money management, are noted in a separate category.
An example of a situation in which family counseling is NOT advised is as follows:
It is believed that a social worker cannot work with family members who are dishonest with one another.
Boundary violations and/or reluctance to assistance are common in dysfunctional families, yet these circumstances do not exclude a family from receiving effective treatment.
Which of the following levels of consciousness holds all the knowledge not currently in a person's attention and is accessible if needed, according to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory?
The theory of personality organization and the dynamics of personality development that underpins psychoanalysis is known as psychoanalytic theory. According to this idea, the level of consciousness that contains all the data that the conscious mind is capable of accessing but is unaware of is the preconscious level.
The unconscious is where the remainder of the information resides, including the thoughts, feelings, memories, and facts that have an impact on the conscious mind but are not immediately available to it. The conscious mind is where a person is focused at any given moment.
It is not a Freudian degree of awareness to be subconscious.
You're meeting with a middle-aged married couple to talk about their regular disagreements. The husband claims that his wife's short fuse and ongoing irritability is the cause of their problems during the session.
You should say in response:
While providing couples therapy, it is your responsibility to maintain objectivity and give both spouses the chance to voice their emotions. Asking for clarification on particular statements made by one or both partners will help to enable discussion of the matter.
You would probably make the husband defensive or accuse the social worker of playing sides by asking the husband what he has done to make things better or blaming the husband for the wife's rage. Instead of telling the husband that they would "speak later" about the matter, you should offer him the chance to completely express himself.
A clinical supervisor in an outpatient mental health environment learns that a client who has just started therapy with one of her supervisees also happens to be the ex-current husband's girlfriend, with whom the supervisor still gets along reasonably well after their divorce.
The MOST suitable course of action for the supervisor to pursue in this circumstance would be:
This query is an illustration of a circumstance that causes the supervisor multiple disagreements. Even though the individual performing the supervision is not actively delivering the therapy, there are a number of difficulties with boundary definition, parallel relationships, and conflicts of interest due to the fact that the issue involves the supervisor's ex-girlfriend. husband's As a result, actually overseeing the case is inappropriate since it permits the client's appointed therapist and their working relationship to be harmed by the relationships that are actually there. The best solution would be one that provides enough border definition while causing the least amount of interference to others.
It is not essential to request the supervisee transfer the case to another person in this situation or to provide the supervisee instructions to inform the client of the conflict of interest. The supervisor shouldn't continue to supervise the case or allow herself to continue doing so.
When your client Claire arrives for her appointment, she tells you that her husband has just requested a divorce. Claire starts to discuss all the issues in the marriage before responding to your inquiry about how she is feeling.
Which kind of protection mechanism are you most likely to record in your Claire's chart notes?
Unconscious, automatic strategies known as psychological defense mechanisms help people cope with anxiety. As a protective mechanism, intellectualization involves avoiding unpleasant emotions and problem-solving by focusing on logic and facts.
When someone strives to be another they admire or wants an attribute of another, this is known as idealization. The incapacity to accept reality is known as denial. When someone symbolically undoes unaccepting ideas, feelings, or behaviors, it is known as undoing.
The best response, given the facts in the question, is intellectualization.
A stuttering client has turned into a blogger and author. Which defense mechanism from the list below is the client employing?
Psychological protection Mechanisms are unconsciously used, instinctive methods of calming down. When someone, like the client in question, makes up for genuine shortcomings in another way, compensation happens.
When the desired objective is unavailable, displacement refers to switching behaviors or emotions from the desired target to a replacement target. Displacement is when you yell at a family member because you're upset at work. When a person is experiencing unpleasant emotions or ideas, they may project those emotions or thoughts onto another person. An illustration of projection is when an unfaithful wife believes her spouse is unfaithful. Last but not least, identification occurs when a person presents themselves as another. A younger sibling adopting an older sibling's interests, hobbies, and style is an illustration of identification.
Which of the following therapeutic theories is used by a social worker who embraces and stresses the idea of client self-determination?
According to existential philosophy, the social worker must acknowledge the client's inherent autonomy, freedom of choice, and dedication to the idea of client self-determination.
The other choices are inaccurate because they don't adequately fit the data provided in the inquiry. The focus of cognitive theory is on a client's conscious thought processes, motivations, and causes for particular behaviors. The theories and therapeutic applications of psychoanalytic theory relate to human personality and its growth.
Which form of behavior can be anticipated from Yam Yam, who has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder?
According to the DSM-5, people with borderline personality disorder manipulate other people, behave erratically, are unable to manage their anger, experience severe mood swings, have identity problems, and feel empty all the time.
Although people with borderline personality disorder frequently lack insight and occasionally obsess, this trait does not define the illness.
Which of the following statements about a kid who frequently uses echolalia is MOST true?
A characteristic of typical language development is echolalia. Around 18 months of age, as a kid masters producing language/speech, is able to imitate words, and starts to imitate phrases uttered by others, the stage in which echolalia may be most noticeable begins. When a toddler reaches the age of three, echolalia typically peaks between 24 and 30 months of age and then declines or disappears. The onset of conversational communication, the start of fully independent talking, the generation and expression of original thoughts, the posing of novel questions, and the ability to react correctly to inquiries from others all occur around the age of three.
While echolalia may be a habit linked to a number of developmental issues, in the absence of additional diagnostic clues, it should not be interpreted as a pathological or alarming symptom. Echolalia can/will go away on its own, as previously said, and is developmentally suitable for children between the ages of 18 and 36 months.
Grace, her nine-year-old daughter, is gravely ill, your new client, who is also quite emotional, tells you. Shortly after Gracie's diagnosis, the client's husband abandoned her and their children. After saying that she is unsure of how to handle Grace's condition and the death of her husband, the client starts to cry.
What must you first accomplish?
It's crucial to begin by recognizing the client's feelings because she is feeling emotional and overwhelmed by them.
Once the client's feelings have been recognized, you can discuss the other possibilities, which may be beneficial for the client in the long run.
Which of the following factors is LEAST likely to play a role in the development or diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in children?
Autism has been linked to genetic issues, possibly involving numerous genetic variables that could influence susceptibility to brain development and symptom severity. The number of cases caused by any genetic issue may be minor, but the aggregate impact of genes is probably substantial. It has been discovered that families with one autistic child are more likely to have further children get the illness. Parents or other family members of autistic children frequently struggle with social or communication skills or exhibit autistic traits. According to a 2010 study, parental age has an impact on a child's likelihood of developing autism, with dads over 40 having the biggest impact.
No connection between vaccines and autism has been discovered, despite extensive media coverage.
The primary focus of general systems theory is regarded as being on the:
General Systems Theory's basic goal and guiding premise both involve investigating homeostasis and the factors that influence it.
The other choices are all parts of general systems theory, but they are not the main topic.