ASWB Bachelors Basic 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client with a history of trauma becomes angry and storms out of a session when the social worker asks about their childhood. The worker's BEST response upon the client's return is to:
- Explore the client's reaction with curiosity and empathy without pushing for disclosure (Correct answer)
- Apologize and agree never to discuss childhood again
- Explain that the client's reaction was inappropriate for the setting
- Refer the client to a trauma specialist and close the case
Correct answer: Explore the client's reaction with curiosity and empathy without pushing for disclosure
A trauma-informed response addresses the client's reaction with curiosity and empathy while not forcing premature disclosure.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of secondary prevention in a community mental health context?
- Providing parenting education classes before problems arise
- Offering early intervention counseling to individuals showing signs of depression (Correct answer)
- Delivering inpatient psychiatric services to people in acute crisis
- Lobbying for mental health parity legislation
Correct answer: Offering early intervention counseling to individuals showing signs of depression
Secondary prevention targets individuals who are at risk or show early signs of a problem to reduce its severity and duration.
Question 3: A social worker suspects a supervisor is engaging in insurance fraud. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, the worker should FIRST:
- Report immediately to law enforcement without discussing with the supervisor
- Seek consultation and address the concern through internal channels if possible (Correct answer)
- Ignore the situation since it is the supervisor's responsibility
- Resign from the position to avoid ethical liability
Correct answer: Seek consultation and address the concern through internal channels if possible
The NASW Code of Ethics encourages addressing ethical concerns through appropriate internal channels before escalating externally.
Question 4: Motivational interviewing is BEST described as a collaborative, person-centered style that:
- Challenges clients to recognize the consequences of their behavior
- Elicits and strengthens a client's own motivation for change (Correct answer)
- Provides direct advice on what behaviors the client should change
- Uses behavioral contracts to enforce agreed-upon behavior changes
Correct answer: Elicits and strengthens a client's own motivation for change
Motivational interviewing draws out the client's intrinsic motivation by evoking their own reasons for and commitment to change.
Question 5: Which behavior is MOST consistent with appropriate professional boundaries in social work practice?
- Accepting a small gift from a client as a sign of cultural courtesy after discussing it with a supervisor (Correct answer)
- Sharing personal struggles with clients to model vulnerability and build trust
- Meeting a former client socially after discharge since services have ended
- Friending current clients on social media to improve communication
Correct answer: Accepting a small gift from a client as a sign of cultural courtesy after discussing it with a supervisor
When accepting small gifts is culturally appropriate and is handled transparently with supervision, it may be ethically permissible in some contexts.
Question 6: In group work, the stage characterized by conflict, competition, and members challenging the leader is BEST described as:
- Forming
- Norming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Adjourning
Correct answer: Storming
Tuckman's storming stage involves intragroup conflict and power struggles as members negotiate roles and challenge authority.
Question 7: A social worker is assigned to a client who holds political views that conflict sharply with the worker's own values. The MOST appropriate response is to:
- Transfer the client to a worker who shares similar values
- Reflect on personal biases and provide services without allowing values to interfere (Correct answer)
- Share the worker's own views to model healthy political engagement
- Address the value difference directly in the first session to prevent conflict
Correct answer: Reflect on personal biases and provide services without allowing values to interfere
Social workers are ethically required to be aware of personal biases and ensure they do not interfere with professional service delivery.
ASWB Bachelors Basic 5
A client with a history of trauma becomes angry and storms out of a session when the social worker asks about their childhood.
The worker's BEST response upon the client's return is to: