ASWB Bachelors Prep 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mandatory reporter BSW receives information from a 10-year-old child suggesting physical abuse by a parent. The child begs the worker not to tell anyone. The BSW should:
- Honor the child's request to maintain trust in the therapeutic relationship
- Tell the child confidentiality will be broken and make the required report (Correct answer)
- Consult with a supervisor and delay the report while gathering more information
- Contact the parent first to hear their side of the story
Correct answer: Tell the child confidentiality will be broken and make the required report
Mandatory reporting laws require social workers to report suspected child abuse regardless of client requests, and the child should be informed of this obligation.
Question 2: Which of Maslow's hierarchy of needs would a BSW address FIRST when working with a homeless client who is also experiencing depression?
- Self-esteem needs
- Safety and security needs
- Belongingness needs
- Physiological needs (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Physiological needs
Maslow's hierarchy places physiological needs (food, shelter, warmth) at the base; these must be addressed before higher-order needs can be met.
Question 3: In generalist social work practice, the term 'mezzo-level' intervention refers to:
- Work with individual clients and their immediate family members
- Work with organizations, groups, and communities (Correct answer)
- National policy advocacy and legislative change
- Therapy and clinical treatment approaches
Correct answer: Work with organizations, groups, and communities
Mezzo-level practice involves work with small groups, organizations, and communities, sitting between micro (individual) and macro (societal) levels.
Question 4: A BSW in a hospital setting is asked by a physician to share a patient's mental health records without the patient's consent 'to help with treatment.' The BSW should:
- Share the records since treatment team coordination is always permitted
- Refuse entirely, as no health information can ever be shared
- Explain HIPAA provisions and obtain proper authorization before sharing (Correct answer)
- Share only a verbal summary to avoid a formal HIPAA violation
Correct answer: Explain HIPAA provisions and obtain proper authorization before sharing
HIPAA allows treatment-related sharing but typically requires the patient's authorization or a specific exception; the BSW must follow proper legal procedure.
Question 5: The NASW Code of Ethics identifies the primary obligation of social workers as being to:
- Their employing agency
- Society and the broader good
- Their professional colleagues
- Their clients (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Their clients
The NASW Code of Ethics states that the social worker's primary obligation is to the client's wellbeing and interests.
Question 6: A BSW is conducting an initial intake with a new client and wants to gather information efficiently. Which interviewing technique is MOST appropriate?
- Closed-ended questions to gather specific facts quickly
- Open-ended questions to allow the client to share their perspective (Correct answer)
- Leading questions to help the client identify their problem
- Multiple questions asked together to cover more ground
Correct answer: Open-ended questions to allow the client to share their perspective
Open-ended questions invite clients to share their own narrative and provide richer, more relevant information than closed or leading questions.
Question 7: Which of the following scenarios BEST illustrates a dual relationship (also called a dual role)?
- A BSW sees a client who has previously seen another social worker
- A BSW provides counseling to a neighbor from the same community (Correct answer)
- A BSW works with both a parent and their child simultaneously
- A BSW serves on a community board while working at a nonprofit agency
Correct answer: A BSW provides counseling to a neighbor from the same community
A dual relationship occurs when a social worker has a second role with a client (e.g., neighbor, friend, business contact) outside the professional relationship.
ASWB Bachelors Prep 3
A mandatory reporter BSW receives information from a 10-year-old child suggesting physical abuse by a parent.
The child begs the worker not to tell anyone.
The BSW should: