ASWB Masters Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker receives a subpoena for a client's therapy records. The client has not provided a release. The social worker should FIRST:
- Comply immediately because a subpoena is a court order
- Consult with an attorney before releasing any records (Correct answer)
- Refuse compliance on confidentiality grounds
- Ask the client if they want the records released
Correct answer: Consult with an attorney before releasing any records
A subpoena does not automatically override privilege; the social worker should consult legal counsel to determine the appropriate response before releasing records.
Question 2: In Bowenian family therapy, 'differentiation of self' refers to:
- A child's ability to separate physically from the family home
- The capacity to maintain a clear sense of identity while staying emotionally connected (Correct answer)
- The process of identifying the family's identified patient
- A technique for resolving triangles in family systems
Correct answer: The capacity to maintain a clear sense of identity while staying emotionally connected
Differentiation of self is Bowen's concept describing the ability to stay emotionally present in relationships without being overwhelmed by the emotional field.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of secondary trauma in a social worker?
- Burnout caused by an excessive caseload over several years
- Intrusive thoughts about a client's traumatic experience after hearing their story (Correct answer)
- Compassion satisfaction gained from helping a client recover
- Counter-transference feelings toward a client who resembles a family member
Correct answer: Intrusive thoughts about a client's traumatic experience after hearing their story
Secondary traumatic stress involves trauma-like symptoms that arise from indirect exposure to another person's traumatic experiences.
Question 4: A social worker is providing case management for an elderly client who refuses home health aide services despite significant functional decline. Which principle should guide the social worker's approach?
- Beneficence, because the social worker must act in the client's best interest
- Paternalism, because the client lacks insight into their own needs
- Self-determination, because competent adults have the right to refuse services (Correct answer)
- Justice, because resources should be allocated to those who will accept them
Correct answer: Self-determination, because competent adults have the right to refuse services
Competent adults retain the right to make decisions about their own care, even decisions the social worker believes are unwise.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of psychoeducation in clinical social work practice?
- Teaching clients coping skills through behavioral rehearsal
- Providing clients with information about their condition to improve understanding and management (Correct answer)
- Helping clients process childhood trauma through narrative techniques
- Analyzing the unconscious conflicts underlying a client's symptoms
Correct answer: Providing clients with information about their condition to improve understanding and management
Psychoeducation involves providing clients (and often families) with information about diagnoses, symptoms, and treatment to empower informed participation in care.
Question 6: According to the DSM-5-TR, which of the following is NOT a required criterion for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder?
- Depressed mood or loss of interest/pleasure nearly every day
- Symptoms present for at least two weeks
- A prior manic or hypomanic episode (Correct answer)
- Clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning
Correct answer: A prior manic or hypomanic episode
A prior manic or hypomanic episode would rule out MDD in favor of a bipolar diagnosis; it is not a criterion for MDD.
Question 7: A social worker notices that a client consistently arrives late and provides vague answers whenever discussing their relationship with their mother. This pattern is BEST described as:
- Transference
- Resistance (Correct answer)
- Splitting
- Projection
Correct answer: Resistance
Resistance refers to behaviors (lateness, avoidance, vagueness) that interfere with therapeutic progress, often unconsciously protecting the client from painful material.
ASWB Masters Practice 3
A social worker receives a subpoena for a client's therapy records.
The client has not provided a release.
The social worker should FIRST: