LICSW Crisis Intervention 3

Question 1

A school social worker is told by a 14-year-old student that her friend is cutting herself to 'feel something' but has denied any suicidal intent. What is the MOST appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a risk assessment of the friend and notify parents and administration per school protocol

Answer

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) still requires clinical risk assessment and notification of appropriate parties per school protocol; the presence of self-harm warrants evaluation even without stated suicidal intent.

Question 2

Which of the following client statements MOST clearly indicates a potential homicidal threat requiring the social worker to consider the Tarasoff duty to warn?

Accepted Answer

'I am going to kill my neighbor John Smith if he doesn't stop harassing me — I have a gun ready.'

Answer

The Tarasoff duty to protect/warn is triggered by a credible, specific threat against an identifiable victim; this statement includes specific intent, identified victim, and access to means.

Question 3

A client with a history of bipolar disorder presents in crisis with rapid speech, grandiosity, and reports not sleeping for three days. Which crisis intervention approach is MOST indicated?

Accepted Answer

Prioritize psychiatric evaluation and medication management consultation

Answer

A manic episode is a psychiatric emergency requiring medical/psychiatric evaluation for possible mood stabilization; social work intervention must prioritize connecting the client with appropriate psychiatric care.

Question 4

When conducting a violence risk assessment, which acronym tool is commonly used to assess key static and dynamic risk factors?

Accepted Answer

HCR-20

Answer

The HCR-20 (Historical Clinical Risk Management-20) is a structured professional judgment tool widely used to assess violence risk across historical, clinical, and risk management domains.

Question 5

A social worker receives a call from a client threatening to harm themselves and is refusing to come in or speak to emergency services. After exhausting all de-escalation strategies, the MOST appropriate action is:

Accepted Answer

Call 911 and provide the client's address for a welfare check

Answer

When imminent risk is present and the client refuses voluntary help, the social worker's duty to protect overrides confidentiality, requiring emergency services to conduct a welfare check.

LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Exam Practice Test

LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker Exam Practice Test

LICSW Crisis Intervention 3