FREE LMSW Questions and Answers Flashcards

A social worker discovers that a client's 8-year-old child has unexplained bruising and the client offers inconsistent explanations. What is the social worker's FIRST obligation?

Answer: Report the suspicion to child protective services immediately

Mandated reporters must report reasonable suspicion of child abuse immediately, without waiting for confirmation or supervisor approval.

Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable feelings or impulses to another person?

Answer: Projection

Projection involves unconsciously attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else.

A client with Borderline Personality Disorder suddenly shifts from idealizing the social worker to expressing intense anger and devaluation. This pattern is best described as:

Answer: Splitting

Splitting is a hallmark of BPD in which people are viewed as all-good or all-bad with rapid shifts between these extremes.

Under the NASW Code of Ethics, when a social worker's personal values conflict with a client's legal but morally objectionable behavior, the worker should FIRST:

Answer: Explore the conflict in supervision and manage personal reactions

Social workers must use supervision to process value conflicts and ensure client self-determination is not compromised.

Which stage of Erikson's psychosocial development involves the conflict between generativity and stagnation?

Answer: Middle adulthood

Generativity vs. stagnation occurs in middle adulthood (roughly ages 40–65) and centers on contributing to the next generation.

A social worker is meeting with a family experiencing conflict. The worker deliberately asks each member to speak only to the therapist rather than to each other. This structural family therapy technique is called:

Answer: Blocking

Blocking is a structural family therapy technique used to interrupt dysfunctional communication patterns by redirecting interaction through the therapist.

A client discloses they are experiencing auditory hallucinations telling them to harm their neighbor. The social worker has a duty to warn under Tarasoff if:

Answer: There is a specific, identifiable, and imminent threat to an identified person

The Tarasoff duty to warn applies when there is a serious, imminent, and specific threat to an identifiable third party.