LMSW FREE LMSW MCQ Questions and Answers 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker is providing services to a client who is also the social worker's neighbor. Which ethical principle is PRIMARILY at risk?
- Beneficence
- Self-determination
- Avoiding dual relationships (Correct answer)
- Informed consent
Correct answer: Avoiding dual relationships
Dual relationships occur when a social worker has a professional role and another type of relationship with the same person, creating potential conflicts of interest.
Question 2: According to attachment theory, an infant who is distressed when the caregiver leaves but NOT comforted upon return most likely has which attachment style?
- Secure attachment
- Avoidant attachment
- Anxious-ambivalent attachment (Correct answer)
- Disorganized attachment
Correct answer: Anxious-ambivalent attachment
Anxious-ambivalent (resistant) attachment is characterized by high distress at separation combined with inability to be soothed upon the caregiver's return.
Question 3: A social worker who has been treating a client for depression for two years begins to feel romantic attraction toward the client. What is the FIRST action the social worker should take?
- Immediately terminate the professional relationship
- Disclose the feelings to the client to maintain transparency
- Seek personal therapy or clinical supervision to address the countertransference (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to another provider without explanation
Correct answer: Seek personal therapy or clinical supervision to address the countertransference
Seeking supervision or personal therapy is the appropriate first step to address countertransference while protecting the client's welfare and continuing appropriate care.
Question 4: When using a strengths-based perspective, a social worker should PRIMARILY focus on:
- Diagnosing and treating the client's pathology
- Identifying what the client does well and building on existing resources (Correct answer)
- Challenging the client's irrational thoughts
- Examining how past trauma contributes to current problems
Correct answer: Identifying what the client does well and building on existing resources
The strengths-based perspective emphasizes identifying and amplifying client strengths, resources, and resilience rather than focusing on deficits.
Question 5: A client who is court-ordered into substance abuse treatment says, 'I only came because I had to. I don't have a problem.' Which clinical approach is MOST appropriate?
- Challenge the client's denial and insist they acknowledge the problem
- Accept the client's statement and proceed with psychoeducation only
- Use motivational interviewing to explore ambivalence without confrontation (Correct answer)
- Inform the court that the client is not engaged in treatment
Correct answer: Use motivational interviewing to explore ambivalence without confrontation
Motivational interviewing is evidence-based for resistant or ambivalent clients and avoids the confrontational approach that can increase resistance.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'countertransference' in clinical social work?
- The client's emotional reactions to the social worker based on past relationships
- The social worker's emotional reactions to the client that are influenced by the worker's own experiences (Correct answer)
- The mutual agreement between client and social worker about treatment goals
- The process of transferring a client's case to another provider
Correct answer: The social worker's emotional reactions to the client that are influenced by the worker's own experiences
Countertransference refers to the social worker's feelings, reactions, and biases toward the client that stem from the worker's own unresolved issues or personal history.
Question 7: A social worker at a community mental health center is denied resources needed to serve clients adequately due to budget cuts. What is the MOST appropriate advocacy response?
- Accept the budget decision as outside the scope of social work practice
- Resign from the agency to protest the budget cuts
- Document service gaps and advocate at the organizational and policy level for change (Correct answer)
- Provide services beyond ethical limits to compensate for lack of resources
Correct answer: Document service gaps and advocate at the organizational and policy level for change
Macro-level advocacy, including documenting service gaps and engaging in policy advocacy, is a core social work responsibility when systemic barriers affect client welfare.
LMSW FREE LMSW MCQ Questions and Answers 5
A social worker is providing services to a client who is also the social worker's neighbor.
Which ethical principle is PRIMARILY at risk?