LMSW LMSW Social Work Practice Models Questions and Answers 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), the term 'dialectical' refers to:
- The use of dialogue between therapist and client
- The balance between acceptance and change strategies (Correct answer)
- The sequential progression through treatment stages
- The contradiction between emotional and rational thinking
Correct answer: The balance between acceptance and change strategies
DBT's dialectical philosophy holds the tension between validating the client as they are (acceptance) while also working toward behavioral change.
Question 2: Which model would a social worker use when intervening immediately after a client experiences a traumatic event such as a natural disaster?
- Psychodynamic model
- Crisis Intervention model (Correct answer)
- Narrative Therapy model
- Task-Centered model
Correct answer: Crisis Intervention model
The Crisis Intervention model is designed for immediate, time-limited response to acute crises, aiming to restore pre-crisis functioning.
Question 3: The concept of 'unconditional positive regard' in social work practice is associated with:
- Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy
- Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Therapy (Correct answer)
- Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
- Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Development
Correct answer: Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Therapy
Carl Rogers identified unconditional positive regard—accepting clients without judgment—as a core condition for therapeutic growth.
Question 4: In Bowen Family Systems Theory, 'differentiation of self' refers to:
- The ability to function independently of family roles
- The capacity to maintain a clear sense of self while staying emotionally connected to others (Correct answer)
- The process of separating from one's family of origin permanently
- The development of distinct subsystems within a family
Correct answer: The capacity to maintain a clear sense of self while staying emotionally connected to others
Differentiation of self in Bowen theory means balancing autonomy and emotional connection—neither fused with nor cut off from the family system.
Question 5: A social worker applying an Ecological Systems perspective would MOST likely assess:
- Unconscious conflicts stemming from childhood experiences
- Irrational automatic thoughts that distort perception
- The fit between the client and multiple environmental systems (Correct answer)
- The sequence of steps needed to complete a behavioral task
Correct answer: The fit between the client and multiple environmental systems
The Ecological Systems model, associated with Bronfenbrenner and Germain, examines how individuals interact with and adapt to their environments across multiple system levels.
Question 6: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is distinguished from problem-focused approaches because it:
- Requires a thorough assessment of the problem's history and origins
- Directs attention to client strengths, exceptions, and future goals rather than problems (Correct answer)
- Uses confrontational techniques to challenge unhelpful behaviors
- Emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as the primary agent of change
Correct answer: Directs attention to client strengths, exceptions, and future goals rather than problems
SFBT concentrates on what is already working (exceptions) and where the client wants to go, deliberately minimizing analysis of problem causes.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the 'identified patient' concept in family systems practice?
- The family member with the most severe individual diagnosis
- The family member who carries the symptom that expresses the family's dysfunction (Correct answer)
- The primary client designated by the referring agency
- The family member who is most motivated to change
Correct answer: The family member who carries the symptom that expresses the family's dysfunction
In family systems theory, the identified patient is the symptomatic member whose difficulties are understood as a manifestation of the entire family system's problems.
In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), the term 'dialectical' refers to: