LMSW Social Policy and Advocacy 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker is advocating for a client denied Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. What is the FIRST step in the appeals process?
- File a lawsuit in federal court
- Request reconsideration within 60 days of the denial notice (Correct answer)
- Contact the state governor's office
- Reapply for benefits from scratch
Correct answer: Request reconsideration within 60 days of the denial notice
The SSI appeals process begins with a request for reconsideration, which must be filed within 60 days of receiving the denial notice.
Question 2: Which federal legislation established the framework for child welfare services and created Title IV-E foster care funding?
- The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
- The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Correct answer)
- The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Correct answer: The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980
The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 created Title IV-E, establishing federal funding for foster care and adoption assistance.
Question 3: A social worker is conducting a policy analysis on housing instability. Which framework examines how race, gender, and class simultaneously shape an individual's experience of homelessness?
- Systems theory
- Intersectionality framework (Correct answer)
- Ecological model
- Cognitive-behavioral framework
Correct answer: Intersectionality framework
Intersectionality examines how overlapping social identities such as race, gender, and class create compounded disadvantages, including housing instability.
Question 4: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employers with how many or more employees are required to provide reasonable accommodations?
- 10
- 15 (Correct answer)
- 25
- 50
Correct answer: 15
The ADA applies to employers with 15 or more employees, requiring them to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Question 5: A social worker notices that a local ordinance disproportionately targets unhoused individuals. This is BEST described as an example of:
- Institutional racism
- Structural discrimination (Correct answer)
- Cultural incompetence
- Systemic micro-aggression
Correct answer: Structural discrimination
Structural discrimination refers to policies or laws that produce unequal outcomes for marginalized groups, even without explicitly discriminatory intent.
Question 6: Which advocacy strategy involves social workers working directly with legislators to influence the drafting or amendment of legislation?
- Community organizing
- Legislative advocacy (Correct answer)
- Litigation advocacy
- Media advocacy
Correct answer: Legislative advocacy
Legislative advocacy involves direct engagement with lawmakers to shape policy through testimony, lobbying, and bill drafting support.
Question 7: The NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to engage in social and political action PRIMARILY to:
- Advance their professional reputation
- Expand social work employment opportunities
- Ensure that all people have equal access to resources and opportunities (Correct answer)
- Promote evidence-based practice models
Correct answer: Ensure that all people have equal access to resources and opportunities
The NASW Code of Ethics mandates political and social action to ensure equal access to resources, services, and opportunities for all people.
LMSW Social Policy and Advocacy 4
A social worker is advocating for a client denied Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
What is the FIRST step in the appeals process?