Mixed Deck — All Social Work Topics Flashcards

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model is primarily designed for:

Answer: Individuals with serious and persistent mental illness

ACT was developed specifically to provide comprehensive, community-based services to individuals with serious mental illness who have difficulty engaging with traditional service systems.

The biopsychosocial model in social work recognizes that a client's well-being is shaped by:

Answer: Biological, psychological, and social factors together

The biopsychosocial model integrates biological, psychological, and social dimensions to provide a holistic understanding of client health.

Which legislation most significantly expanded civil rights protections and shaped case management services for individuals with disabilities?

Answer: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability and mandates reasonable accommodations, profoundly shaping service accessibility and case management practice.

Which of the following is an example of a standardized assessment instrument?

Answer: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

The Beck Depression Inventory is a standardized, validated questionnaire with consistent scoring used to measure depressive symptom severity.

When coordinating services with multiple providers, a case manager must first:

Answer: Obtain client informed consent before sharing information

Obtaining informed consent before sharing client information with other providers is both an ethical obligation and a legal requirement.

Which measure of central tendency is most affected by extreme outlier scores in a dataset?

Answer: Mean

The mean (arithmetic average) is pulled toward extreme values (outliers), making it sensitive to skewed distributions in ways the median is not.

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of person-centered planning in case management?

Answer: The individual directs their own planning process with support from their team

Person-centered planning places the individual at the center of the process, emphasizing their preferences, goals, and right to self-determination.

What is the purpose of clinical supervision in social work?

Answer: To ensure ethical, competent practice and support professional development

Clinical supervision provides oversight, guidance, and professional development to ensure practitioners deliver ethical, competent, and effective services.

Which term describes the practice of using evidence-based interventions while also considering client values and practitioner expertise?

Answer: Evidence-based practice (EBP)

Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and client values to guide decision-making.

In the DSM-5, which disorder is characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest, and at least five symptoms lasting two weeks?

Answer: Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder requires five or more specified symptoms, including depressed mood or anhedonia, for at least two weeks.

Which type of program evaluation assesses the extent to which a program achieved its intended goals?

Answer: Outcome evaluation

Outcome evaluation examines whether a program produced its intended results and met its stated goals for participants.

Mandatory reporting laws in the US require social workers to report suspected:

Answer: Child abuse and neglect

All US states have mandatory reporting laws requiring social workers and other designated professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

A social worker conducting a mental status examination would assess all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer: Family income level

The mental status examination evaluates cognitive and psychiatric functioning; family income is a social/economic factor assessed separately.

The concept of 'least restrictive environment' in social work means:

Answer: Intervening in the least intrusive way that still meets client needs

The least restrictive environment principle holds that interventions should be the minimum necessary to achieve treatment goals, preserving maximum client freedom.

A case manager notices that multiple clients cannot access a needed service due to a systemic barrier. The most professionally appropriate response is to:

Answer: Engage in systems-level advocacy to address the root cause of the barrier

When barriers affect multiple clients, case managers have a professional responsibility to engage in macro-level advocacy to address systemic root causes.

Which term describes the process by which older adults disengage from social roles as a natural part of aging, according to disengagement theory?

Answer: Mutual withdrawal

Disengagement theory proposes that aging naturally involves a mutual withdrawal between older adults and society.

Macro-level social work practice most commonly involves:

Answer: Community organizing, policy advocacy, and systems change

Macro practice addresses large-scale social problems through community organizing, policy development, program administration, and advocacy.

Which of the following best describes 'validity' in research measurement?

Answer: The degree to which an instrument measures what it claims to measure

Validity refers to the accuracy of a measurement tool—whether it truly captures the concept it is designed to measure.

In the context of human behavior, 'epigenetics' refers to:

Answer: Changes in gene expression caused by environmental factors without altering DNA sequence

Epigenetics examines how environmental experiences can turn genes on or off, influencing behavior without changing the underlying DNA sequence.

When assessing a client for domestic violence, which framework is commonly used to evaluate danger level?

Answer: Danger Assessment (DA) tool

The Danger Assessment tool, developed by Jacquelyn Campbell, helps predict the risk of lethal or near-lethal violence in intimate partner relationships.