SSW Community Resources 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student who is aging out of foster care at 18 needs housing support. Which resource is MOST relevant?
- Section 8 general waitlist
- Transitional living program for youth aging out of foster care (Correct answer)
- Adult homeless shelter
- Department of Veterans Affairs
Correct answer: Transitional living program for youth aging out of foster care
Transitional living programs specifically serve youth aging out of foster care by providing housing, life skills training, and support services.
Question 2: A school social worker is assessing a community resource for referral. Which factor is LEAST relevant when evaluating the resource's appropriateness?
- The organization's cultural competence
- The number of years the director has been employed there (Correct answer)
- Eligibility criteria and intake process
- Sliding-scale fee or funding options
Correct answer: The number of years the director has been employed there
Staff tenure at the director level does not directly indicate whether a resource is a good fit for a student's specific cultural, logistical, and financial needs.
Question 3: Which community resource specifically targets substance use disorders for adolescents through outpatient treatment?
- Adult detoxification center
- Adolescent intensive outpatient program (IOP) (Correct answer)
- Al-Anon family group
- DARE school program
Correct answer: Adolescent intensive outpatient program (IOP)
Adolescent intensive outpatient programs provide structured substance use treatment multiple days per week while allowing the student to remain in school.
Question 4: A student's parent has a serious mental illness affecting the family. Which resource would BEST support the family as a whole?
- Individual therapy for the student only
- NAMI family education program or family-focused community mental health services (Correct answer)
- Inpatient psychiatric unit for the parent
- Social Security Disability application assistance
Correct answer: NAMI family education program or family-focused community mental health services
NAMI's family education programs and family-focused community mental health services support the entire family system when a parent has mental illness.
Question 5: What does 'warm handoff' mean in the context of community resource referrals?
- Mailing a printed resource list to the family
- The social worker personally introducing the family to the community provider in real-time (Correct answer)
- Following up by phone after 30 days
- Sending an email referral to the agency
Correct answer: The social worker personally introducing the family to the community provider in real-time
A warm handoff involves the referring professional directly connecting the client to the receiving provider in real-time, improving follow-through and reducing dropout.
Question 6: Which federal program helps low-income families pay for heating and cooling costs, reducing financial stress that impacts school attendance?
- SNAP
- LIHEAP (Correct answer)
- WIC
- CHIP
Correct answer: LIHEAP
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) provides financial assistance to help low-income households with energy costs, which can reduce family stress.
Question 7: A student with an anxiety disorder needs community-based mental health support. Which setting offers evidence-based outpatient therapy?
- School detention program
- Community mental health center offering CBT (Correct answer)
- Emergency room
- Juvenile detention facility
Correct answer: Community mental health center offering CBT
Community mental health centers often employ licensed therapists trained in CBT and other evidence-based approaches to treat anxiety disorders in youth.
SSW Community Resources 4
A student who is aging out of foster care at 18 needs housing support.
Which resource is MOST relevant?