SSW Social Work Practice 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student from a refugee family is referred for behavioral concerns. The school social worker should FIRST:
- Administer a standardized psychological assessment
- Gather background information through a culturally informed intake including trauma and migration history (Correct answer)
- Refer the student to a community mental health center
- Consult with the student's teacher about classroom behavior
Correct answer: Gather background information through a culturally informed intake including trauma and migration history
A culturally informed intake that includes trauma and migration history provides essential context for understanding and appropriately addressing the student's behavior.
Question 2: Which practice approach is MOST evidence-based for treating trauma symptoms in school-age children?
- Play therapy
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) (Correct answer)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Narrative therapy
Correct answer: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is an extensively researched, manualized treatment recognized as the gold standard for trauma symptoms in children and adolescents.
Question 3: A student repeatedly tests behavioral limits during counseling sessions. Using a strengths-based lens, the school social worker would MOST likely interpret this as:
- Evidence of an oppositional disorder requiring diagnosis
- A sign the student should be referred to a more intensive placement
- An expression of unmet needs or a test of the therapeutic relationship (Correct answer)
- Proof that the intervention plan is ineffective
Correct answer: An expression of unmet needs or a test of the therapeutic relationship
A strengths-based lens reframes challenging behavior as communication about unmet needs or attempts to establish safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship.
Question 4: A school social worker is considering whether to share information about a student with the student's probation officer. Under FERPA, this disclosure:
- Is always prohibited without explicit student consent
- May be permitted under the juvenile justice exception if state law allows (Correct answer)
- Requires a subpoena from the juvenile court
- Is only allowed if the student is 18 or older
Correct answer: May be permitted under the juvenile justice exception if state law allows
FERPA includes a juvenile justice exception that allows disclosure to authorized agencies when state law permits and the disclosure serves the student's educational interests.
Question 5: A school social worker uses motivational interviewing with a student who is ambivalent about attending therapy. Which technique would BEST help the student resolve ambivalence?
- Confronting the student about the consequences of refusing help
- Exploring and reflecting the student's own reasons for change (Correct answer)
- Providing detailed psychoeducation about the benefits of therapy
- Setting firm behavioral goals with the student's teacher
Correct answer: Exploring and reflecting the student's own reasons for change
Motivational interviewing uses reflective listening and exploring the client's own ambivalence to elicit intrinsic motivation for change rather than imposing external pressure.
Question 6: During a home visit, a school social worker notices signs of significant domestic violence. There are no children present. What is the MOST appropriate immediate action?
- Call 911 on behalf of the adult victim without consent
- Assess the adult victim's safety and provide information about resources while respecting autonomy (Correct answer)
- File a child abuse report because future risk to children is implied
- Terminate services until the domestic violence situation is resolved
Correct answer: Assess the adult victim's safety and provide information about resources while respecting autonomy
Adults experiencing domestic violence have the right to self-determination; the social worker should assess safety and offer resources while respecting the victim's autonomy and decision-making.
Question 7: A school social worker wants to evaluate whether a school-wide social-emotional learning program is achieving its goals. The MOST appropriate evaluation method is:
- Collecting anecdotal teacher feedback at the end of the year
- Conducting a pre/post outcome assessment using validated measures (Correct answer)
- Reviewing discipline referrals only from the current school year
- Surveying students about their satisfaction with the program
Correct answer: Conducting a pre/post outcome assessment using validated measures
Pre/post outcome assessment using validated instruments is the most rigorous method for determining whether an intervention has produced measurable change.
SSW Social Work Practice 5
A student from a refugee family is referred for behavioral concerns.
The school social worker should FIRST: