LCSW MOCK I Flashcards
A disturbance of one’s thinking in which ideas and thought patterns become vague, fragmented, and lack any logical sequences is called?
A. Magical thinking
B. Ideas of reference
C. Looseness of association
C. Looseness of association
A therapist at a family agency meets with a couple and their 16-year-old son who has been dealing with social and school performance difficulties. While the mother is discussing the difficulties that the teenager is having, the boy seems anxious and overwhelmed. What is the social worker’s MOST appropriate response in this situation?
A. Join with the boy by acknowledging the stressful situation and his bravery for coming.
B. Direct the focus away from the boy to make him more comfortable in session.
C. Assess when this behavior first began.
D. Empathize with the parents over the difficulty of their situation.
A. Join with the boy by acknowledging the stressful situation and his bravery for coming.
While meeting with the prospective adoptive parents of a 10-year-old girl, the social worker overhears the parents calling the child a “moron” and “dumb” for not understanding her homework. When the social worker asks the parents to not use these negative comments, the parents continue to do so, saying, “She knows we don’t really mean it.” The social worker should:
A. Refer the parents to a group for adoptive parents.
B. Educate the parents about the destructive impact of such language.
C. Contact Child Protective Services to report emotional abuse.
C. Contact Child Protective Services to report emotional abuse.
A social worker at a family agency meets with a single mother and her three children who live next to a mining site. A teacher referred the family because the children were consistently tired and missing school due to illness. The mother reports that she has no medical insurance and works two jobs to support her family but still struggles to get by. The social worker’s short-term goal should be to:
A. Find more appropriate living arrangements away from the mine.
B. Work with the Department of Health to ensure the safety of the clients.
C. Arrange for the family to be seen by a doctor.
C. Arrange for the family to be seen by a doctor.
A social worker has been meeting with a 45-year-old client for three months. During the most recent session, the client reports that she believes her husband has been cheating on her. She states that she has called him out on this many times, but each time he denies cheating on her. Upon further exploration, the social worker discovers that the woman has actually been cheating on her husband for the past year. What defense mechanism has the wife been using?
A. Denial
B. Rationalization
C. Projection
D. Sublimation
C. Projection
A mental health clinic has recently taken on several new cases. In determining caseload assignments for the social workers, the clinical director’s MOST important consideration should be the:
A. Social workers’ competence and training in relation to the cases.
B. Issue of whether the social worker is licensed or needs supervision.
C. Clients’ stated preferences.
A. Social workers’ competence and training in relation to the cases.
When using the psychosocial model, which of the following techniques is central to the casework process?
A. Interpretation of transference
B. Advice giving
C. Sustaining procedures
D. Encouragement of catharsis
C. Sustaining procedures
A social worker is meeting with a 25-year-old client who has a cognitive disability. During the session, the client discloses that, during a recent doctor’s visit, she was touched inappropriately by the nurse. The social worker discusses the incident further with the client to obtain more details. What should the social worker do NEXT?
A. Investigate the veracity of the accusation.
B. Suggest the client contact her attorney.
C. Contact the appropriate authorities.
D. Contact the nurse in question to understand what happened.
C. Contact the appropriate authorities.
What is the most effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder?
A. Anti-depressant medication
B. Light therapy
C. Cognitive therapy
D. Solution-focused therapy
B. Light therapy
Which medication is MOST likely to be used in treating Schizophrenia?
A. Lithium
B. Zoloft
C. Clozaril
C. Clozaril
A social worker is struggling with a conflict regarding a current client that puts the social worker between two conflicting ethical choices. Upon further exploration, the social worker realizes that each ethical principle requires a different course of action. What is the BEST way for the social worker to resolve the dilemma?
A. Use a solution tree.
B. Determine the relative impact of each course of action.
C. Follow the course of action that least compromises the social worker’s values.
D. Choose the course of action that is most truthful.
B. Determine the relative impact of each course of action.
A social worker has been meeting with a client with an eating disorder for 3 months. During the most recent session, the client states that she is tired of her boyfriend always wanting to be with her to make sure she is eating. The therapist responds by saying, “It sounds like your boyfriend really cares about you.” Which of the following techniques is the social worker using?
A. Reframing
B. Interpretation
C. Collaboration
A. Reframing
While working on a crisis hotline, a social worker receives an anonymous call from someone who believes her friend’s substance use is leading her to unsafe choices. She is concerned for her friend’s life. During the call, the social worker realizes the friend in question is her client and that the client has never personally shared this information about substance use. The social worker should:
A. Collect as much information as possible about the client without revealing the nature of the relationship.
B. Terminate the call immediately to avoid a conflict of interest.
C. Use the information at the next session.
D. Suggest ways that the caller can engage the client directly regarding the concerns.
D. Suggest ways that the caller can engage the client directly regarding the concerns.
A nursing home social worker was informed by a nurse that one of the residents has not been participating in the activities offered by the facility. The client used to be an active participant in recreational activities but has more recently been complaining about trouble sleeping and feeling down. The client was previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Suggest the client try yoga or meditation before bed.
B. Discuss a different choice of activity that might engage the client.
C. Determine if the client has been taking his medication.
D. Talk to the client’s doctor about changing the client’s medication.
C. Determine if the client has been taking his medication.
A social worker who was a victim of sexual abuse as a child meets with a 25-year-old client who also experienced childhood sexual abuse. The social worker is concerned about working effectively with this client due to her similar experience. The social worker should FIRST
A. Seek consultation.
B. Refer the client to someone who specializes in sexual abuse.
C. Contact Child Protective Services.
D. Monitor any countertransference during session.
A. Seek consultation.
A social worker meets with a 23-year-old girl who recently found out she is pregnant. The client reports that she is considering having an abortion but wants to weigh her options. The social worker is against abortion. The social worker’s BEST course of action is to:
A. Use the countertransference to inform the therapy.
B. Disclose the conflict of interest and let the client decide if she wishes to continue therapy.
C. Refer the client to a therapist whose values are more in line with the client’s.
D. Help the client without bias.
D. Help the client without bias.
A social worker is measuring the effectiveness of services offered to chronically mentally ill clients at a community clinic. When developing the informed consent for the effectiveness study, the social worker is concerned about the clients’ level of competency, which often varies on a daily basis. What should the social worker do?
A. Create a simplified version of the informed consent to ensure understanding.
B. Obtain consent only when assured of client’s ability to understand.
C. Verbal consent, not written, is sufficient in this situation.
B. Obtain consent only when assured of client’s ability to understand.
A social worker at a mental health clinic meets with a single mother who recently moved back in with her mom and stepdad after losing her job. She reports that her stepdad has been threatening to kick her out of the house if she does not contribute more to the household needs. The client says that she is afraid to be around him. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Discuss alternate housing possibilities to empower the client.
B. Encourage the client to call the police.
C. Ask the client why she is afraid.
D. Develop a safety plan and monitor the client’s safety.
C. Ask the client why she is afraid.
When assessing a client whose husband recently died, the social worker understands that the following is part of normal bereavement:
A. Rumination
B. Dissociation
C. Loss of appetite
D. Sublimation
C. Loss of appetite
A social worker is completing a psychosocial assessment with a 45-year-old woman. While asking about the client’s current stressors, the social worker learns that the client has been out of work for the past year and recently moved from another state with her husband so she has no social or family supports. The client also reports that she has been emotionally and physically abused by her spouse. The social worker should FIRST help the woman to:
A. Stay safe by developing a plan of action should the abuse escalate.
B. Collaborate on ways to manage the husband’s anger.
C. Process her sadness and sense of isolation.
D. Re-establish her sense of self-worth and independence by finding employment.
A. Stay safe by developing a plan of action should the abuse escalate.
A social worker has been meeting with a client who lost her husband a year ago. The client has had trouble maintaining her finances, since her husband was the one who took care of the bills when he was alive. The client is now two months behind in the payment of fees and has no ability to pay soon. Professional ethics allow the social worker to:
A. Suggest the client find a more appropriate therapist who can accommodate a lower fee.
B. Terminate therapy if it is clear that the client is not a danger to self or others.
C. Inform the client that she can come back to therapy once the bill is paid.
B. Terminate therapy if it is clear that the client is not a danger to self or others.
A 14-year-old girl discloses to a social worker that she has been in a physical relationship with another girl at school. The girl states that she does not want her parents to know about it because they will not understand due to their religious views. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Refer the girl to an LGBT youth group.
B. Explore her concerns regarding telling her parents.
C. Remind the girl that, because she is a minor engaged in sexual activity, the parents must be informed.
D. Suggest the parents come into session to tell them together.
B. Explore her concerns regarding telling her parents.
A couple meets with a social worker for marital problems centering on intimacy and parenting differences. During the assessment, the social worker notes that both individuals demonstrate a high degree of self-reflection and openness and are able to set realistic goals. In developing a treatment plan, the social worker should emphasize:
A. The couple’s conflict resolution skills.
B. Common characteristics of marital problems.
C. The differences in family histories of the two partners.
D. Building on the couple’s strengths and competencies.
D. Building on the couple’s strengths and competencies.
A 41-year-old mother of two reports that she is overwhelmed with her children and their constant fighting. During a session, she admits that she sometimes hits her children and locks them in their room without dinner. The client reports that she feels bad doing this and wants help controlling her temper. The social worker’s first responsibility is to:
A. Contact Child Protective Services (CPS).
B. Understand how severely she is hitting her children.
C. Work with the client on managing her overwhelming feelings to keep the children safe.
D. Discuss safe ways in which she can discipline her children without using force.
A. Contact Child Protective Services (CPS).