Social Work Flashcards
(170 cards)
A social worker meets with a 75-year-old client whose spouse died 6 months ago. In the intake interview, the client reports losing weight, having very little energy, and having difficulty getting motived to do things. What should the social work do FIRST?
-Complete a suicide risk assessment
-Explore available family and community resources
-Suggest the client schedule an appointment with a doctor
-Refer the client to a local bereavement group
Complete a suicide risk assessment
A social working is working with a 6-year-old child who was sexually abused. The social worker has been using play therapy techniques for several sessions but the child is becoming aggressive and continues to exhibit disturbing behaviors such as bed-wetting and masturbation. The child’s foster parents feel the child is not making progress in therapy and have asked the foster care worker to assign a new social worker. What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Tell the foster care worker the child is making progress as quickly as possible
-Transfer the child to someone who specializes in child cognitive-behavioral therapy
-Encourage the child to talk freely about feelings and details of the abuse
-Educate the foster parents about the effects of the abuse
Educate the foster parents about the effects of the abuse
A social worker meets with a man who is of Japanese descent. The man is anxious because his spouse is pressuring him to move his mother into a skilled nursing facility. He prefers that she live with them. The social worker asks the man if he has siblings and what the birth order is. This information is important in understanding the man’s:
-Cultural perspective
-Support system
-Financial options
-Attachment style
Cultural perspective
A social worker who leads a therapy group begins an extended leave. What should they discuss with the group FIRST?
-Arrangements for continuity of the group
-The group’s progress to date
-Options for transferring to other groups
-Detailed reasons for leaving
Arrangements for continuity of the group
A resident is bedridden in a nursing care facility because of complications from surgery. The social worker is contacted after the resident deliberately twists an aide’s finger while receiving a bath. The resident reports being injured during the bath and asked the aide to stop the bath. What should the social worker do first?
-Have the resident transferred to another facility
-Provide ongoing staff training to deal with the diverse needs of residents
-Begin individual therapy to address the resident’s anger
-Meet with staff members to resolve differences
Meet with staff members to resolve differences
During the assessment process, a social worker leans that a client’s self-reporting is incomplete. What approach would MOST likely improve self-reporting?
-Guided imagery
-Role-playing
-Journaling
-Family input
Journaling helps the client document and remember info between sessions
A social worker is facilitating a new group for teenage fathers. The goal is to support and encourage them to become more engaged with their children. After reviewing the rules of the group and eliciting introductions, what should the social worker do NEXT?
-Ask each father to describe the circumstances of his child’s life
-Invite the fathers to discuss how they view their roles as parents
-Identify challenges to becoming more involved in their children’s lives
-Ask each father to express his expectations of the group experience
Ask each father to express his expectations of the group experience to help guide subsequent stages of group development
A 14-year-old client is referred to a family agency because of recent poor academic performance and behavioral changes (lack of attention, social withdrew). During the 2nd family session, the client angrily describes physical punishment from her father. The father says the punishment is necessary to prevent her from imitating the behaviors of her friends. What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Assist the parents in exploring alternative modes of discipline
-Inform the parents that their behavior requires a report of suspected abuse
-Attempt to determine the severity of the physical punishment
-Help the client understand her parent’s concerns
Attempt to determine the severity of the physical punishment
A social work director is revising the process of orienting new staff to the agency. The revised process includes a day of training. The training will include time to tour the agency and review agency polices and procedures. Which would be MOST effective to include?
-Time to meet with a board member
-Group discussion about treatment methods
-A session on clinical documentation requirements
-Presentation of the agency’s philosophy and values
Presentation of the agency’s philosophy and values establishes what is expected of all staff in accordance with the agency’s mission
A social worker is working with a client who has been told he must lose weight because his health is being affected. He reports his diets have not worked because he lacks the willpower to control his eating. He ends by saying how lonely he feels even with family and friends. He says that he feels like a big fat failure. What should the social work do FIRST?
-Encourage the client to set up a realistic exercise program
-Refer the client for a nutrition consultation
-Suggest the client join a self-help group
-Help the client explore the dynamics of the eating problem
Help the client explore the dynamics of the eating problem to understand the connection between his self-esteem and his eating problems
A social worker is working with a family whose adolescent son is acting out. During the assessment, the mother confides she was sexually abused as a child. She has never addressed her past abuse and is interested in treatment. What type of group would be most helpful to the mother at this time?
-A structured therapy group focusing on trauma issues
-An extended family therapy group to help the mother confront her abuser
-A mutual aid group for parents with adolescents
-A psychodynamic therapy group focusing on current relationships
A structured therapy group focusing on trauma issues because it targets the presenting problem
All of the following are components of a mental status examination EXCEPT:
-Level of reality testing
-Behavior during the interview
-Knowledge of general information
-Ego strengths
Ego strengths
An 18-year-old client is referred to a social worker because of relationship problems. At the first appointment, the social worker learns the client is deaf. The client is accompanied by a parent who knows ASL and offers to interpret the session. What should the social worker do NEXT?
-Allow the parent to interpret during the session
-Reschedule the appointment with a certified interpreter
-Refer the client to an appropriate social worker
-Communicate with the client in writing
Rescheduling the appointment with a certified interpreter is the most appropriate way to ensure an objective assessment process
A social worker meets with a new client who is going through a difficult divorce. The client is tearful, expresses feeling life will never be the same, and describes changes in eating and sleeping habits. The social worker plans to administer a depression inventory before, during, and after treatment. What is the social worker’s PRIMARY reason for repeatedly administering the inventory?
-To assess the need for a referral to a psychiatrist
-To document the effectiveness of the treatment
-To justify the client’s length of time in treatment
-To gauge the impact of the divorce on the client
To document the effectiveness of the treatment
A doctor is required to obtain written permission to perform an autopsy on a deceased patient. The doctor asks the social worker to obtain the family’s consent. The family refuses and is upset by the request. What should the social work do NEXT?
-Help the family deal with their reaction to the loss
-Ask if the family’s cultural beliefs prohibit the autopsy
-Affirm the family’s right to make the decision
-Explore how the social worker can provide help
Affirming the family’s right to make the decision validates the family’s self-determination
A social worker visits a client who is homebound. The client was referred by the community health nurse because of depression. The social worker finds the client minimally meeting basic needs, somewhat confused, and not able to provide much necessary information. As the social worker is leaving the apartment, the apartment manager approaches. What should the social worker do?
-Explain the concerns for the client
-Ask the manager if the client has family or friends
-Leave without discussing the client with the manager
-Give the manager a business card for the client’s family and friends
Leave without discussing the client with the manager to preserve client confidentiality
A client is housed temporarily in a domestic violence shelter with her children. The client is planning to return home where the perpetrator still lives. What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Accept the client’s decision to return home
-Encourage the client to end the relationship
-Explain the effects of domestic violence on children
-Report the client to CPS
Explain the effects of domestic violence on children to help the client understand the potential consequences on her decision
A social worker meets with a new client who has left her partner after several incidents of intimate partner violence. The client says that her partner has been dealing with anger issues and believes the partner is changing. She things they will be reconciling soon and is excited about it. She asks the social worker about the reconciling and the social worker has reservations about the client’s plan. What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Discuss what changes the client is observing in her partner
-Negotiate continued treatment prior to the reconciliation
-Begin treatment on the partner
-Explain the social worker’s reservations to the client
Discuss what changes the client is observing in her partner to help her understand the risks and benefits of the reconciliation
Upon beginning treatment with a new client, a social worker encourages the client to spend an extended period of time talking about past personal history and problems. During this time, the social worker asks some questions but is focused on listening to the client. What is the social workers MOST likely purpose for this?
-Gathering diagnostic information
-Assessing for communication style
-Developing a treatment plan
-Determining appropriateness for treatment
Gathering diagnostic information
A 45-year-old gay man meets with a social worker because of a long history of depression. The client says “in most areas of my life things are fine, but I have never had an emotional relationship that felt intimate.” He also reports being distanced from the gay community because he is not political and is “no different from being straight except sleeping with guys.” What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Conduct a comprehensive assessment
-Explore the client’s disconnection from the gay community
-Refer for medication evaluation
-Suggest the client consider joining a group for gay men
Conduct a comprehensive assessment to fully understand the context of the man’s life
A social worker meets with a client who describers growing discomfort with a partner she is dating. The client is concerned about the partner’s excessive jealousy. The partner insists on spending all their time together and needs to make all the decisions. What should the social worker do NEXT?
-Invite the client to bring the partner to sessions
-Explain this behavior is characteristic of abusers
-Help the client decide how she wants to respond to the partner
-Explore why the client has trouble being assertive
Help the client decide how she wants to respond to the partner to support the decision-making process
A social worker wants to summarize the finding of a complicated client case for the psychiatrist at her clinic. What method would be MOST effective for the social worker to use?
-Provide a thorough written assessment of the client’s presentation
-Use language that is descriptive and free from technical jargon
-Provide all the collateral information about the client’s problem
-Describe the client’s problem, coping skills, and treatment plan
Describing the client’s problem, coping skills, and treatment plan is a simple and straightforward way to summarize the case to the psychiatrist
A client who has HEP C is confined to a wheelchair in a nursing care facility. As the illness progresses, the client becomes depressed and angry. One day the client cuts herself and attempts to bleed on several staff members. The social worker is consulted on how to handle the situation. What should the social worker do FIRST?
-Refer the client for psych evaluation
-Encourage the staff to press charges
-Work with admin to have the client transferred
-Provide an in-service training for blood-borne pathogens
Refer the client for psych evaluation due to safety concern and change in mental status
A social worker meets with a couple who have different backgrounds. They disagree on how to discipline their child. One favors strict discipline and the other favors negotiation solutions. Each feels criticized by the other. what should the social worker do FIRST?
-Refer the couple to a parenting class
-Help them understand their different responses
-Couch them with making “I” statements
-Recommend a combined approach
Help them understand their different responses to understand each other’s perspectives