LMSW Test Prep (Practice Questions, Definitions, etc.) 100% Accurate answers. Rated A A couple requests help in i

LMSW Test Prep (Practice Questions, Definitions, etc.) 100% Accurate answers. Rated A A couple requests help in improving their seven-year marriage. When you ask them about their goals, they begin to argue almost ...

LMSW Test Prep (Practice Questions, Definitions, etc.) 100% Accurate answers. Rated A A couple requests help in improving their seven-year marriage. When you ask them about their goals, they begin to argue almost immediately. The husband states his wife nags him too much about chores. The wife states her husband is lazy. How should you proceed with establishing treatment goals? A. Assist them in setting a goal to help them resolve their arguments around household responsibilities. B. Assist them in establishing treatment goals to help them learn to improve their communication and resolve conflict. C. Recommend they receive individual treatment to help them work on individual issues. D. Recommend that they each attend sessions with you individually to set separate goals to work on until they are ready to work together in a session. - ✔✔-B. Assist them in establishing treatment goals to help them learn to improve their communication and resolve conflict. It is correct to help them learn new skills that they can use to address the problem of disagreements over chores as well as other problems in their relationship. When establishing treatment goals, it is important to teach people skills that they can use during and after treatment. Sometimes solving the current problem will not give them these skills. Teaching people new skills and how to apply them to their lives can assist them in making progress after treatment ends. In couples therapy, sometimes each person wants their spouse to be "fixed." It is important to keep longer-term goals in mind while helping the couple with their immediate marital issues. A family has adopted a seven-year-old boy who had previously experienced severe neglect. The adoptive parents are meeting with a social worker because they are frustrated that he continues to hoard food. They report that they often find food under his bed and he "steals" extra food to put in his backpack for school. What recommendations should the social worker make? A. They should install locks on the cupboards and the refrigerator so they can better monitor his food intake. B. The parents should take away privileges each time they discover that he is hoarding food. C. They can provide the child with a food basket where he can keep his healthy snacks and they can refill the basket when it is nearing empty. D. The parents should ignore the behavior as it will likely go away on its own once the child realizes that the family has plenty of food. - ✔✔-C. They can provide the child with a food basket where he can keep his healthy snacks and they can refill the basket when it is nearing empty. Supporting the child and helping him learn that he will not go without food is important in helping him overcome the neglect he experienced. Children who have experienced neglect sometimes hoard food, even when they are placed in foster or adoptive homes. They have learned this as a survival skill and should not be punished. Instead, they should be given support. Caregivers can help them learn to recognize that their needs will be taken care of. Over time, with helpful reinforcement, these behaviors are likely to diminish. A social worker is meeting with a 50-year-old African-American male who acknowledges he has some suicidal ideation. He was previously diagnosed with major depression and was recently discharged from an inpatient hospitalization. He reports that following his hospitalization he has more energy and feels better. He lives at home with his wife and his adult children have moved out of the home. He works in construction and states that he works about 60 hours per week. What suicide risk factors should the social worker pay close attention to? A. Having adult children who have moved out of the home puts him at a higher risk. B. The long hours that he works put him at a higher risk of suicide. C. His improvement during his hospitalization may actually give him the energy to complete suicide. D. The client is African-American and therefore, statistically, a higher suicide risk. - ✔✔-C. His improvement during his hospitalization may actually give him the energy to complete suicide. His improvement in the hospital puts him at a higher risk because he may now have the energy to plan and follow through with suicide. Social workers need to know what sorts of factors may place clients at a higher risk for suicide. This client is at particular risk due to his depression and the improvements he experienced during his hospitalization. When people are feeling better, they sometimes find the energy to plan and follow through with suicide. A 55-year-old male has been meeting with a social worker to address his alcohol dependence. Over the past few weeks he has cut down on his drinking. He arrives at his scheduled appointment sweating. He states he has been vomiting and he has a noticeable tremor in his hands. How should the social worker respond? A. Encourage the client to decrease his alcohol intake more slowly as he is less likely to suffer such serious withdrawal symptoms. B. Call 911, even if the client refuses to consent, as the client is likely detoxing and may experience seizures or possibly death. C. Talk to the client about the possible dangers of alcohol withdrawal and allow the client to make his own decision about whether or not to seek medical help. D. Encourage the client to withstand the uncomfortable symptoms for a few days as they will likely pass after the painful process of detox. - ✔✔-C. Talk to the client about the possible dangers of alcohol withdrawal and allow the client to make his own decision about whether or not to seek medical help. Unless there's a medical emergency, the proper course is to explain the possible risks to the client and discuss whether or not he wants to seek medical treatment. When people decrease or stop using substances, they will experience withdrawal symptoms if they were dependent on those substances. Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous, but unless there's an obvious medical emergency, it is up to the client to determine if he wants to seek medical attention. A social worker is conducting an initial assessment with a client. What the best way for the social worker to inquire about the client's sexual orientation? A. "Are you attracted to men, women, both, neither?" B. "Do you consider yourself to be gay or straight?" C. "Tell me about your sexuality." D. "What is your sexual preference?" - ✔✔-A. "Are you attracted to men, women, both, neither?" This question, asked in a non-judgmental fashion, is the most effective way to encourage a discussion of sexual preference. When addressing issues about sexual preference, ask questions in a non-judgmental fashion and make it clear what information you are looking for. During an assessment, this closed-question approach can help put clients at ease and encourage them to answer clearly and succinctly. A 32-year-old man is referred to a social worker after his children were removed by child protective services due to allegations of neglect. He tells the social worker that he is not sure that he wants to fight to get them back. He states he doesn't think he wants to go through all the things child protective services wants him to do only to not regain custody in the end. Which response is the best thing the social worker should say to the client? A. "It may be helpful to work toward regaining custody initially, and if at any time you decide you want to to give up, you can do so." B. "Your children will benefit from knowing that you at least tried to regain custody, even if you aren't successful." C. "It's important to look at how not attempting to get custody of the children will be viewed by child protective services." D. "You are free to choose whether or not you want to try to regain custody of the children." - ✔✔-D. "You are free to choose whether or not you want to try to regain custody of the children." It is appropriate to tell the client that he has the right to choose how to respond to child protective services. A core principle of social work is the client's right to self-determination. The NASW Code of Ethics is clear that social workers should support a client's right to self-determination, unless a client is posing a risk to self or someone else. Social workers should set aside their own values and encourage clients to make their own choices based on what they think is right for them. Although it may be appropriate at times to discuss the pros and cons of a decision, clients need to know that ultimately the decision is up to them. A 16-year-old client is seeking services from an outpatient social worker after becoming the victim of a sexual assault. The client's mother has signed a general release of information that allows the social worker to talk to the school. The social worker receives a call from the client's math teacher who states the client's grades have declined and she wants to know if there is something "going on" with the client lately. How should the social worker respond? A. Contact the client's mother to determine how much information she is comfortable with the teacher knowing. B. Tell the math teacher that the client was sexually assaulted. C. Talk to the client about whether or not she would want any information disclosed and the possible implications of disclosing information. D. Contact a supervisor before disclosing any information. - ✔✔-C. Talk to the client about whether or not she would want any information disclosed and the possible implications of disclosing information. It is appropriate to discuss with the client whether or not she wants her teacher to be made aware of the assault, and she should be warned of the possible implications. Adolescents have a right to confidentiality. Unless the adolescent poses a risk to self or others, the information the client discloses should be protected. Even when there is a release of information in place, disclosure should be on a need-to-know basis, and the client should participate in any discussion about whether or not to disclose the information. A social worker is employed at a doctor's office. The program director, who is a doctor at the office, reports that the office will begin providing services via video conferencing to established clients who live in rural areas. The purpose is to increase access to services for clients who lack reliable transportation. What should the social worker do? A. Inform the program manager that social workers are not allowed to provide telemedicine. B. Begin services with clients who have already begun receiving service via video conferencing with a doctor. C. Explain to the program manager that social workers cannot establish therapeutic relationships with clients when clients are not physically present. D. Discuss with each client the potential risks, benefits, and consequences of receiving services via electronic media. - ✔✔-D. Discuss with each client the potential risks, benefits, and consequences of receiving services via electronic media. It is important to discuss the risks and potential consequences with clients so that clients are aware how services delivered via electronic media differ from face-to-face contact. The NASW states that social workers should use caution when providing services via electronic media. Social workers should ensure that clients are aware of the potential risks as well as benefits so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they wish to have this service. A social worker has started to treat a woman who has been diagnosed with dependent personality disorder. The woman reports a variety of failed relationships. She acknowledges that she often makes unhealthy choices in the kinds of partners that she picks. When establishing a therapeutic relationship with the client, what sort of information should the social worker keep in mind? A. Establishing rapport will be difficult and the client is likely to drop out of treatment early. B. The client is likely to have difficulty expressing her emotions and most likely lacks basic social skills. C. The client may be superficially compliant with treatment to try and gain approval but may struggle to make lasting change. D. The client's dramatic presentation and desire to be the center of attention may interfere with developing the therapeutic relationship. - ✔✔-C. The client may be superficially compliant with treatment to try and gain approval but may struggle to make lasting change. Clients with dependent personality disorder typically need approval and reassurance, so they often try to appear cooperative to please the social worker. People with dependent personality disorder often want to please their providers, so they may appear cooperative and compliant on the surface. They are likely to seek frequent reassurance and may be in danger of becoming dependent on the social worker to meet their need for approval and attention. When developing a therapeutic relationship, it is important to set healthy boundaries and keep in mind that the client may feel a strong desire to gain positive reinforcement. A social worker is working on values clarification with a client who has a dependence on alcohol. The social worker is also assisting the client in recognizing the consequences and the impact his behaviors have on others. The social worker uses a readiness ruler to help assess the client's readiness to change. These methods are most likely to be effective when the client is in which stage of the Transtheoretical Model? A. Action B. Precontemplation C. Preparation D. Maintenance - ✔✔-B. Precontemplation All these strategies are most likely to be effective with a client who is precontemplative. When clients are precontemplative they can often benefit from interventions that help them assess the pros and cons of their behaviors and their willingness and readiness to change. Motivational interviewing is an excellent strategy to help clients who are precontemplative. Denial - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Denial is the refusal to accept reality or fact, acting as if a painful event, thought or feeling did not exist. It is considered one of the most primitive of the defense mechanisms because it is characteristic of early childhood development. Many people use denial in their everyday lives to avoid dealing with painful feelings or areas of their life they don't wish to admit. For instance, a person who is a functioning alcoholic will often simply deny they have a drinking problem, pointing to how well they function in their job and relationships. Regression - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Regression is the reversion to an earlier stage of development in the face of unacceptable thoughts or impulses. For an example an adolescent who is overwhelmed with fear, anger and growing sexual impulses might become clingy and start exhibiting earlier childhood behaviors he has long since overcome, such as bedwetting. An adult may regress when under a great deal of stress, refusing to leave their bed and engage in normal, everyday activities. Acting Out - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Acting Out is performing an extreme behavior in order to express thoughts or feelings the person feels incapable of otherwise expressing. Instead of saying, "I'm angry with you," a person who acts out may instead throw a book at the person, or punch a hole through a wall. When a person acts out, it can act as a pressure release, and often helps the individual feel calmer and peaceful once again. For instance, a child's temper tantrum is a form of acting out when he or she doesn't get his or her way with a parent. Self-injury may also be a form of acting-out, expressing in physical pain what one cannot stand to feel emotionally. Dissociation - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Dissociation is when a person loses track of time and/or person, and instead finds another representation of their self in order to continue in the moment. A person who dissociates often loses track of time or themselves and their usual thought processes and memories. People who have a history of any kind of childhood abuse often suffer from some form of dissociation. In extreme cases, dissociation can lead to a person believing they have multiple selves ("multiple personality disorder"). People who use dissociation often have a disconnected view of themselves in their world. Time and their own self-image may not flow continuously, as it does for most people. In this manner, a person who dissociates can "disconnect" from the real world for a time, and live in a different world that is not cluttered with thoughts, feelings or memories that are unbearable. Compartmentalization - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Compartmentalization is a lesser form of dissociation, wherein parts of oneself are separated from awareness of other parts and behaving as if one had separate sets of values. An example might be an honest person who cheats on their income tax return and keeps their two value systems distinct and unintegrated while remaining unconscious of the cognitive dissonance. Projection - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Projection is the misattribution of a person's undesired thoughts, feelings or impulses onto another person who does not have those thoughts, feelings or impulses. Projection is used especially when the thoughts are considered unacceptable for the person to express, or they feel completely ill at ease with having them. For example, a spouse may be angry at their significant other for not listening, when in fact it is the angry spouse who does not listen. Projection is often the result of a lack of insight and acknowledgement of one's own motivations and feelings. Reaction Formation - ✔✔-Primitive Defense Mechanism Reaction Formation is the converting of unwanted or dangerous thoughts, feelings or impulses into their opposites. For instance, a woman who is very angry with her boss and would like to quit her job may instead be overly kind and generous toward her boss and express a desire to keep working there forever. She is incapable of expressing the negative emotions of anger and unhappiness with her job, and instead becomes overly kind to publicly demonstrate her lack of anger and unhappiness. Repression - ✔✔-Less Primitive/More Mature Defense Mechanism Repression is the unconscious blocking of unacceptable thoughts, feelings and impulses. The key to repression is that people do it unconsciously, so they often have very little control over it. "Repressed memories" are memories that have been unconsciously blocked from access or view. But because memory is very malleable and ever-changing, it is not like