LCSW 170 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026 VERIFIED.
Grounding techniques used with clients who are experiencing flashbacks of past traumatic
events primarily aim to:
1. Connect clients with the present so that they do not have additional negative effects
associated with reliving their past traumatic experiences
2. Help clients put their past traumatic experiences into perspective by discussing them in the
context of all of their significant life events
3. Assist clients to understand the triggers for their flashbacks so that they can be reduced or
avoided in the future
4. Teach clients coping skills to reduce the emotional, physical, social, and other impacts of
trauma on personal well-being - ANS 1. Connect clients with the present so that they do not
have additional negative effects associated with reliving their past traumatic experiences
A client tells a social worker that she has been communicating with her recently deceased son.
The client states that she has an altar in her home at which she leaves daily food offerings. She
is hopeful that her son will return to the home sometime in the future to visit her. In this
situation, it is MOST important for the social worker to:
1. Determine if the client is at risk for self-harm
2. Assess the client for psychotic symptoms
3. Understand the mourning rituals of the client's culture
4. Identifying coping strategies which can assist the client in dealing with her loss - ANS 3.
Understand the mourning rituals of the client's culture
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,A client who has recently married undergoes genetic testing to learn if she is a carrier of a
specific disease given her family history. Upon learning that she is a carrier, the client becomes
very upset that the news will impact a future decision to have children. The client is nervous
about telling her husband as he is not aware of the testing. In this situation, the social worker
should:
1. Arrange a joint session with the husband to support the client when she tells him
2. Refer the client to a physician to address any medical issues associated with being a carrier
3. Work with the client to minimize the anxiety and depression that she is experiencing
4. Help the client understand the likelihood of her children having the disease - ANS 4. Help
the client understand the likelihood of her children having the disease
A client reports feeling very frustrated by his wife's behavior. She becomes upset when he is
quiet at the dinner table, but constantly criticizes him when he speaks. The client is
experiencing a:
1. Paradoxical directive (reverse psychology)
2. Negative feedback loop
3. Double bind
4. Metacommunication (nonverbal message) - ANS 3. Double bind
Which is NOT a goal of treatment when working with clients who have experienced complex
trauma in childhood?
1. Removal of and protection from other sources of trauma
2. Recognition that recovery is possible and can occur quickly
3. Separation of residual problems from those that are uncontrollable
4. Acknowledgement that the trauma is real and undeserved - ANS 2. Recognition that
recovery is possible and can occur quickly
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, A social worker who provides counseling to clients in a job training program is charged with
evaluating the program's effectiveness. The social worker finds that 80% of clients get hobs and
keep them for a year after graduation. The social worker is assessing an:
1. Outcome
2. Impact
3. Output
4. Input - ANS 1. Outcome
A client who was briefly admitted to the hospital after a panic attack is being discharged with a
prescription for a benzodiazepine. Which of the following medications has been recommended?
1. Prolixin (antipsychotic)
2. Lithium (mood stabilizer)
3. Prozac (anti-depressant)
4. Ativan (anti-anxiety) - ANS 4. Ativan (anti-anxiety)
What is the main difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorders?
1. Bipolar I is rapid cycling while Bipolar II can have periods of sustained mania and depression
2. Depression is more severe in Bipolar I as compared with Bipolar II
3. Bipolar I must include at least one manic episode while Bipolar II includes only hypomania
4. Bipolar II never includes psychosis, which is always present in Bipolar I - ANS 3. Bipolar I
must include at least one manic episode while Bipolar II includes only hypomania
A school social worker is asked by a funder to conduct an evaluation of a youth services
program. The evaluation is based on personal interviews with middle school children who are
participating in the program. After explaining the nature, extent, duration, and risks of
participation, what documentation will be needed in order for the social worker to ethically
conduct the evaluation?
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 3 OF 21
ANSWERS 2026 VERIFIED.
Grounding techniques used with clients who are experiencing flashbacks of past traumatic
events primarily aim to:
1. Connect clients with the present so that they do not have additional negative effects
associated with reliving their past traumatic experiences
2. Help clients put their past traumatic experiences into perspective by discussing them in the
context of all of their significant life events
3. Assist clients to understand the triggers for their flashbacks so that they can be reduced or
avoided in the future
4. Teach clients coping skills to reduce the emotional, physical, social, and other impacts of
trauma on personal well-being - ANS 1. Connect clients with the present so that they do not
have additional negative effects associated with reliving their past traumatic experiences
A client tells a social worker that she has been communicating with her recently deceased son.
The client states that she has an altar in her home at which she leaves daily food offerings. She
is hopeful that her son will return to the home sometime in the future to visit her. In this
situation, it is MOST important for the social worker to:
1. Determine if the client is at risk for self-harm
2. Assess the client for psychotic symptoms
3. Understand the mourning rituals of the client's culture
4. Identifying coping strategies which can assist the client in dealing with her loss - ANS 3.
Understand the mourning rituals of the client's culture
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 1 OF 21
,A client who has recently married undergoes genetic testing to learn if she is a carrier of a
specific disease given her family history. Upon learning that she is a carrier, the client becomes
very upset that the news will impact a future decision to have children. The client is nervous
about telling her husband as he is not aware of the testing. In this situation, the social worker
should:
1. Arrange a joint session with the husband to support the client when she tells him
2. Refer the client to a physician to address any medical issues associated with being a carrier
3. Work with the client to minimize the anxiety and depression that she is experiencing
4. Help the client understand the likelihood of her children having the disease - ANS 4. Help
the client understand the likelihood of her children having the disease
A client reports feeling very frustrated by his wife's behavior. She becomes upset when he is
quiet at the dinner table, but constantly criticizes him when he speaks. The client is
experiencing a:
1. Paradoxical directive (reverse psychology)
2. Negative feedback loop
3. Double bind
4. Metacommunication (nonverbal message) - ANS 3. Double bind
Which is NOT a goal of treatment when working with clients who have experienced complex
trauma in childhood?
1. Removal of and protection from other sources of trauma
2. Recognition that recovery is possible and can occur quickly
3. Separation of residual problems from those that are uncontrollable
4. Acknowledgement that the trauma is real and undeserved - ANS 2. Recognition that
recovery is possible and can occur quickly
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 2 OF 21
, A social worker who provides counseling to clients in a job training program is charged with
evaluating the program's effectiveness. The social worker finds that 80% of clients get hobs and
keep them for a year after graduation. The social worker is assessing an:
1. Outcome
2. Impact
3. Output
4. Input - ANS 1. Outcome
A client who was briefly admitted to the hospital after a panic attack is being discharged with a
prescription for a benzodiazepine. Which of the following medications has been recommended?
1. Prolixin (antipsychotic)
2. Lithium (mood stabilizer)
3. Prozac (anti-depressant)
4. Ativan (anti-anxiety) - ANS 4. Ativan (anti-anxiety)
What is the main difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II Disorders?
1. Bipolar I is rapid cycling while Bipolar II can have periods of sustained mania and depression
2. Depression is more severe in Bipolar I as compared with Bipolar II
3. Bipolar I must include at least one manic episode while Bipolar II includes only hypomania
4. Bipolar II never includes psychosis, which is always present in Bipolar I - ANS 3. Bipolar I
must include at least one manic episode while Bipolar II includes only hypomania
A school social worker is asked by a funder to conduct an evaluation of a youth services
program. The evaluation is based on personal interviews with middle school children who are
participating in the program. After explaining the nature, extent, duration, and risks of
participation, what documentation will be needed in order for the social worker to ethically
conduct the evaluation?
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 3 OF 21
