ASWB PRACTICE EXAM questions with correct answers

A social worker is working with a young child who is a victim of sexual abuse. The social worker has been using play therapy techniques for several sessions, but the child is becoming more aggressive and continue to exhibit disturbing behaviors such as bed-wetting and masturbation. The child's foster parents feel that 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? A. Tell the foster care worker that the child is making progress as quickly as can be expected B. Transfer the child to someone who specialized in child cognitive-behavioral therapy. C. Encourage the child to talk freely about feelings and the details of the sexual abuse. D. Educate the foster parents about the effects of child sexual abuse. - correct answer Rationale: The social worker should FIRST help the foster parents understand the long-term impacts of childhood sexual abuse and the unpredictable treatment progress (D). Option (A) does not provide enough meaningful information to the foster care worker. There is no need to transfer the child (B) because play therapy is indicated for this age group. Encourage a young child to talk to about the abuse (C) is often counterproductive and contraindicated. A social worker meets with a 75-year old client whose wife died six months ago. In the Intake interview, the client reports losing weight, having very little energy, and having difficulty getting motivated to do things. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. Complete a suicide risk assessment of the client. B. Explore available family and community resources C. Suggest that the client schedule an appointment with a doctor. D. Refer the client to a local bereavement group. - correct answer Rationale: The client's self-report describes depression and suicide risk that warrant further assessment (Key A). Option (B), (C), and (D) are all plausible but not the FIRST action the social worker should take. A social worker meets with a 35-year-old American man who is anxious because his wife is pressuring him to move his mother into a nursing home. He prefers that she live with them. The social worker asks the man if he has any siblings and what his birth order is. This information is important to the social worker's understanding of the man's: A. cultural perspective