ASWB Clinical Exam Questions and Answers
1. Richard presents with severe depression. He reports motivation for
counseling services, but he is strongly opposed to medication. The
FIRST thing to do is:
-Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns
about the treatment
-Make a no-Suicide Contract
-Get informed Consent to treat Richard's depression
-Support Richard's self-determination to not take the medication.: Acknowledge
Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the treatment.
2. A series of tornadoes hits a small town, and a woman presents at the
disaster crisis center to speak with a crisis counselor. She is disheveled,
and you are aware she has lost her home. What is the FIRST task to
encourage in the session?
-Let her tell her story
-Relaxation techniques
-Assess her situation
-Problem-solving: Let her tell her story
,3. The reliability of an assessment tool is an indicator of:
-Whether the assessment tool is measuring what it is supposed to
measure
-How dependable the assessment tool is
-Faking good or faking bad
-How effective the assessment tool is with different cultural populations:
How dependable the assessment tool is
4. Carl is incarcerated and will be engaging in treatment for substance
use as part of his sentence. He has questions about confidentiality. What
is the BEST response?
-Acknowledge the client's fears and assure him you cannot violate his
trust
-Validate Carl's concerns about confidentiality and ask him for more
informa-tion
-Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed
consent for treatment
-Tell Carl that unless life is endangered, his or others, no violations of
confi-dentiality will be made: Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain
informed consent for treatment
,Clients who are incarcerated or are in treatment involuntarily still have the right to refuse treatment,
and they have the right to understand who has access to information about their treatment and under
what conditions. If there are specific reporting requirements, that must be provided. If reports are given
to the courts, parole, or other entities, the client has a right to be informed so he/or she can make an
informed decision about whether or how much to engage.
5. Glenda is a young mother of three small children. She is HIV-positive
and struggling to accept the illness as part of her life, all the while
fearing what her health status could mean in the long-term for her
young children. She has a good support system and is a good mother,
but she has periods of fear, anger, and sadness. She wants help in
dealing with the waves of emotion that sometimes intrude on her life.
The BEST response is to:
-Not judge her
-Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her
health
status and future
-Seek to preserve life by helping her find someone who can take over
caring for her children
-Rule out the impact of other health issues impacting her mental status:
Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status and future
, Glenda is specifically asking for help in dealing with difficult emotions. There may or may not be a
long-term issue related to her children, and if there is, it is many years down the road and not
something you need to address at this time.
6. Gertrude, age 76, had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. She
does not require rehabilitation, but is limited in her ability to do tasks
of daily living. Her spouse is not able to assist her due to his own
physical limitations. The FIRST step is to:
-Ask what other family members are available to assist temporarily until
other arrangements can be made
-Contact home health to determine what they qualify for
-Determine if the couple has long-term care or other insurance
-Assess the full array of needs and available resources: Assess the full array of
needs and available resources
Explanation: The first step is to assess the full extent of the needs before taking any actions. While
limitations are present, resources may already be in place to compensate. Beginning where the client is
requires fully understanding where the client is.
7. Ed and Glenda request help in dealing with their adult son who
continues to rely on them for support. He moves in and out of their
house, depending on his needs. He cannot meet his rent payments, cell
phone, and insurance pay-ments, much less food, and other expenses.
His parents cannot understand
1. Richard presents with severe depression. He reports motivation for
counseling services, but he is strongly opposed to medication. The
FIRST thing to do is:
-Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns
about the treatment
-Make a no-Suicide Contract
-Get informed Consent to treat Richard's depression
-Support Richard's self-determination to not take the medication.: Acknowledge
Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the treatment.
2. A series of tornadoes hits a small town, and a woman presents at the
disaster crisis center to speak with a crisis counselor. She is disheveled,
and you are aware she has lost her home. What is the FIRST task to
encourage in the session?
-Let her tell her story
-Relaxation techniques
-Assess her situation
-Problem-solving: Let her tell her story
,3. The reliability of an assessment tool is an indicator of:
-Whether the assessment tool is measuring what it is supposed to
measure
-How dependable the assessment tool is
-Faking good or faking bad
-How effective the assessment tool is with different cultural populations:
How dependable the assessment tool is
4. Carl is incarcerated and will be engaging in treatment for substance
use as part of his sentence. He has questions about confidentiality. What
is the BEST response?
-Acknowledge the client's fears and assure him you cannot violate his
trust
-Validate Carl's concerns about confidentiality and ask him for more
informa-tion
-Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed
consent for treatment
-Tell Carl that unless life is endangered, his or others, no violations of
confi-dentiality will be made: Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain
informed consent for treatment
,Clients who are incarcerated or are in treatment involuntarily still have the right to refuse treatment,
and they have the right to understand who has access to information about their treatment and under
what conditions. If there are specific reporting requirements, that must be provided. If reports are given
to the courts, parole, or other entities, the client has a right to be informed so he/or she can make an
informed decision about whether or how much to engage.
5. Glenda is a young mother of three small children. She is HIV-positive
and struggling to accept the illness as part of her life, all the while
fearing what her health status could mean in the long-term for her
young children. She has a good support system and is a good mother,
but she has periods of fear, anger, and sadness. She wants help in
dealing with the waves of emotion that sometimes intrude on her life.
The BEST response is to:
-Not judge her
-Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her
health
status and future
-Seek to preserve life by helping her find someone who can take over
caring for her children
-Rule out the impact of other health issues impacting her mental status:
Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status and future
, Glenda is specifically asking for help in dealing with difficult emotions. There may or may not be a
long-term issue related to her children, and if there is, it is many years down the road and not
something you need to address at this time.
6. Gertrude, age 76, had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. She
does not require rehabilitation, but is limited in her ability to do tasks
of daily living. Her spouse is not able to assist her due to his own
physical limitations. The FIRST step is to:
-Ask what other family members are available to assist temporarily until
other arrangements can be made
-Contact home health to determine what they qualify for
-Determine if the couple has long-term care or other insurance
-Assess the full array of needs and available resources: Assess the full array of
needs and available resources
Explanation: The first step is to assess the full extent of the needs before taking any actions. While
limitations are present, resources may already be in place to compensate. Beginning where the client is
requires fully understanding where the client is.
7. Ed and Glenda request help in dealing with their adult son who
continues to rely on them for support. He moves in and out of their
house, depending on his needs. He cannot meet his rent payments, cell
phone, and insurance pay-ments, much less food, and other expenses.
His parents cannot understand
