LMSW LICENSING EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
(100% CORRECT ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
1) A 35-year-old individual has recently experienced the death of
a parent and the loss of a job and has increased consumption of
alcohol. Which of the following areas should be assessed FIRST
by the social worker?
A. Financial resource availability
B. Potential for suicidal behavior
C. Need for grief counseling
D. Extent of substance abuse - correct answer- B. Potential
for suicidal behavior
Rationale: FIRST, the social worker would act to determine the
client's safety. The only option that addresses the client's safety
is (Key B.) Options a, C, & D may be appropriate later, once the
safety of the client has been addressed.
,2) The ability to keep personal feelings and needs separate from
work relationships BEST represents which social work ethical
standard?
A. Professional discretion
B. Responsibility to the profession
C. Professional Boundaries
D. Responsibility to colleagues - correct answer- C.
Professional Boundaries
Rationale: This requires knowledge of the definition of
professional boundaries (key C). Since the question asks for the
BEST response, the secondary responsibilities in the other
options are not correct.
3. A social worker has been treating a client for two months in
an agency setting and is experiencing intense sexual attraction
toward the client. The social worker's BEST response is to:
A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
B. Reveal the attraction to the client
C. Transfer the client to another agency worker
,D. Work toward ending the client's services at the agency -
correct answer- A. Consult with an agency supervisor about
the case
Rationale: Consulting with a supervisor (key A) is the BEST
response because it assists in helping to understand and address
the situation. Options (B) & (D) are clearly unethical.
Transferring the client (C) may be done later, but it is unclear if
this action is required at this point and there is not enough
information in the stem to conclude this.
4. In a routine review of case records at a mental health center,
a social worker supervisor discovers that case managers
routinely after all Native American/First Nations clients to either
Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon. In discussing this practice
with the case managers, the supervisor learns that the referrals
are made without obtaining information about the clients' use
or abuse of substances. How can the supervisor effectively
address the practice?
A. Reprimand case managers about providing client services
based on stereotyping
B. Educate the staff about services provided by Alcoholics
Anonymous and Al-Anon
, C. Provide staff training in culturally competent social work
practice.
D. Allow no referrals to be made without approval from the
supervisor - correct answer- C. Provide staff training about
culturally competent social work practice.
5. At an intake session, a client requests medication for sleep.
Since becoming unemployed, the client has used alcohol as a
sedative. The client is worried about finances and is afraid of
being evicted. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Refer the client for evaluation for sleep medication
B. Refer the client to public assistance
C. Obtain more information about the client's use of alcohol
D. Refer the client to the local unemployment office - correct
answer- C. Obtain more information about the client's use of
alcohol
Rationale: While options A, B & D may all be appropriate actions
for the social worker to take, none would be the first. As a part
of the assessment process, the social worker needs to FIRST
further explore the issue of alcohol use (key C).
WITH DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS
(100% CORRECT ANSWERS) ALREADY
GRADED A+
1) A 35-year-old individual has recently experienced the death of
a parent and the loss of a job and has increased consumption of
alcohol. Which of the following areas should be assessed FIRST
by the social worker?
A. Financial resource availability
B. Potential for suicidal behavior
C. Need for grief counseling
D. Extent of substance abuse - correct answer- B. Potential
for suicidal behavior
Rationale: FIRST, the social worker would act to determine the
client's safety. The only option that addresses the client's safety
is (Key B.) Options a, C, & D may be appropriate later, once the
safety of the client has been addressed.
,2) The ability to keep personal feelings and needs separate from
work relationships BEST represents which social work ethical
standard?
A. Professional discretion
B. Responsibility to the profession
C. Professional Boundaries
D. Responsibility to colleagues - correct answer- C.
Professional Boundaries
Rationale: This requires knowledge of the definition of
professional boundaries (key C). Since the question asks for the
BEST response, the secondary responsibilities in the other
options are not correct.
3. A social worker has been treating a client for two months in
an agency setting and is experiencing intense sexual attraction
toward the client. The social worker's BEST response is to:
A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
B. Reveal the attraction to the client
C. Transfer the client to another agency worker
,D. Work toward ending the client's services at the agency -
correct answer- A. Consult with an agency supervisor about
the case
Rationale: Consulting with a supervisor (key A) is the BEST
response because it assists in helping to understand and address
the situation. Options (B) & (D) are clearly unethical.
Transferring the client (C) may be done later, but it is unclear if
this action is required at this point and there is not enough
information in the stem to conclude this.
4. In a routine review of case records at a mental health center,
a social worker supervisor discovers that case managers
routinely after all Native American/First Nations clients to either
Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon. In discussing this practice
with the case managers, the supervisor learns that the referrals
are made without obtaining information about the clients' use
or abuse of substances. How can the supervisor effectively
address the practice?
A. Reprimand case managers about providing client services
based on stereotyping
B. Educate the staff about services provided by Alcoholics
Anonymous and Al-Anon
, C. Provide staff training in culturally competent social work
practice.
D. Allow no referrals to be made without approval from the
supervisor - correct answer- C. Provide staff training about
culturally competent social work practice.
5. At an intake session, a client requests medication for sleep.
Since becoming unemployed, the client has used alcohol as a
sedative. The client is worried about finances and is afraid of
being evicted. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Refer the client for evaluation for sleep medication
B. Refer the client to public assistance
C. Obtain more information about the client's use of alcohol
D. Refer the client to the local unemployment office - correct
answer- C. Obtain more information about the client's use of
alcohol
Rationale: While options A, B & D may all be appropriate actions
for the social worker to take, none would be the first. As a part
of the assessment process, the social worker needs to FIRST
further explore the issue of alcohol use (key C).
