ASWB LMSW Practice Questions 2023 with complete solutions

A swker employed by a retirement home is approached by a client for help in establishing a recycling program in the facility. The swker decides to cohost a meeting with the client to discuss the idea with other tenets. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach? A. Antagonizing administration could be dangerous B. Legitimizing the residents' concerns may be helpful C. Helping residents start new relationships is important D. Sharing leadership is very effective with groups - ANSWER-D. Sharing leadership with the residents. The swker is supporting the resident's skill development as well as promoting positive group dynamics A social worker is asked to analyze new social welfare policies that will affect the community. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. Examine the likely impact of the policies on the community B. Research the historical problems that led to the policies C. Organize a grassroots coalition to discuss the reaction to the policies D. Look into legal precedents that could potentially mollify the policies - ANSWER-B. Research the historical problems that led to the policies. The social worker much first understand the historical background of the policy before moving to the analysis stage A woman who is five months pregnant speaks with a social worker at an adoption agency to request information. The woman explains that she lives with her sister and that her sister's boyfriend is threatening to force her out of the home. She says that she does not feel safe. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. Call the police for the woman B. Develop a safety plan C. Try to locate housing for the woman D. Determine the nature of the danger - ANSWER-D. Determine the nature of the danger. The social worker needs to assess the situation FIRST A social worker meets with a new client who is diagnosed with depression. The social worker observes that the client is ambivalent, non-trusting, and passive. What should the social worker do NEXT? A. Focus on directly engaging the client B. Suggest a talk to improve the client's mood C. Encourage the client to recall better times D. Provide information about depression - ANSWER-A. Focus on directly engaging the client. This helps to build rapport A social worker is contacted by a client whose initial complaint is depression. The client reports symptoms of insomnia, headaches, inability to eat, vomiting, and neck aches. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. Obtain a detailed social history on the client B. Probe for a substance abuse problem C. Engage the client in establishing goals D. Ask the client to obtain medical consultation - ANSWER-D. Ask the client to obtain medical consultation. There may be an underlying medical issue During a therapy session, a client reveals to the social worker that she has difficulty managing her 3 year old child. The client reports that her child ran into traffic and was nearly hit by a car. What should the social do FIRST? A. Report the possible neglect to CPS B. Work with the client to develop a safety plan C. Consult with the social work supervisor D. Refer the client to a parenting class - ANSWER-B. Work with the client to develop a safety plan. This is the FIRST action the social worker would take upon learning the client's concerns Parents of a 24 month old child report their only concern is that their clid plays alongside of, but not with, other children. What should the social worker do? A. Assess for symptoms of developmental delays B. Observe the child's play in a group setting C. Suggest that the parents report their concern at a doctor visit D. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age - ANSWER-D. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age. The role of the social worker is to educate the parents about typical developmental behavior A social worker is providing marital therapy to a couple. What goal statement is MOST likely to enhance a couple's motivation? A. Increase by one-fourth the frequency of positive statements B. Reduce by one-third the angry exchanges C. Eliminate all physical altercations D. Reduce by one-half the amount of shouting - ANSWER-A. Increase by one-fourth the frequency of positive statements. Use of positive reinforcement A social worker is providing therapy to family. The husband and wife have been arguing constantly for several months and are considering separation. Recently, the oldest child began acting out in school. With attention focused on the child's problems, the arguments between the parents have subsided. What concept BEST describes this family's situation form a systems perspective? A. Reaction formation B. Adaptation C. Triangulation D. Entropy - ANSWER-C. Triangulation. It is resulting in lessened parental conflict A social worker makes a home visit to a family to investigate alleged neglect of one of the children. The social worker spends the first part of the interview discussing the family's new roof, their garden, and the rising costs of school supplies. In doing this, the social worker is purposefully: A. demonstrating the importance of good conversational skills B. employing an important warm-up period to establish rapport C. disarming the family so that they will be straightforward in responding D. avoiding discussion fo a sensitive subject - ANSWER-B. employing an important warm-up period to establish rapport. Using small talk to begin establishing a relationship A social worker facilitating change at a human services organization recognizes that clients are not assigned to the most appropriate personnel. Case assignments are based only on caseloads, with no attempt to match clients' needs with workers' skill sets. On what aspect of the agency is the social worker focused on? A. Organizational structure B. Agency mission C. Communication system D. Staff motivation - ANSWER-A. Organizational structure A CPS social worker meets with a parent who has allegedly been neglectful. The parent talks about being overwhelmed by the needs of her child. She describes having trouble sleeping because she needs to stay alert for messages from a favorite talk show host. the parent also shares beliefs that the child's teacher is against her. What should the social worker do NEXT? A. refer the paren to a physician B. Encourage the parent to discuss her anxiety C. initiate a mental status exam D. plan a collaborative meeting with the school - ANSWER-C. initiate a mental status exam. Parent describes potential auditory hallucinations and possible paranoid thinking A preschooler's parents report that their child masturbates at night and has tried to touch a sibling's genitals while bathing. What do these behaviors MOST likely indicate? A. child sexual abuse B. normal sexual development C. diffuse personal boundaries D. delayed superego development - ANSWER-B. normal sexual development A social worker is a member of a disaster response team in a community where there was a recent tornado. An elementary school was destroyed and 3 children were killed. A month later, parents and school staff ask the social worker to evaluate a child whose behavior has become unmanageable in class. The child is having difficulty concentrating and has not completed any assignments in several weeks. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. refer the child for an evaluation for ADHD B. Encourage the parents to spend more time with the child each day C. complete an individual assessment with the child D. Provide crisis intervention with the child - ANSWER-C. complete an individual assessment with the child. A social worker meets with a client who is chronically mentally ill. The client often refuses to take psychotropic meds but does not yet exhibit symptoms of active psychosis. What approach is MOST likely to help the client achieve long-term optimal functioning? A. developing a behavioral program to enhance medication compliance B. referring the client to a day treatment center C. referring the client for long-term hospitalization D. arranging for mediation to be administered by a visiting nurse - ANSWER-A. developing a behavioral program to enhance medication compliance A social worker is asked to evaluate a 10 year old child who was reported to be talking with peers about explicit sexual activity and singing a song about incest. After ruling out direct sexual abuse to the child, what should the social worker do NEXT? A. assess other exposures to sexually explicit material B. assess the child's level of impulse control C. consider a diagnosis of conduct disorder D. educate the child about appropriate talk with peers - ANSWER-A. assess other exposures to sexually explicit material A client requests mental health services to manage a chronic and escalating anger. During the initial session, the client tells the social worker of instances when she was verbally abusive to an individual in her care who uses a wheelchair. The client is remorseful and says that the incidents have occurred on only 2 or 3 occasions. What should the social worker do NEXT? A. collect collateral info from the carrels recipient B. explain the need to report the incidents to the proper authorities C. discuss the incidents further to determine the appropriate action D. develop a personalized anger management program for the client - ANSWER-C. discuss the incidents further to determine the appropriate action A couple meet with a social worker about concerns in their relationship. Both partners report the other person does not offer emotional support or affection. What should the social worker explore FIRST? A. gender roles B. safety risks C. relationship expectations D. relationship development - ANSWER-C. relationship expectations A social worker leads a parenting skills group. During a session, a 3 year old child roars and gestures like a lion. The parent appears embarrassed and scolds the child for this behavior. What should the social worker do? A. discuss the importance of pretend play B. suggest the parent take the child to the zoo C. demonstrate approval of the child's behavior D. use an animal song to normalize the behavior - ANSWER-A. discuss the importance of pretend play A hospital social worker has a client who is noncompliance with management of diabetes. The client believes that the illness is God's will and God will provide a cure. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. assure the client that God would want the client to be compliant B. educate the client on the health consequences of being noncompliant C. explore the role that religion plays in the client's overall self-care D. inform the client that managing diabetes is not a spiritual issue - ANSWER-C. explore the role that religion plays in the client's overall self-care A family services agency has a high number of clients who do not keep appointments. The agency's social work administrator conducts a client satisfaction survey, which reveals that clients believe the agency is not welcoming to their children. To alleviate the clients' concern. what should the administrator do FIRST? A. create specialized activities for children B. evaluate the need to change agency programs C. obtain consultation to develop an action plan D. form a committee of clients and staff to identify solutions - ANSWER-D. form a committee of clients and staff to identify solutions A social worker facilitates a group of domestic violence perpetrators. A group members is now able to recognize the triggers for anger and is committed to changing resulting actions. According to the trans theoretical model of change, what stage is the group member MOST likely experiencing? A. precontemplation B. contemplation C. maintenance D. termination - ANSWER-B. contemplation To take into account the information processing deficits of clients with schizophrenia, what should the social worker do to BEST structure group treatment? A. encourage the free flow of ideas B. use expressive therapy tools C. enforce a rigid agenda for the group D. schedule a variety of brief activities - ANSWER-D. schedule a variety of brief activities A social worker who recently graduated begins working in a drug treatment program. The social worker notices that clients have many needs, including medical attention, mental health services, social services, housing assistance, and employment training. The social worker feels overwhelmed. What should the social worker do FIRST? A. establish priorities B. be aware of countertransference C. obtain supervision D. plan to write a grant to hire an additional worker - ANSWER-C. obtain supervision A social worker at a community mental health program includes a spiritual assessment as part of the intake interview. The program serves members of a local tribal community. What is important for the social worker to remember when working with clients who are Native Americans/Indigenous people? A. closed-ended questions within a structural protocol should be used B. the assessment must be kept brief and storytelling minimized C. clinical language should be used to create a safe environment D. trust should be established before asking for sensitive info - ANSWER-D. trust should be established before asking for sensitive info A social work supervisor meets with a staff person who has difficulty setting limits with clients. What is the MOST effective strategy that the supervisor could suggest to correct this pattern? A. avoid contact with manipulative clients B. increase assertiveness through educational activities C. use work time for self-appraisal D. ask colleagues to provide feedback during client sessions - ANSWER-B. increase assertiveness through educational activities What is the FIRST thing social workers should do when attempting to evaluate institutionalized racism in an agency? A. analyze the agency's policies and procedures B. discuss the issue of fairness with the supervisor C. facilitate research on the impact of agency policies D. review policies that have been successful in other agencies - ANSWER-A. analyze the agency's policies and procedures A hospital social worker assists a patient who is scheduled for discharge. The patient and family feel the patient nee