LSW EXAM PREP QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
A social worker is employed at a health clinic in a neighborhood where the residents are
primarily members of ethnic minority groups. The social worker frequently encounters
women who will not agree to health screening tests. They tell the social workers that the
tests will not prevent disease or sickness. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Acknowledge the women's cultural beliefs
B. Provide information on preventive medicine
C. Encourage the women to talk with their physicians
D. Offer incentives to participate in screenings - A. The social worker must begin where
the clients, are which necessitates FIRST acknowledging their cultural beliefs (A)
Providing information (B) and encourage more dialogue with physicians (C) may follow
but only after the clients/ beliefs have been recognized. Offering incentives (D) is
unrealistic and unlikely to be successful.
What type of hallucination is MOST prevalent for individuals diagnosed with
schizophrenia?
A. Auditory
B. Tactile
C. Visual
D. Olfactory - A. While it is possible for a person with schizophrenia to have any of
these hallucinations, auditory hallucinations (A) are MOST common.
Family members express concerns about their aging parent to a social worker who is a
geriatric case manager. The parent is increasingly frail but cognitively competent. The
family would like the social worker to persuade the parent to move to an assisted living
facility, but the parent has refused the suggestion. What should the social worker do?
A. Arrange a meeting with the entire family to negotiate a solution
B. consult with the assisted living administrator
C. Respect the parent's choice and reluctance to move
D. Encourage the family to rpesent a united front in making a decision for the parent. -
C. There is nothing in this item to suggest that the parent is not competent, so the social
worker must uphold the parent's right to self-determination and respect the decision to
refuse the move to an assisted living facility (C). While a family meeting may be useful
in helping the family accept the parent's decision, this meeting should not be an attempt
to negotiate a solution (A). Suggesting that the family members be unified in their
decision (D) disregards the parent's self-determination. Consulting with the faculty
administrator (B) does not address the issue.
What assessment tool is the MOST effective in obtaining family history information?
, A. Person-in-Environment (PIE) System
B. Social network mapping
C. Genogram
D. Ecomap - C. A genogram (C) is a social work tool that maps family relationships. The
PIE system (A) may include explanations about the family and supports, but it is not an
effective way to gather family history. Options B and D both identify client support
systems.
A social worker in a senior center has become aware of an elderly couple's inabiliy to
maintain themselves. They live in a rural area without any nearby family members and
are unwilling to consider alternative living arrangements. What should the social worker
do FIRST?
A. Try to persuade the couple to go to a nursing home.
B. Discuss referral for supportive services
C. Inform family members of the situation
D. Arrange for a mental status exam to be completed. - B. The social worker will support
self-determination by using the least restrictive and controlling option FIRST (B). Option
C is a violation of confidentiality unless there is real endangerment issue. Attempting to
persuade the couple to go into a nursing home (A) does not support client self-
determination and arranging for a mental status exam (D) would not be done FIRST.
A 75-year-old resident of a nursing home informs her social worker that she frequently
wakes up at night. The resident reports that she has been a sound sleeper but now
awakens at the slightest noise. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Suggest to the staff physician that a sleeping medication may be indicated
B. Ask the resident if she would like her room changed to a different location.
C. Discuss the impact of the disturbed sleep pattern with the resident
D. Arrange more physical activities for the resident throughout the day. - C. Before
taking any action on the client's comments, the social worker needs to have a better
understanding of how the changed sleep patterns are affecting the client. options A and
B change.
A social worker plans to meet with a client for an intake interview. Referral information
indicates that the client is hard of hearing. What should the client do FIRST?
A. Determine the client's preference for communicating
B. Arrange for an interpreter for the client during the interview
C. Ask the client to bring a family member to the interview.
D. Review literature on deaf culture - A. This item requires the test-taker to understand
culturally competent practice, which in this scenario requires the social worker to FIRST
learn the client's communication preferences (A). Arranging for an interpreter (B)
assumes that preference, and asking a family member to attend the interview (C) is
inappropriate. While it may be useful for the social worker to review literature on the
deaf and hard of hearing culture (D), this does not address immediate need.
A social worker is employed at a health clinic in a neighborhood where the residents are
primarily members of ethnic minority groups. The social worker frequently encounters
women who will not agree to health screening tests. They tell the social workers that the
tests will not prevent disease or sickness. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Acknowledge the women's cultural beliefs
B. Provide information on preventive medicine
C. Encourage the women to talk with their physicians
D. Offer incentives to participate in screenings - A. The social worker must begin where
the clients, are which necessitates FIRST acknowledging their cultural beliefs (A)
Providing information (B) and encourage more dialogue with physicians (C) may follow
but only after the clients/ beliefs have been recognized. Offering incentives (D) is
unrealistic and unlikely to be successful.
What type of hallucination is MOST prevalent for individuals diagnosed with
schizophrenia?
A. Auditory
B. Tactile
C. Visual
D. Olfactory - A. While it is possible for a person with schizophrenia to have any of
these hallucinations, auditory hallucinations (A) are MOST common.
Family members express concerns about their aging parent to a social worker who is a
geriatric case manager. The parent is increasingly frail but cognitively competent. The
family would like the social worker to persuade the parent to move to an assisted living
facility, but the parent has refused the suggestion. What should the social worker do?
A. Arrange a meeting with the entire family to negotiate a solution
B. consult with the assisted living administrator
C. Respect the parent's choice and reluctance to move
D. Encourage the family to rpesent a united front in making a decision for the parent. -
C. There is nothing in this item to suggest that the parent is not competent, so the social
worker must uphold the parent's right to self-determination and respect the decision to
refuse the move to an assisted living facility (C). While a family meeting may be useful
in helping the family accept the parent's decision, this meeting should not be an attempt
to negotiate a solution (A). Suggesting that the family members be unified in their
decision (D) disregards the parent's self-determination. Consulting with the faculty
administrator (B) does not address the issue.
What assessment tool is the MOST effective in obtaining family history information?
, A. Person-in-Environment (PIE) System
B. Social network mapping
C. Genogram
D. Ecomap - C. A genogram (C) is a social work tool that maps family relationships. The
PIE system (A) may include explanations about the family and supports, but it is not an
effective way to gather family history. Options B and D both identify client support
systems.
A social worker in a senior center has become aware of an elderly couple's inabiliy to
maintain themselves. They live in a rural area without any nearby family members and
are unwilling to consider alternative living arrangements. What should the social worker
do FIRST?
A. Try to persuade the couple to go to a nursing home.
B. Discuss referral for supportive services
C. Inform family members of the situation
D. Arrange for a mental status exam to be completed. - B. The social worker will support
self-determination by using the least restrictive and controlling option FIRST (B). Option
C is a violation of confidentiality unless there is real endangerment issue. Attempting to
persuade the couple to go into a nursing home (A) does not support client self-
determination and arranging for a mental status exam (D) would not be done FIRST.
A 75-year-old resident of a nursing home informs her social worker that she frequently
wakes up at night. The resident reports that she has been a sound sleeper but now
awakens at the slightest noise. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Suggest to the staff physician that a sleeping medication may be indicated
B. Ask the resident if she would like her room changed to a different location.
C. Discuss the impact of the disturbed sleep pattern with the resident
D. Arrange more physical activities for the resident throughout the day. - C. Before
taking any action on the client's comments, the social worker needs to have a better
understanding of how the changed sleep patterns are affecting the client. options A and
B change.
A social worker plans to meet with a client for an intake interview. Referral information
indicates that the client is hard of hearing. What should the client do FIRST?
A. Determine the client's preference for communicating
B. Arrange for an interpreter for the client during the interview
C. Ask the client to bring a family member to the interview.
D. Review literature on deaf culture - A. This item requires the test-taker to understand
culturally competent practice, which in this scenario requires the social worker to FIRST
learn the client's communication preferences (A). Arranging for an interpreter (B)
assumes that preference, and asking a family member to attend the interview (C) is
inappropriate. While it may be useful for the social worker to review literature on the
deaf and hard of hearing culture (D), this does not address immediate need.
