LMSW Weekly Practice Questions Exam And
Correct Answers
In developing a therapy group in an adult psychiatric setting, which of the following
criteria will be MOST important?
A) Diagnosis
B) Family status
C) Level of functioning
D) Intellectual capacity - answer The correct answer is C:
In an adult psychiatric setting, one would expect a wide range of diagnoses, family
statuses, levels of functioning, and intellectual capacities. Of those, the MOST important
for successful group functioning is the participants' level of functioning (option C).
A nursing home social worker has a client who is elderly and mentally alert. The client
declines a medical procedure that most likely will prolong life. An adult child tries to
persuade the social worker to change the client's mind about the decision. The social
worker should:
A) respect the client's capacity to make the decision
B) explain to the client the treatment choice that has been made
C) allow the client's family member to make an appropriate choice
D) challenge the adult child's decision only if it seems to violate ethical principles -
answer The correct answer is A:
the question addresses the role of self determination in social work practice. In the
absence of a legally appointed guardian, the client's wishes must be respected (option
A).
A social worker in a youth recreation program conducts an initial interview with a
teenager. The social worker concludes that the presenting problems involve the teen's
need to get a job to meet personal needs. What should the social worker do NEXT?
A) Contact the teenager's parents
B) Consult with the supervisor
C) Discuss planning with the client
D) Provided needed assistance - answer The correct answer is C:
,Planning should be discussed the client NEXT (option C). Options described in A and B
may or may not be done later and option D does not address the presenting problems.
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 - answer The correct answer is C:
While options A, B, and D may all be appropriate actions for the social worker to take,
none would be the first step the social worker would take in this situation. As part of the
assessment process, the social worker needs to FIRST further explore the issue of
alcohol use (option C).
Over a period of several months, a social worker thoroughly prepares a client for joining
a group, including the establishment of a contract for 3 months of participation. After
one group session the client informs the social worker that she will not return to the
group What should the social worker do FIRST?
A) Remind the client of her commitment to the 3 months of group participation
B) Terminate the client from all services
C) Discuss the client's failure to integrate with the group
D) Encourage the client to discuss her reasons for leaving - answer The correct answer
is D:
The FIRST thing that a social worker should do when a client decides to discontinue
therapy is to try to determine the reasons (option D). Options A and C seem to blame the
client and may do more harm than good. Option B is an extreme reaction as it terminates
the client from all services,not just group.
A client is referred to a social worker regarding depression that began eight months
earlier. The client reports irritability, sleep problems, and loss of appetite. In exploring
the onset of the depression, the social worker learns that the client had an abortion nine
months ago. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A) Complete a comprehensive eating disorder assessment
B) Offer relaxation strategies to address sleep problems
C) Refer the client to a grief and bereavement group
, D) Ask about the meaning of the abortion to the client - answer The correct answer is D:
The social worker should start with the problem presented by the client, which is
depression. In assessing the depression, the worker would ask the client to explain her
feelings about the abortion (option D) . Options A, B and C may all be done later, but the
FIRST action is to determine the meaning of the abortion for the client.
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 - answer The correct answer is C:
This question requires knowledge of professional boundaries ( option C). Since the
question asks for the BEST response, the secondary responsibilities int he other options
are not correct.
A social work student intern is providing therapy during a field placement at a
community mental health center. A client reports the urge to overdose on a bottle of
medication to escape emotional pain. The student has no experience working with
clients who are suicidal. What is the BEST action for the social work student intern to
take?
A) Explore the reasons for the client's pain
B) Contract with the client for safety
C) Bring the supervisor into the session
D) Inquire about access to the medication - answer The correct answer is C:
This question is attempting to assess whether the respondent knows the BEST step to
be taken. In situations where a social worker requires expert information that he or she
lacks, it is always prudent to first seek the supervisor's guidance. This case involves
suicidal ideation and the social worker is a student. The urgency of the matter, coupled
with the fact that the field supervisor is at the first level of authority indicates that option
C is the correct answer.
A social worker can BEST enhance a family's ability to understand each other's views by
Correct Answers
In developing a therapy group in an adult psychiatric setting, which of the following
criteria will be MOST important?
A) Diagnosis
B) Family status
C) Level of functioning
D) Intellectual capacity - answer The correct answer is C:
In an adult psychiatric setting, one would expect a wide range of diagnoses, family
statuses, levels of functioning, and intellectual capacities. Of those, the MOST important
for successful group functioning is the participants' level of functioning (option C).
A nursing home social worker has a client who is elderly and mentally alert. The client
declines a medical procedure that most likely will prolong life. An adult child tries to
persuade the social worker to change the client's mind about the decision. The social
worker should:
A) respect the client's capacity to make the decision
B) explain to the client the treatment choice that has been made
C) allow the client's family member to make an appropriate choice
D) challenge the adult child's decision only if it seems to violate ethical principles -
answer The correct answer is A:
the question addresses the role of self determination in social work practice. In the
absence of a legally appointed guardian, the client's wishes must be respected (option
A).
A social worker in a youth recreation program conducts an initial interview with a
teenager. The social worker concludes that the presenting problems involve the teen's
need to get a job to meet personal needs. What should the social worker do NEXT?
A) Contact the teenager's parents
B) Consult with the supervisor
C) Discuss planning with the client
D) Provided needed assistance - answer The correct answer is C:
,Planning should be discussed the client NEXT (option C). Options described in A and B
may or may not be done later and option D does not address the presenting problems.
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 - answer The correct answer is C:
While options A, B, and D may all be appropriate actions for the social worker to take,
none would be the first step the social worker would take in this situation. As part of the
assessment process, the social worker needs to FIRST further explore the issue of
alcohol use (option C).
Over a period of several months, a social worker thoroughly prepares a client for joining
a group, including the establishment of a contract for 3 months of participation. After
one group session the client informs the social worker that she will not return to the
group What should the social worker do FIRST?
A) Remind the client of her commitment to the 3 months of group participation
B) Terminate the client from all services
C) Discuss the client's failure to integrate with the group
D) Encourage the client to discuss her reasons for leaving - answer The correct answer
is D:
The FIRST thing that a social worker should do when a client decides to discontinue
therapy is to try to determine the reasons (option D). Options A and C seem to blame the
client and may do more harm than good. Option B is an extreme reaction as it terminates
the client from all services,not just group.
A client is referred to a social worker regarding depression that began eight months
earlier. The client reports irritability, sleep problems, and loss of appetite. In exploring
the onset of the depression, the social worker learns that the client had an abortion nine
months ago. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A) Complete a comprehensive eating disorder assessment
B) Offer relaxation strategies to address sleep problems
C) Refer the client to a grief and bereavement group
, D) Ask about the meaning of the abortion to the client - answer The correct answer is D:
The social worker should start with the problem presented by the client, which is
depression. In assessing the depression, the worker would ask the client to explain her
feelings about the abortion (option D) . Options A, B and C may all be done later, but the
FIRST action is to determine the meaning of the abortion for the client.
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 - answer The correct answer is C:
This question requires knowledge of professional boundaries ( option C). Since the
question asks for the BEST response, the secondary responsibilities int he other options
are not correct.
A social work student intern is providing therapy during a field placement at a
community mental health center. A client reports the urge to overdose on a bottle of
medication to escape emotional pain. The student has no experience working with
clients who are suicidal. What is the BEST action for the social work student intern to
take?
A) Explore the reasons for the client's pain
B) Contract with the client for safety
C) Bring the supervisor into the session
D) Inquire about access to the medication - answer The correct answer is C:
This question is attempting to assess whether the respondent knows the BEST step to
be taken. In situations where a social worker requires expert information that he or she
lacks, it is always prudent to first seek the supervisor's guidance. This case involves
suicidal ideation and the social worker is a student. The urgency of the matter, coupled
with the fact that the field supervisor is at the first level of authority indicates that option
C is the correct answer.
A social worker can BEST enhance a family's ability to understand each other's views by
