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MSW Practice Exam 1 2025 latest
Which of the following populations best fit this description: many within this population are able to fully function with little support, whereas some need extensive support and care. Approximately 30% or more of individuals in this population suffer from a mental health disorder. They commonly live with relatives. Chronic health problems often go undiagnosed for these individuals? people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) when comparing the experience of male and female individuals within the criminal justice system, which of the following statements is NOT true? a. women are more likely than men to be incarcerated in jail rather than prison b. the female offender population is increasing at a faster rate c. Males have higher rates of mental illness than females d. women are more likely to meet drug dependance or abuse disorder criteria Males have higher rates of mental illness than females A school social worker is scheduled to see a 9-year-old boy regarding disruptive behavior in the classroom. There the social worker noted the following: he seemed to constantly fidget and squirm in his seat; he talked nonstop; he was frequently out of his seat, running, touching, and playing with anything and everything he could reach. The teacher's efforts to quiet him appeared to be forgotten almost instantly. When an art period was begun, which engaged most children, he still had difficulty as he was easily distracted and seemed to switch constantly from one activity to another. He appeared unable to slow down long enough to receive even simple and clear instructions. The few moments he was quiet, he seemed lost in daydreaming, staring out the classroom windows. The most likely diagnosis for this child is? Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Which of the following is NOT predictive of the mental health status of LQBTQ individuals in midlife? a. self-transcendence b. the degree to which they have disclosed their LGBTQ identity c. finance-related anxiety d. body shame the degree to which they have disclosed their LGBTQ identity
A social worker is seeing a client who has previously been diagnosed with heroin use disorder. He has not meet the criteria for substance use disorder, except for craving, for 5 months. He lives at his mother's home and is using a methadone treatment program. He would be classified as: early remission Which of the following is NOT true of the task-centered practice model? a. task-centered practice can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with other treatment approaches b. the client and social worker first develop a shared understanding of the problem and its root causes c. by the end of each session, the client must explicitly agree to complete the planned tasks. d. Tasks may be developed for the social worker or others to complete, in addition to the client the client and social worker first develop a shared understanding of the problem and its root causes The following definition is the MOST accurate when describing interventions based on which theory? "The client's past experiences are used to understand and effect the change upon their current emotions and behaviors." Psychodynamic theory George, a middle aged male, informs his social worker that he had begun using marijuana frequently with his coworkers after hours. He reports having occasionally used this drug when he was younger, but he had stopped use until recently. George started a new job 3 months ago, after being laid off from his previous position, which he had kept for 10 years. He denies any physical ailments. George's mother abused substances when he was a child, but he no longer has any contact with her. George says that his new job has been stressful but he has been finding ways to cope. What approach should the social worker use to understand the many factors involved in his situation? biopsychosocial approach Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding co-occurring disorders? a. approximately 40% of adolescents with substance use disorders also have a mental health disorder b. with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, the mental health disorder occurs first in approximately two-thirds of individuals
but have experienced most of their extended family members excluding them because of their sexual orientation. When asked what they would like to improve during therapy, the couple begins to show visible signs of frustration with each other. The social worker cannot get either person to agree on a treatment goal. What is the NEXT step in beginning therapy with this couple? Support the couple in determining what their long-term goals are in their marriage A social worker wants to gather data demonstrating the efficient use of funding for a homelessness prevention program. Which of the following is the BEST set of data to gather for this purpose? a. Total number of households with eviction prevented and average cost per household b. total number of individuals on the homelessness shelter waiting list who were established in new housing without a shelter stay, and the average cost per individual c. total number of households maintained in own housing or established in new housing without a shelter stay, and the average cost per household d. average cost per household served compared with the estimated cost per day of the homeless shelter (to demonstrate the cost savings) total number of households maintained in own housing or established in new housing without a shelter stay, and the average cost per household Which of the following is a primary difference between a biopsychosocial assessment and a mental status exam? much of the mental status exam can be completed by observation, whereas the biopsychosocial assessment requires the social worker to ask specific questions Brad, a 40-year-old, has recently left the military and returned to civilian life. Brad is struggling to reconnect with his wife and two children since returning home. He feels unprepared for the emotional needs of his children and states that keeping up with the day-to-day tasks of family life is difficult. He is unsure of how to fit back into his previous roles outside of the military. The social worker should begin by? asking the client to determine the goal of therapy During an initial assessment with a child regarding a report of possible parental neglect, a social worker receives the following answer: "my mom's name is Joan Smith. She is a good mom. I like to spend time with her." As the assessment continues, the child continues to repeat this answer in varying ways. What can the social worker conclude from this type of response? The child is giving a scripted response, and there are underlying concerns of abuse or neglect.
A social worker is seeing a 16-year-old youth who has, for the past year; been losing his temper frequently, is regularly argumentative with adults, often refuses to follow direct requests, is easily annoyed, and routinely using blaming to escape responsibility. Approximately four months ago he was caught in a single episode of shoplifting. The most appropriate diagnosis for this youth is? oppositional defiant disorder When completing a comprehensive geriatric assessment, which variable is the MOST important to asses in order to understand the full scope of an individual's functional ability the home community and environment Which treatment is MOST effective for obsessive compulsive-disorder (OCD) in adults? a combination of psychotherapy and medication SCM and TLM emphasize many social work values. The more recently developed Social Action, Leadership, and Transformation (SALT) model applies which social work ethical principle more explicitly than either SCM or TLM? social workers push for social justice At a transitional family shelter, a newly arrived mother and her three children are being reviewed during an interdisciplinary team consultation. The team consists of the social worker, a housing specialist, and an education and employment specialist. The mother lost her job in another city and was attempting to find work in a larger city. They were living in her car when it was burglarized of all possessions. All seem unwell and congested. The oldest child, a 4-year-old boy, has severe asthma and needs a sheltered setting. The 3-year-old girl seems expressively vacant and emotionally detached. The 9-month-old female infant is clearly hungry and lacks diapers and other basic necessities. Food is being obtained for them all. Prior to presenting to the agency director, the FIRST social work step should be? Promptly refer the asthmatic boy to a medical doctor As part of a pending disability application, a social worker meets with the client. The client voices complaints about significant chronic back and shoulder pain, which is the basis of the claim. During the course of the in-home assessment, the social worker notes the individual is able to bend down to move and pick things up, and is able to reach over her head into an upper cabinet - all without apparent difficulty or complaints of pain. The most appropriate determination would be: malingering
major depressive disorder with psychotic features. An elderly man has been living in a low-income apartment complex for 10 years. His landlord has just increased the rent with less than 30 days' notice and has refused to fix the faulty heating. The tenant will not be able to afford his new rent and medications. What is the BEST course of action? Set him up with an elder advocate to ensure that the landlord is properly managing the apartment units and tenant needs, per his lease agreement The update to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) included major changes to categories and classifications. Which of following is NOT a DSM- 5 category? a. sleep-wake disorders b. sexual dysfunctions c. pervasive developmental disorders d. gender dysphoria pervasive developmental disorders Which of the following skills are the MOST important for community social workers? facilitation and participatory planning A social worker has been called to evaluate a 23-year-old man in a hospital emergency room. He presented with fear that he was having a heart attack, but medical staff have ruled this out following laboratory and clinical testing. He notes that his symptoms have subsided, but that when he arrived, his heart was pounding, and he was tremulous, gasping for breath, and had significant tightness in his chest. He recognized the symptoms as being cardiac in nature, as his father died recently from a heart attack when similar symptoms were present. After lengthy discussion, he revealed that the symptoms had been coming and going rapidly over over the last month, and that he had actually been sleeping in his car outside the hospital for the last several days to ensure he could get help when needed. The symptoms struck and peaked quickly (within minutes), these symptoms most closely resemble? panic disorder A couple presenting for counseling evaluation reveals that the wife comes from a dysfunctional, neglectful, alcoholic home and has little trust or tolerance for relationships. Consequently, their marriage is marred by constant arguing and distrust, frequent demands he leave, episodes of impulsive violence, alternating with brief periods of excessive over-valuation (stating that he is
the "best thing that ever happened" to her, "too good" for her, ect.). Which is the most likely diagnosis? boarderline personality disorder The below definition describes the coping strategies used in which of the following settings? : A unique set of psychological adaptations that result in a chronic biopsychosocial state characterized by anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, muted affect, social withdrawal, and dependance on external controls a correctional facility A social worker is working with a couple to address concerns with their relationship. One partner says, "I am so tired of him misunderstanding me. He doesn't listen!" The other reports frustration that he cannot trust his partner. The social worker notices something during the first session that could be contributing to both of these concerns. What has the social worker most likely observed? lack of congruence Which of the following strategies would NOT be used by community social workers guided by conflict theory? a. consensus building during a meeting with city leaders and residents b. supporting efforts to pass citywide caps on annual rent increases c. organizing a protest at the city hall d. inviting city leaders to participate in a poverty simulation consensus building during a meeting with city leaders and residents A study attempts to measure the efficacy of a new antidepressant medication. A "control" group of depression sufferers will receive only a placebo, while an "intervention" group will receive the new medication. In this study, the "null hypothesis" would state the following? There shall be no measurable difference in depression symptom reporting between the control group and the intervention group A client is brought into a county mental health clinic by law enforcement. He has no personal identification, and cannot recall any personally identifying information. This forgetfulness appears to be genuine, not due to any threat or allegation of any kind. He does have receipts and other papers on his person that indicate he was recently many hundreds of miles away, but he cannot confirm or deny this. There is no history of head trauma, substance abuse, or prior
A client wishes to make it a goal to be reunited with his children after a history of addiction. Which one of the following options BEST embodies a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based (SMART) goal for this client? a. I will schedule visits with my children on a regular basis to increase our connection b. I will call my children more often over the next 3 months. c. I want to be reunited with my children by December 25th. d. I will visit my children twice per week over the next 3 months I will visit my children twice per week over the next 3 months In a neonatal unit, a prematurely born infant boy has been receiving support until ready for discharge home. The hospital social worker meets with the parents to discuss discharge planning. The parents are excited and nervous to bring him home. During a follow-up call 2 weeks later, the parents report issues with the infants sleep and constant crying. The pediatrician has been consulted, and no medical issues have been identified. How can the hospital social worker help at this time? The hospital social worker can assist with making referrals to appropriate providers, such as mental health and occupational therapists A 5-year-old kindergartner who was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has been enrolled in intellectual/developmental disability support through his local community mental health organization. During the intake process, the boy's father laments over the loss of a "normal" future for his son and relates the major anxiety that he has experienced since his son's diagnosis. The intellectual/developmental disability social worker sees that the father is struggling with accepting his son's diagnosis. The father should be referred for? cognitive behavioral therapy Simon is 66 years old and was recently ordered by the court to attend counseling for an outburst in a grocery store, where he threw a can of beans at the clerk for being too slow in ringing up his purchases. His wife attends the first session as well, and although he insists his memory is "as good as it ever was," she shakes her head. He seems distracted and angry; she placates him, but he lashes out verbally. When the caseworker asks her if anything has changed recently, she tells him that Simon has always been a good-natured, easygoing man, but that lately he has been "difficult." As they are leaving, Simon, looking puzzled, says, "I don't even know why we're here." What is the FIRST possible diagnosis a caseworker would consider in this case? Alzheimer's disease
A client reports having increased racing thoughts, less sleep, and increased motivation to complete short-term goals over the past week and a half. The client denies any substance use. Based on the clients likely diagnosis, what medication would assist with mood stabilization? Depakote A medical social worker sees a copy of the client's karyotype test in the medical record. What will the social worker be able to learn from this report? Whether monosomy or trisomy has occurred When writing a clinical case presentation, a social worker should: describe successful and unsuccessful treatment strategies Which of the following is a primary prevention strategy to support healthy aging? a. coordinating volunteer opportunities for elders at local schools b. Increasing uninsured adults' access to mental health services with a sliding scale fee c. offering career change workshops and resources for employed middle-aged adults d. facilitating the donation of farmers market produce to the local senior center for cooking demonstrations offering career change workshops and resources for employed middle-aged adults A social worker at a mental health agency is working with an adolescent client who has had aggressive outbursts. During a regular meeting with family, the client becomes upset and flips over his chair. What should the social worker do FIRST? The social worker should use deescalation tactics In addition to the digestive system, what other body systems are involved with processing and delivering nutrients throughout the body? circulatory and lymphatic Which of the following is the MOST necessary consideration to demonstrate the impact of a community-based project? a. include community members at all phases of the project b. set measurable objectives and benchmarks for the project c. research the community conditions and target problem(s) d. engage local political and civic institutions research the community conditions and target problem(s)
The medical social worker should explain to the community social worker that no information can be provided without a signed consent form An elderly male who is readying himself to be placed in hospice care has invited his family to attend the intake meeting with the hospice agency. The hospice social worker visits the client at his home for the appointment. When the client decides to sign the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) form, the client's family becomes outraged. What is the MOST appropriate response from the social worker? "I understand that this is a difficult topic. You have the right to choose your medical care and create advance directives for how that care should be carried out. We will respect your wishes." A new social worker has been hired to provide Telehealth services to a local community agency. The social worker is provided a laptop loaded with the electronic medical system, a computer mouse, and an internet hotspot. The social worker enjoys visiting a local coffee shop to work during the day. During a typical day at the coffee shop, the social worker decides to leave her laptop to grab a napkin. She minimizes the electronic medical system on the laptop so she doesn't have to log back in. When she returns, her electronic medical system is open to a different chart than when she left. The social worker should: immediately report the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) violation to her supervisor While completing an initial assessment, a social worker learns that a new client has 10 years of sobriety from drug use. The client has initiated work with the social worker to address the intense anxiety that she has experienced in the past 4 months. In order to support the client's continued sobriety and understand the interaction between her past substance use and her current symptoms of anxiety, which is the MOST important follow-up question? a. were you experiencing anxiety symptoms before you started using drugs? b. how did you respond to feelings of anxiety once you were using drugs? c. when you completed your drug treatment program, what new strategies did you learn to recognize and avoid anxiety triggers? d. what, specifically, were the drug(s) that you used? what, specifically, were the drug(s) that you used? A newly married 23-year-old woman has been referred for counseling due to her experiences of painful intercourse. She was not sexually active prior to marriage, and so there is no history to draw upon for past experiences. The problem is painful penetration, not involving spasms of the vagina but characterized by marked vaginal dryness. The proper term for her condition is:
genito-pelvic pain disorder A supervisor who oversees ten case managers is getting ready for the agency's annual audit. In order to prepare, the supervisor schedules peer reviews between coworkers. One case of each social worker is given to a coworker to review for accuracy of documentation deadlines, consent forms, and updated demographic information. The data from this peer review will inform the supervisor of all the following EXCEPT: a. the need for additional training in certain areas of service delivery in which multiple case managers lacked the appropriate documentation b. the customer service ratings of each case manager c. which case managers are struggling to meet the documentation deadlines d. the frequency at which consent forms are signed and returned bu individuals and families the customer service ratings of each case manager A social work intern is training under an experienced domestic violence social worker who is also her field instructor. The intern is helping to facilitate a women's support group. The field instructor notices the intern using incorrect language when she speaks with the support group members (e.g., calling members victims, asking why they were abused). The intern is pulled aside after the meeting to review the principles of trauma-informed care. What is the response that BEST educates and supports the intern? "Let's reflect on the terms that you used today during the support group when referring to and communicating with the women. Do you feel that these terms are empowering? What other terms might be more appropriate?" In a county psychiatric emergency clinic, a social worker is asked to evaluate a 19-year-old women for unspecified psychotic behavior. She is accompanied by her parents, who brought her to the clinic. Upon contact it is noted she is disheveled and unkempt in grooming and hygiene. In talking with the social worker, she often pauses inexplicably, rambles about something unrelated, laughs to herself, and then turns her face away. Episodically attending to the social worker, she spontaneously claims that the worker is controlling her mind, and indicates that she sees odd objects floating around the social worker. There is no recent history substance abuse (though remotely positive for amphetamines), and her symptoms have been prominent for most of the past year, though particularly acute this when she attacked her mother, claiming that she was a clone trying to pull her "real mom" out of the clone's body. Diagnosis? Schizophrenia Infant mental health services are able to provide a parent with what type of support for the child?
Which of the following is a core function of the social worker when implementing the task- centered practice model? a. to identify and resolve anticipated obstacles to task completion b. to build client insight regarding factors contributing to the problem so they can be addressed or avoided c. to complete tasks to address environmental or systemic obstacles to the client's success d. to assess client confidence and motivation using scaling questions to identify and resolve anticipated obstacles to task completion A social worker has been asked to evaluate program effectiveness at multiple community senior day centers. The most effective approach to take would be: cluster evaluation A 26-year-old woman is seeing a social worker regarding her persistent desire to leave her bedroom window blinds opens so that she may be seen by her male neighbor, who participates voyeuristically in an open way. She is aware that the activity is fraught with problems - he is a married man and potentially other passerby might see in her window from the street. To this point, however, she finds these risks somewhat exciting and stimulating. She also finds herself compulsively thinking about the activity and planning ways to be "caught" by the man in compromising moments. Diagnostically, her behavior is best described as? Other specified paraphilia A child's genetic test shows that a small number of genes have mutated. Which of the following is TRUE? a. The chromosomes are also abnormal in some way b. environmental factors caused the genes to mutate c. the mutations will impact the genotype d. the child's phenotype will be no different than if the genes had not mutated the mutations will impact the genotype A therapist receives a subpoena from the courthouse to release all assessments and progress notes for her client. The therapist worries that the information within the documentation is sensitive to the therapeutic healing of her client. What best reflects what the therapist should do? The therapist should speak with a lawyer first to determine if the subpoena is legally valid
approximately how many children are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the United States? 9.4% A new child protective services case manager has been assigned his first case, which involves a family of Native American heritage. The social worker has not worker with a family of this ethnicity before. To properly asses for risk factors, he should FIRST: Research proper social work methods to support this family in a manner that is appropriate to their culture Which of the following is the FIRST step of evidence-based practice (EBP)? a. identify the problem(s) to be addressed by the intervention b. collaborate with the client to make a list of questions regarding the identified problem(s) c. identify reputable, reliable sources of information and data pertaining to social work interventions d. specify the problem and the desired outcome, and select two intervention options to compare specify the problem and the desired outcome, and select two intervention options to compare A social worker's first priority for working with a client in a heightened state of stress is to: help the client return to the previous level of functioning A 34-year-old man makes an appointment to see a social worker for help coping with a difficult relationship in his life. At intake, the social worker learns that he feels a famous movie actress has hidden affection for him. He has written her many times through her fan club, and has received letters from club personnel -- never from the actress herself. But, he explains this is just because she's "not currently free to express her feelings openly" due to a waning relationship with a wealthy businessman. When talking about the businessman, there are clear feelings of competition. When asked for greater detail or information to buttress his beliefs, he avoids the questions. The MOST appropriate early diagnostic impression would be delusional disorder, with the following subtype? erotomanic type An adult female arrives to therapy with a social worker, presenting with generalized anxiety disorder. The client has immense anxiety surrounding the fear that someone will break into her home in the middle of the night. She says, "actually, this sounds ridiculous. Never mind." The social worker can use which therapeutic concept to increase genuine trust with her client?
and denies feeling sad. The client is able to manage his medications but requires someone to set up his medication box and set a timer for him. The worker suspects: neurocognitive disorder Of those with either a mental health diagnosis or a substance use disorder, roughly how many will experience the other at some point in their lives? one-half a social worker at a foster care agency is responsible for providing weekly counseling to children placed in foster homes and for supporting their foster parents. The social worker knows the children who have experienced maltreatment or abuse are quite vulnerable to future abuse. Which of the following strategies should she use to MOST effectively protect those children from the effects of further abuse? support the children's ability to express their feelings and needs During a weekly supervision meeting, the supervisor describes a new case that is being transferred to the social worker. The case was previously managed by the supervisor before he took his promotion. The supervisor describes the case with casual language, noting that he "got a lot of billing hours with this case" because conversations were easy and lasted longer with this family. When looking in past case notes and authorizations, the social worker sees increased authorizations for services that were not justifiable for the family's need. What is the most appropriate action for the social worker to take? the social worker should report the concerning, unethical behaviors to the director of the program Single-system research designs involve observing one client or system only (n=1) before, during, and after their intervention. Because of their flexibility and capacity to measure change over time, single-system designs are frequently used by practitioners to evaluate: their practice the results of a program evaluation have been finalized and sent to the program director for review. This evaluation shows that the current program's service delivery is not performing to the standards laid out by the board of directors. The program director should decide to: identify the top reason for service delivery issues and create a task force to determine how to implement a positive change in the program A husband and wife are working with a social worker to address the husband's job loss and lack of initiative in finding employment. The husband reports that he and his wife do not
communicate, and the wife "constantly vents about our troubles" to her mother. This is an example of: triangulation A social worker has been asked to see a 15-year-old girl for problems with body image and eating. After speaking with her, the social worker discovers that she suffers with an intense desire to lose weight, feeling that this will help her be more attractive to the opposite sex and more popular in her social circle. She is by no means obese, although she is not overly slender. Her parents recently noted an increase in grocery costs, and that food seemed to be disappearing around the house inordinately quickly - often "junk" food and other quick snacks. Finally, late one night, her mother passed the bathroom and heard the daughter "purge" her food. She confronted her and discovered that the daughter had been "binge" eating and inducing vomiting for months. She estimates that she purges about 10 times per week. Some modest weight loss had occurred. The most appropriate diagnosis would be: bulimia nervose, severe A social worker is assigned the case of an 18-year-old male with an intellectual disability. He has aged out of foster care and is in need of safe, affordable housing. The individual has experienced child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse through his biological family. The social worker is able to find a new home for him that includes two roommates and staffing to assist with his activities of daily living. After the second night, the social worker receives a call from staff stating that the individual was violently raped by his roommate. He is now in the emergency room. The social worker has consequently become unable to sleep or perform other casework. She is requesting to be removed from any cases regarding housing placements. The social worker is experiencing: secondary trauma A couple brings their 3-year-old child to an outpatient therapy center for his first therapy session. They report his symptoms as follows: refusing to follow directions, bullying others, and a persistent angry mood. The child is MOST LIKELY diagnosed with: oppositional defiant disorder Which of the following is NOT influenced by a community's incarceration rate? a. the policies within the local school district b. the local incidence rate of homelessness c. the average cost of living within the community d. the mental health of community residents
