Case Scenarios
A client is receiving treatment at an in-patient facility for an alcohol problem and is given the medication Antabuse (Disulfiram). When the client takes his first drink, he reacts by vomiting and states that he will never drink again. In this example, the medication is a :
a. positive reinforcer
b. negative reinforcer
c. negative stimulus
d. positive development
a. positive reinforcer
The reaction from the medication is the negative reinforcer, not the medication itself.
A 7 year old boy was caught playing doctor with a friend. It is also noted that he has been masturbating at home since he was 5 years old and at times has done it in front of other children. What is the best intervention for the social worker to say to assist the parents?
a. tell the parents it is normal for his age and to ignore the behavior.
b. explain to the parents this is normal for this age and help the parents understand how to best deal with it.
c. immediately assess the child for possible sexual abuse.
d. tell the child the behavior is inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
b. explain to the parents this is normal for this age and help the parents understand how to best deal with it.
A social worker is preparing to complete a diagnostic assessment on a client using the criteria listed in the DSM-5. Of the choices listed below, which is not relevant when diagnosing an individual with a mental disorder?
a. psychosocial stressors the client is experiencing
b. the level of severity of the disorder
c. medical conditions the client may suffer from
d. medication adherance
d. medication adherance
A family in therapy reports that they are having extreme financial difficulties because the primary person responsible for paying the rent on their apartment has just lost his job. Initially, the social worker could help this family MOST by providing information about:
a. a referral for family counseling
b. a referral for financial services
c. a referral for vocational rehabilitation
d. a referral for employment opportunities
b. a referral for financial services
When using cognitive-behavioral forms of therapy in the intervention setting the outcome is linked to the:
a. cognition exhibited.
b. behavior exhibited
c. the family system
d. the goal
b. behavior exhibited
At the end of the initial session, a woman who is pregnant with her 5th child states that she wants to relinquish her parental rights by putting the child up for adoption. She and her husband are no longer together, but he agrees with the decision. Currently, she has lost her medical insurance and is in financial crisis. The best course of action for the adoption agency social worker is:
a. encourage her to find other family members to take the baby.
b. help her choose new parents for the baby
c. help her with options and resources beyond the agency.
d. let her know the agency's philosophy.
d. let her know the agency's philosophy.
let her know what resources your agency has.
When assessing a family for healthy functioning, all of the following are considered essential EXCEPT:
a. flexibility in decision-making
b. consistency in parental interactions with children
c. diffuse generational boundaries
d. useful exchanges of information and support among the members
c. diffuse generational boundaries
if boundaries are diffuse this can be problematic.
L has been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. From the medications below which on is related to the treatment of her psychotic symptoms?
a. Haloperidol (Haldol)
b. Alpramzolam (Xanax)
c. Buproprion (Wellbutrin)
d. Fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac)
a. Haloperidol (Haldol)
A social worker is working with a client who often cannot resist eating sweets when feeling stressed. From a behavioral perspective, this behavior is typical in the family of origin and particularly resistant to treatment intervention and extinction. It is safe to say that this behavior has been maintained in the past by:
a. consistent punishment
b. consistent reinforcement
c. intermittent reinforcement
d. intermittent punishment
c. intermittent reinforcement
What do schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders have in common?
a. social isolation
b. repeated withdrawal from love relationships
c. delusional thinking
d. ideas of reference
a. social isolation
During the first session with a client who was referred by his lawyer after being arrested for armed robbery, the client stated that he was suffering from depression. The social worker did not assess any symptoms of clinical depression. The best preliminary diagnosis for this client is:
a. conduct disorder
b. antisocial personality disorder
c. malingering
d. conversion disorder
c. malingering
Based on the information provided the goal is for the client to get a reduced sentence.
When a client believes, despite evidence to the contrary, that feelings thoughts or actions are being influenced by an external source, this is defined as:
a. a delusion
b. a hallucination
c. delirium
d. a dissociative episode
a. a delusion
A client suffers from borderline personality disorder. From the choices below which one would best explain the potential cause for development of the condition?
a. rape as an adult
b. abandonment/abuse/neglect as a child
c. abuse as a young adult
d. neglect as an adolescent.
b. abandonment/abuse/neglect as a child
When a child is learning a new behavior all of the following factors are considered important ingredients EXCEPT:
a. the cumulative effects of learning behaviors on overall development
b. the environmental conditions and circumstances that surround the behavior
c. the current circumstance that surrounds the learned behavior
d. the influence of innate learning capabilities.
d. the influence of innate learning capabilities.
In group therapy, J was being shy and withdrawn; another member begins yelling at J. What should the social worker do?
a. ignore and ask from the group's feelings
b. do nothing and let it play out.
c. remind the group of the rules of conduct and return the discussion to the group
d. tell the client yelling this is inappropriate and will not be tolerated.
c. remind the group of the rules of conduct and return the discussion to the group
Spouses who have 11 years of drug recovery present for therapy. They report that they are frequently arguing and cannot understand why. The social worker should first:
a. assess for relapse of one or both partners
b. inquire about domestic violence
c. work on communication techniques
d. refer to substance abuse counseling
a. assess for relapse of one or both partners.
Parents of a 4 year old child are referred to a social worker after the child begins to through uncontrollable tantrums when they drop her off at daycare. The parents' report that the child just cannot separate from them and often sleeps with them after repeated attempts to place her in a bed of her own. In the initial assessment the most important thing for the social worker to assess is:
a. the parents' use of rewards and punishments with the child.
b. the child's immediate behavior
c. the parents' understanding of the child's developmental processes
d. the way each parent was raised as a child.
c. the parents' understanding of the child's developmental processes
a. school phobia
b. sexual abuse
c. obsessive-compulsive disorder
d. malingering
c. obsessive-compulsive disorder
The MOST influential factor for establishing a successful intervention with a client who is of a different racial background from the social worker is:
a. the social worker's awareness of self
B. counter-transference issues with the client
c. the open communication initiated by the client
d. the ability of the social worker to assimilate to the client's culture
a. the social worker's awareness of self
Why is it important in the therapeutic session to discuss and develop a termination schedule in advance when working with a client with borderline personality disorder?
a. to establish clear boundaries between the client and social worker.
b. to defuse the development of crisis situations from occurring about the termination of service.
c. to prevent relapse
d. to assist with bonding issues between client and social worker.
b. to defuse the development of crisis situations from occurring about the termination of service.
J is suffering from Scizophrenia. From the list below which would be considered the BEST recommended course of treatment to start the client on in the initial stages?
a. substance abuse treatment
b. psychoanalysis
c. pharmacological treatment
d. insight-oriented therapy.
c. pharmacological treatment
a. a fear of separation from the parents
b. the fear of death
c. a fear of annihilation
d. a fear of mutilation
d. a fear of mutilation
In a session a family member asks the social worker what type of substance alcohol really is. The social worker correctly tells the family member that alcohol is a:
a. stimulant
b. depressant
c. hypnotic
d. anti-psychotic
b. depressant
In a problem-solving session a client reports that she just finished smoking a joint prior to the session. The social worker should first:
a. complete a social history to determine specific social and family issues.
b. begin the session helping the client clearly identify the reason for her drug use
c. help the client explore how taking drugs is affecting her relationships
d. discuss how this behavior can interfere with the problem-solving process and reschedule.
d. discuss how this behavior can interfere with the problem-solving process and reschedule.
Which of the following is a defense mechanism that involves avoiding and refusing to deal with something that is considered too uncomfortable?
a. denial
b. humor
c. rationalization
d. suppression
d. suppression