Texas A&M University (TAMU) Commerce Social Work (SW) Comprehensive Clinical Practice Test

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• What information does a genogram provide in clinical assessment?
• A hospital case manager is responsible for discharge planning for an 83-year-old man after surgery. Had she confronted the systemic problem, it would illustrate the case management role of?
• Which service helps address language barriers during assessment and treatment?
• What is a key ethical consideration when conducting collateral interviews?
• What is trauma-informed supervision, and why is it important for clinicians working with trauma clients?
• After filing a mandated report, what should you do?
• A young man separates from his wife and returns to live with his parents, arguing with his mother and making many demands. The social worker would first meet with?
• Which of the following is NOT a purpose of collateral interviews?
• The prognosis for clients with schizophrenia is best when the person is which of the following?
• In ego psychology, persistent lateness for appointments is interpreted as which signal?
• In Susie's profile, which factor most directly signals a challenge to treatment?
• In educational settings, moving a student from an open-classroom to a structured classroom is an example of which type of change?
• A social worker begins an interview by showing interest and understanding, expressing a desire to help, and reassuring the client. This is known as what?
• In the early phase of work with an acutely depressed client, the social worker's primary stance is best described as:
• What is a key concept in the behavior modification approach when used in marital counseling?
• Which statement best describes primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in clinical social work?
• When treating co-occurring substance use disorder and depression, which practice is essential?
• A major difference between clinical social work and psychiatry is:
• A suicide hotline receives a 2:00am call from someone depressed and contemplating suicide. The appropriate action is to:
• A child displaying tense and hostile behavior in an open-classroom setting is moved to a structured classroom. This change is an example of what?
• Which factor in the inpatient ward scenario demonstrates the financial influence on team leadership?
• In which scenario is disclosure of confidential information ethically required, considering legal obligations?
• From a structural family systems perspective, a client who lives near her parents and shows helplessness would most likely have the clinician focus on...
• When contracting with a client who expresses negative feelings about the agency, what is an appropriate social work response?
• When a client becomes upset while discussing past trauma, the intervention to shift topics illustrates which principle?
• What is the DSM-IV-TR difference between acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder as described in the material?
• Which term best describes the social worker's initial approach that communicates interest, understanding, a desire to help, and reassurance?
• Margot is a client with Histrionic Personality Disorder. After six months, Margot complains about a manager's evaluation and asks for sympathetic agreement. The clinician asks her to reflect on how her job performance may have contributed. Which rationale is NOT applicable to explain this intervention?
• Which elements are included in a biopsychosocial assessment for a client presenting with anxiety and relationship stress?
• What is cultural humility?
• What are essential considerations when conducting a culturally responsive intake interview with an immigrant client?
• Which symptom is described as present in the Korsakoff case?
• In a crisis where a client presents with suicidal ideation and a plan, what is the appropriate sequence of steps a clinical social worker should take?
• What is the primary purpose of case formulation in guiding intervention?
• What is the primary distinction between confidentiality and privileged communication in social work, and when might disclosure be ethically required?
• Which combination best captures the Korsakoff syndrome features described in the case?
• Supportive therapy would be inappropriate when the client is:
• What is the role of collateral information in a biopsychosocial assessment?
• What is the recommended approach when a client has both substance use disorder and depression?
• What best describes solution-focused brief therapy and its core techniques?
• In violence risk assessment for a client with paranoia or psychosis, which approach is correct?
• In approaching the client, the social worker should?
• Initially, treatment with Mrs. Taylor would involve which of the following?
• What information can a genogram reveal in a clinical assessment?
• Which symptom is not described as part of the Korsakoff case in the provided material?
• Using the technique of 'modifying the environment' helps to diminish?
• A client complains that if the social worker cared for him like his mother, he would not be charged for treatment. This is an example of which phenomenon?
• Which of the following is a guiding principle of trauma-informed care?
• Which criterion is not a measure of a client's motivation?
• Which statement describes common barriers to client engagement and a recommended set of strategies to address them?
• According to ego psychology, unconscious motives for seeking help include which of the following?
• How can a clinician incorporate family involvement in treatment for adult clients?
• A client is very self-critical. A social worker should not say which of the following?
• A case manager at a day program for chronically mentally ill clients who live in group homes often is late in picking up clients. When his supervisor questions lateness, he says it is good for clients to be more 'laid back' and learn to deal with frustration. According to Social-learning theory, this pattern would teach clients that:
• In ego psychology, unconscious motives for seeking help are described as including keeping unconscious desires from consciousness. This best demonstrates which concept?
• Which statement best describes confidentiality during a malpractice defense?
• Which statement about tardive dyskinesia is false?
• In rational behavior therapy, the difference between the 'normal' adolescent and the adolescent who acts out is that the latter:
• What is the preferred order of steps in a micro- to macro-level intervention plan under generalist practice?
• Which statement best describes schizoaffective disorder in relation to schizophrenia?
• The technique used by social workers to increase a client's motivation to change is called?
• Why did Susan shift topics away from Carly's discussion of her return home and daily management?
• Which statement best describes how social workers address power, privilege, and oppression in clinical settings and promote social justice?
• In the Beech family case, the social worker's primary focus would be to:
• Which description best defines case formulation in clinical social work?
• What constitutes informed consent in social work, and what elements must be documented?
• In ego psychology, a major feature that distinguishes a person diagnosed as schizophrenic in dealing with separation-individuation is that the person has a fear of?
• Which best describes the goal of strengthening the intergenerational boundary in a structural family therapy context?
• Which statement best represents SMART goals in treatment planning?
• Mrs. K's presentation most closely aligns with which personality disorder?
• Which statement reflects ethical concerns in client recordkeeping?
• A school social worker sees an adolescent who reports truancy and forged excuses. The appropriate initial response is to?
• In defending against malpractice when sued by a former client, which statement best reflects confidentiality?
• In a biopsychosocial assessment, housing status would most likely be categorized under which domain?
• Interventions designed to draw out descriptive and explanatory materials are known as which combination?
• The Ralph vignette (an eight-year-old malnourished and neglected child with family scapegoating) is an example of which of the following?
• Which description best captures the idea behind 'working through' in clinical practice?
• Conscious and unconscious attempts by the client to thwart the therapeutic process are considered what?
• How do you differentiate normal grief from complicated grief and when should you refer for specialized treatment?
• Describe the steps for conducting a cultural formulation interview and how to use it to inform treatment planning.
• When a client believes colors have special meaning and uses colors to interpret others' emotions, this symptom is most consistent with?
• What is the recommended approach when a boundary crossing is necessary in practice?
• With a married woman whose husband is a compulsive gambler and who describes her husband's behavior in a way that centers the discussion on him, the social worker should...
• To diminish a client's resistance the worker would?
• The onset of schizophrenia is most commonly observed in which life stage?
• Mrs. Taylor was referred to a social worker after what event?
• In treating personality disorders, a goal involves transforming ego-syntonic traits into ego-alien traits. Which option reflects this aim?
• In writing a diagnostic evaluation of an adult client, which item would not necessarily be included?
• A professional relationship between the social worker and the client would NOT include?
• How do you assess service needs and link clients to resources in case management?
• Which option best describes the principle of goal setting with clients?
• When assessing suicidality in a client from a collectivist background, which approach aligns with culturally informed practice?
• For a patient with bipolar disorder who shows signs of suicidal intent, the best intervention is to:
• Which therapy emphasizes changing thoughts and behaviors through structure and activity, especially for adolescents who act out?
• In settings emphasizing brief treatment models, when should the social worker's professional opinion about the nature of a client's problem be formed?
• In dealing with the client's guilt about placing her husband in a nursing home due to Alzheimer's progression, what would the worker do first?
• Which components are part of OARS in motivational interviewing?
• Which population shows greater responsiveness to environment manipulation as a means of personality change?
• In developing a contract with clients who have negative feelings about the agency, the social worker should?
• As the clinical relationship develops, the social worker can?
• Which statement best describes how clinicians apply evidence-based practice and best practice in treatment planning?
• Which characteristic is most consistent with borderline personality disorder, as illustrated in clinical vignettes?
• Schizophrenic episodes most frequently occur for the first time during which life stage?
• In the case of color-meaning delusions, the symptom is best categorized as which type of symptom?
• Which statement accurately describes DSM-5-TR criteria for Major Depressive Disorder?
• In family systems theory, a greater level of symbiosis typically leads to a preference for which type of treatment approach?
• Communication with individuals with Asperger's disorder should be characterized by which approach?
• What does 'contracting' typically establish in a clinical social work engagement?
• Mrs. Taylor's major defense mechanisms are which?
• DSM-IV-TR describes a group of symptom patterns limited to a specific ethnic or national group as which of the following?
• Which statement reflects a professional boundary in relation to countertransference?
• The husband's behavior that led to nursing home placement included what?
• A client with borderline personality disorder repeatedly ends sessions by declaring the therapist has been unhelpful, while at other times praising the therapist; this pattern exemplifies which defense mechanism?
• Which treatment goal is least likely in clinical work with pedophiles?
• Which statement about determining a client's capacity to form a social work relationship is most accurate?
• A client's capacity to enter a social work relationship cannot usually be determined by which factor?
• In the cultural formulation interview, which aspect is assessed to inform treatment planning?
• The most appropriate technique to use with a new client who is decompensating is?
• In an enmeshed family, which intervention best promotes autonomy?
• In the initial phase of treatment, the primary task of a social worker is to?
• Common consequences of parents discouraging expressions of feeling in young children include which of the following?
• As a client presents material, a social worker should?
• Which statement best captures the concept of 'ego support' in social work intervention with a client in crisis?
• In the stages of change model, which description best contrasts precontemplation and preparation?
• Which statement best reflects being an 'active' listener?
• A client with a personality disorder recognizes certain maladaptive behaviors are no longer acceptable, then experiences depression, loss of appetite, and sleep trouble. How would a social worker interpret these symptoms?
• In the bipolar case, the recommended practice regarding suicidal thoughts is:
• Which defense mechanism pair is most commonly observed in couples with marital problems?
• In formulating a client assessment, which item would a social worker not include?
• Which statement is clearly not a purpose of an initial interview?
• What is the chief difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder?
• When a client with schizophrenia begins to hallucinate, the social worker's most appropriate response is to...
• Which statement best describes transference in social work?
• In assessing a personality disorder, which item would not be included?
• What is the most important consideration in choosing a goal with a client?
• In conjoint therapy for a couple with marital difficulties, the social worker would not seek to focus on which of the following?
• Which practice demonstrates cultural humility in assessment and intervention?
• In a scenario where a client repeatedly requests an additional AIDS test despite negative results, the social worker should assess which of the following?
• Which practice supports ethical client records?
• What is the role of risk assessment in social work practice, and what tools can be used to support it?
• Discharge planning in hospital social work primarily involves which responsibility?
• How do CBT and DBT differ in treatment aims and core techniques?
• A patient with depression shows signs of recovery after several weeks. The social worker's concern about the patient's suicide would:
• Which set of factors contributed to Ralph's aggressive behavior in the vignette?
• Which statement best differentiates a diagnostic assessment from a treatment plan?
• William was adopted from an orphanage at 18 months and shows clinging behavior and insomnia at age five. His likely diagnosis is what?
• The Susie case illustrates that the social worker should primarily address which domain?
• When evaluating whether to use conjoint therapy, the clinician should primarily assess how the partners interact rather than their individual histories.
• How would you integrate evidence-based practices for trauma in treating a client with PTSD?
• Which statement about solution-focused therapy is accurate?
• In establishing a professional relationship, a social worker must convey which attitude?
• Mrs. Taylor read passages to her husband describing which topics?
• What term describes the behavior of creating stories to fill memory gaps, as seen in the Korsakoff case?
• A client with narcissistic personality disorder feels that her advice is extraordinarily helpful to others in making major life decisions. She tells her therapist that she was very hurt recently when her son's fiancé said that the client should mind her own business and not try to guide her about her career and how their getting married could hurt her professional future. To be most helpful to the client, the therapist must achieve a balance between:
• The process of termination in social work does not involve working through the client's feelings of:
• Culture-bound syndrome refers to symptom patterns limited to a specific ethnic or national group. Which statement best reflects this concept?
• In social work, the function of the contract is to:
• Which statement best describes the role of case management in social work?
• In treating a client with narcissistic personality disorder, the clinician is frequently idealized by the client to fulfill functions unmet by the client's parents. This dynamic best describes the clinician's role as...
• Being an 'active' listener means the social worker should primarily?
• A social worker might determine not to significantly intervene in a client's regression when regression serves to help the client use feelings and ideas that contribute to the solution.
• If a client presents with many classic depressive symptoms, what should the social worker focus questions on?
• In Texas, can licensed master social workers prescribe medications, and what should you do if medication might help a client?
• In encouraging the client to bring forth material the social worker should?
• A key element of Sigmund Freud's work that is the basis of social casework is the idea of?
• Which intervention category is described as drawing out descriptive and explanatory materials, including exploration, description, and ventilation?
• Which is a key component of culturally responsive intake with immigrant clients?
• In a cultural humility framework, which steps help ensure culturally responsive assessment and intervention?
• A case manager working with clients who have Asperger's, schizophrenia, or mood disorders with psychotic features focuses on preventing further decompensation. This treatment is known as what?
• Which components are typically integrated into a DSM-5-TR diagnostic formulation?
• In Susie’s case, a 15-year-old with academic and behavioral problems and resistance to treatment, the social worker is most likely to recommend:
• Which technique is more successful in changing personality in children than in adults?
• Which step is part of planning termination with a client?
• Which scenario constitutes a major contraindication for marital therapy?
• In Texas, when pharmacotherapy might help a client but you cannot prescribe, which professional should you refer to?
• A male client with major depressive disorder improves on an SSRI but stops the medication, not reporting reasons. Which SSRI side effect could account for this decision?
• Which modality emphasizes skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness?
• In the elder client case, the problem contributing to nursing home placement was the husband's which behaviors?
• Which intervention would be least appropriate for paranoid ideation?
• In the social work relationship, the social worker should be careful not to act on?
• In working with a client who has a narcissistic personality disorder, the social worker most often does NOT become which of the following?
• The two most common defense mechanisms employed by couples with marital problems are?
• Which statement best distinguishes life-span developmental theory from Freud, Erikson, and Piaget's stage-based theories?
• Which statement accurately reflects the DSM-5-TR criteria for PTSD, including symptom clusters and duration?
• The Susie case identifies the student as how old?
• A college student considering a leave of absence meets with a social worker in the college counseling office for help in deciding what to do. The student presents her ambivalence about school, her other options and her parents' disapproval of her not graduating 'on time'. The social worker's professional behavior toward the client should incorporate?
• Which of the following best describes the Korsakoff case’s memory symptom profile?
• In case management, which activity is essential to linking clients to services?
• Assertive casework is a technique in which?
• A ward meeting on an inpatient unit has become dominated by nurses due to reimbursement rates. This illustrates:
• In balancing empathic response with exploring another person's perspective, which combination is most helpful for a client with narcissistic traits?
• In a session to evaluate the feasibility of treating a couple conjointly, the primary focus of the social worker should be on?
• What are the mandated reporting obligations for social workers in Texas regarding child abuse/neglect?
• When would you use motivational interviewing and what are its core spirit and techniques?
• When delivering services via telehealth, which action helps ensure safety if technology fails?
• Which statement best describes the distinction between a DSM-5 diagnosis and a symptom-based formulation?
• Which factor is associated with a better prognosis for schizophrenia?
• Explain ethical considerations regarding multiple relationships and boundary management in clinical practice.
• Which scenario best illustrates the role of advocacy when systemic pressures threaten patient care?
• Which statement about tardive dyskinesia is UNTRUE?
• A client wishes to pay for clinical social work services with her managed care health insurance. According to ethical standards of informed consent, the social worker?
• In treating a person diagnosed with a personality disorder, what is described as a goal?
• In family systems theory, enmeshment is best described as
• According to Beck, which treatment modality seems least used in treating clients diagnosed with schizophrenia?
• In supervision, what should a supervisee expect during the meeting?
• What is an ethical decision-making framework, and how is it applied in ambiguous dilemmas?
• Which statement accurately reflects DSM-5-TR criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
• In diagnosing personality disorders, which symptom is not typically included?
• Clients with Asperger's disorder often require verbal communication that is what?
• In the Ralph case, which family dynamic is illustrated by the claim that Ralph is seen as 'bad' and is scapegoated by his mother and sisters?
• The contemporary focus of treatment in schizophrenia in patients who have families available to them is?
• A common sexual side effect of SSRIs that can lead to discontinuation is?
• To foster growth in the client, the social worker should?
• Which statement best captures the Rogers' concept of acceptance in client-centered therapy?
• In working with patients with schizophrenia, the social worker is concerned with all but:
• What is the recommended stance when working with a student who is uncertain about leaving school?
• Darlene is 16 and acts out when angry or depressed. This describes a client who discharges tension by action, called what?
• In establishing a working alliance, the social worker should?
• Explain the concept of the therapeutic alliance and its impact on treatment outcomes.
• In comparing models of social work clinical practice, the most significant difference tends to be related to...
• Before referral, Mrs. Taylor believed there was no reason to see a social worker because she had which prior actions?
• Which statement best defines trauma-informed care?
• When a patient who was readmitted complains that his doctors have never understood him, the social worker should which of the following?
• After a neighbor's dog attacked and bit her, a child now avoids dogs, has nightmares, and seems to 'replay' the event. The most likely diagnosis is which?
• In schizophrenia treatment when families are available, a key aim is to help families respond to the patient and to help the family and client use available community resources.
• A 38-year-old with chronic alcoholism develops short-term memory loss, invents stories, and seems confused and disoriented. The most likely diagnosis is:
• What domains should be included in a biopsychosocial assessment?
• A treatment plan typically includes which elements?
• Which action illustrates advocacy in case management?
• Positive regard and nonpossessive warmth, as outlined by Rogers, refer to an attitude of:
• The most important contraindication for marital therapy is?
• Which approach best supports a client who is ambivalent about change but wants to explore options?
• Which statement reflects the management when working with narcissistic PD?
• When working with a newly married couple in which the husband has a history of schizophrenia, the social worker would primarily...
• In trauma treatment, what helps prevent re-traumatization and supports safety?
• In working with a client who demonstrates paranoid ideation, the social worker would NOT use:
• Which therapy is recommended as an evidence-based practice for PTSD in children and adolescents?