LMSW LICENSING EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS (PLUS RATIONALES)
1) A 35-year-old individual has recently experienced the death of a parent and the
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loss of a job and has increased consumption of alcohol. Which of the following
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areas should be assessed FIRST by the social worker?
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A. Financial resource availability
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B. Potential for suicidal behavior
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C. Need for grief counseling
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D. Extent of substance abuse - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-B. Potential for suicidal
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behavior
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Rationale: FIRST, the social worker would act to determine the client's safety. The
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only option that addresses the client's safety is (Key B.) Options a, C, & D may be
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appropriate later, once the safety of the client has been addressed.
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2) The ability to keep personal feelings and needs separate from work
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relationships BEST represents which social work ethical standard?
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A. Professional discretion
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B. Responsibility to the profession
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C. Professional Boundaries
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,D. Responsibility to colleagues - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-C. Professional Boundaries
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Rationale: This requires knowledge of the definition of professional boundaries
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(key C). Since the question asks for the BEST response, the secondary
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responsibilities in the other options are not correct.
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3. A social worker has been treating a client for two months in an agency setting
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and is experiencing intense sexual attraction toward the client. The social
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worker's BEST response is to:
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A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
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B. Reveal the attraction to the client
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C. Transfer the client to another agency worker
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D. Work toward ending the client's services at the agency - CORRECT
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ANSWER✔✔-A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
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Rationale: Consulting with a supervisor (key A) is the BEST response because it
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assists in helping to understand and address the situation. Options (B) & (D) are
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clearly unethical. Transferring the client (C) may be done later, but it is unclear if
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this action is required at this point and there is not enough information in the
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stem to conclude this.
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4. In a routine review of case records at a mental health center, a social worker
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supervisor discovers that case managers routinely after all Native American/First
| | | | | | | | | |
Nations clients to either Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon. In discussing this
| | | | | | | | | | |
practice with the case managers, the supervisor learns that the referrals are
| | | | | | | | | | | |
,made without obtaining information about the clients' use or abuse of
| | | | | | | | | | |
substances. How can the supervisor effectively address the practice?
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A. Reprimand case managers about providing client services based on
| | | | | | | | |
stereotyping
|
B. Educate the staff about services provided by Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-
| | | | | | | | | | |
Anon
C. Provide staff training in culturally competent social work practice.
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D. Allow no referrals to be made without approval from the supervisor - CORRECT
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ANSWER✔✔-C. Provide staff training about culturally competent social work
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practice.
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5. 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
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B. Refer the client to public assistance
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C. Obtain more information about the client's use of alcohol
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D. Refer the client to the local unemployment office - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-C.
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Obtain more information about the client's use of alcohol
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Rationale: While options A, B & D may all be appropriate actions for the social
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worker to take, none would be the first. As a part of the assessment process, the
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social worker needs to FIRST further explore the issue of alcohol use (key C).
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, 6. A client with whom a social worker has worked for several years suddenly dies.
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The social worker is very distressed by the death. During supervision, the
| | | | | | | | | | | |
supervisor encourages expressional and ventilation of feelings. The supervisor is
| | | | | | | | | |
providing:
|
A. Education
|
B. Consultation
|
C. Therapy
|
D. Support - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-D. Support
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Rationale: The correct answer is (key D) because ventilation is one of the
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techniques used in providing support.
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7. A school-age boy is being beaten almost daily by his father, who has a drug and
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alcohol problem for which he received no treatment. The boy solves his school
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conflicts by punching and kicking younger children. The behavior is BEST
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described as:
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A. Identification with the abuser
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B. Hostility toward peers
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C. Conduct, disorder, childhood onset
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D. Antisocial personality disorder - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A. Identification with
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the abuser
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Rationale: This item is a basic recall of cycle of abuse concepts and dynamics.
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Option (D) is not reasonable given the information in the stem and is not
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COMPLETE SOLUTIONS (PLUS RATIONALES)
1) A 35-year-old individual has recently experienced the death of a parent and the
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
loss of a job and has increased consumption of alcohol. Which of the following
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
areas should be assessed FIRST by the social worker?
| | | | | | | | |
A. Financial resource availability
| | |
B. Potential for suicidal behavior
| | | |
C. Need for grief counseling
| | | |
D. Extent of substance abuse - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-B. Potential for suicidal
| | | | | | | | | |
behavior
|
Rationale: FIRST, the social worker would act to determine the client's safety. The
| | | | | | | | | | | |
only option that addresses the client's safety is (Key B.) Options a, C, & D may be
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
appropriate later, once the safety of the client has been addressed.
| | | | | | | | | | |
2) 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 - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-C. Professional Boundaries
| | | | | | | |
Rationale: This requires knowledge of the definition of professional boundaries
| | | | | | | | |
(key C). Since the question asks for the BEST response, the secondary
| | | | | | | | | | | |
responsibilities in the other options are not correct.
| | | | | | | |
3. A social worker has been treating a client for two months in an agency setting
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
and is experiencing intense sexual attraction toward the client. The social
| | | | | | | | | | |
worker's BEST response is to:
| | | | | |
A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
| | | | | | | |
B. Reveal the attraction to the client
| | | | | |
C. Transfer the client to another agency worker
| | | | | | |
D. Work toward ending the client's services at the agency - CORRECT
| | | | | | | | | | |
ANSWER✔✔-A. Consult with an agency supervisor about the case
| | | | | | | | |
Rationale: Consulting with a supervisor (key A) is the BEST response because it
| | | | | | | | | | | |
assists in helping to understand and address the situation. Options (B) & (D) are
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
clearly unethical. Transferring the client (C) may be done later, but it is unclear if
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
this action is required at this point and there is not enough information in the
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
stem to conclude this.
| | | |
4. In a routine review of case records at a mental health center, a social worker
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
supervisor discovers that case managers routinely after all Native American/First
| | | | | | | | | |
Nations clients to either Alcoholics Anonymous or Al-Anon. In discussing this
| | | | | | | | | | |
practice with the case managers, the supervisor learns that the referrals are
| | | | | | | | | | | |
,made without obtaining information about the clients' use or abuse of
| | | | | | | | | | |
substances. How can the supervisor effectively address the practice?
| | | | | | | | |
A. Reprimand case managers about providing client services based on
| | | | | | | | |
stereotyping
|
B. Educate the staff about services provided by Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-
| | | | | | | | | | |
Anon
C. Provide staff training in culturally competent social work practice.
| | | | | | | | | |
D. Allow no referrals to be made without approval from the supervisor - CORRECT
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
ANSWER✔✔-C. Provide staff training about culturally competent social work
| | | | | | | | |
practice.
|
5. 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 - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-C.
| | | | | | | | | | |
Obtain more information about the client's use of alcohol
| | | | | | | | |
Rationale: While options A, B & D may all be appropriate actions for the social
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
worker to take, none would be the first. As a part of the assessment process, the
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
social worker needs to FIRST further explore the issue of alcohol use (key C).
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
, 6. A client with whom a social worker has worked for several years suddenly dies.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The social worker is very distressed by the death. During supervision, the
| | | | | | | | | | | |
supervisor encourages expressional and ventilation of feelings. The supervisor is
| | | | | | | | | |
providing:
|
A. Education
|
B. Consultation
|
C. Therapy
|
D. Support - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-D. Support
| | | | |
Rationale: The correct answer is (key D) because ventilation is one of the
| | | | | | | | | | | |
techniques used in providing support.
| | | | |
7. A school-age boy is being beaten almost daily by his father, who has a drug and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
alcohol problem for which he received no treatment. The boy solves his school
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
conflicts by punching and kicking younger children. The behavior is BEST
| | | | | | | | | | |
described as:
| | |
A. Identification with the abuser
| | | |
B. Hostility toward peers
| | |
C. Conduct, disorder, childhood onset
| | | |
D. Antisocial personality disorder - CORRECT ANSWER✔✔-A. Identification with
| | | | | | | |
the abuser
| |
Rationale: This item is a basic recall of cycle of abuse concepts and dynamics.
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Option (D) is not reasonable given the information in the stem and is not
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