ASWB Clinical Exam Questions With
Complete Solutions
/. Richard presents with severe depression. He reports motivation for counseling
services, but he is strongly opposed to medication. The FIRST thing to do is:
-Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the
treatment
-Make a no-Suicide Contract
-Get informed Consent to treat Richard's depression
-Support Richard's self-determination to not take the medication. - Answer-
✅Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the
treatment.
/.A series of tornadoes hits a small town, and a woman presents at the disaster crisis
center to speak with a crisis counselor. She is disheveled, and you are aware she has
lost her home. What is the FIRST task to encourage in the session?
-Let her tell her story
-Relaxation techniques
-Assess her situation
-Problem-solving - Answer-✅Let her tell her story
/.The reliability of an assessment tool is an indicator of:
-Whether the assessment tool is measuring what it is supposed to measure
-How dependable the assessment tool is
-Faking good or faking bad
-How effective the assessment tool is with different cultural populations - Answer-✅How
dependable the assessment tool is
/.Carl is incarcerated and will be engaging in treatment for substance use as part of his
sentence. He has questions about confidentiality. What is the BEST response?
,-Acknowledge the client's fears and assure him you cannot violate his trust
-Validate Carl's concerns about confidentiality and ask him for more information
-Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed consent for treatment
-Tell Carl that unless life is endangered, his or others, no violations of confidentiality will
be made - Answer-✅Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed
consent for treatment
Clients who are incarcerated or are in treatment involuntarily still have the right to refuse
treatment, and they have the right to understand who has access to information about
their treatment and under what conditions. If there are specific reporting requirements,
that must be provided. If reports are given to the courts, parole, or other entities, the
client has a right to be informed so he/or she can make an informed decision about
whether or how much to engage.
/.Glenda is a young mother of three small children. She is HIV-positive and struggling to
accept the illness as part of her life, all the while fearing what her health status could
mean in the long-term for her young children. She has a good support system and is a
good mother, but she has periods of fear, anger, and sadness. She wants help in
dealing with the waves of emotion that sometimes intrude on her life. The BEST
response is to:
-Not judge her
-Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status
and future
-Seek to preserve life by helping her find someone who can take over caring for her
children
-Rule out the impact of other health issues impacting her mental status - Answer-
✅Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status
and future
Glenda is specifically asking for help in dealing with difficult emotions. There may or
may not be a long-term issue related to her children, and if there is, it is many years
down the road and not something you need to address at this time.
/.Gertrude, age 76, had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. She does not require
rehabilitation, but is limited in her ability to do tasks of daily living. Her spouse is not
able to assist her due to his own physical limitations. The FIRST step is to:
, -Ask what other family members are available to assist temporarily until other
arrangements can be made
-Contact home health to determine what they qualify for
-Determine if the couple has long-term care or other insurance
-Assess the full array of needs and available resources - Answer-✅Assess the full array
of needs and available resources
Explanation: The first step is to assess the full extent of the needs before taking any
actions. While limitations are present, resources may already be in place to
compensate. Beginning where the client is requires fully understanding where the client
is.
/.Ed and Glenda request help in dealing with their adult son who continues to rely on
them for support. He moves in and out of their house, depending on his needs. He
cannot meet his rent payments, cell phone, and insurance payments, much less food,
and other expenses. His parents cannot understand where his money goes, though his
employment ebbs and flows. Ed and Glenda know the economy is bad and have friends
who are experiencing similar circumstances with their adult children. The son sees his
peers struggling and their parents helping, so he feels certain he is a victim of his
circumstances. Ed and Glenda request help in learning to set boundaries without
hurting their son. The FIRST task is:
-Assess the systems that enable and reinforce the son's current patterns
-Begin family therapy with the Bowen model
-Refer Ed and Glenda to tough love information and supports
-Educate Ed and Glenda that each time they pro - Answer-✅Assess the systems that
enable and reinforce the son's current patterns
Explanation: The first step is to assess the systems in place that create and sustain the
behaviors that Ed and Glenda desire to change.
/.Celeste is in prison for abusing her children. Throughout the trial, she admitted no fault
and showed no remorse, only maintained she did nothing wrong. During the initial
interview with her social worker, Celeste said the whole event was an accident brought
on by an overdose of her prescribed medication. To establish rapport and mutual
respect, the social worker's NEXT step is:
-Confront her denial as their relationship must be built on honesty to have respect
-Assess Celeste's family history of violence
Complete Solutions
/. Richard presents with severe depression. He reports motivation for counseling
services, but he is strongly opposed to medication. The FIRST thing to do is:
-Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the
treatment
-Make a no-Suicide Contract
-Get informed Consent to treat Richard's depression
-Support Richard's self-determination to not take the medication. - Answer-
✅Acknowledge Richard's opposition and further assess any concerns about the
treatment.
/.A series of tornadoes hits a small town, and a woman presents at the disaster crisis
center to speak with a crisis counselor. She is disheveled, and you are aware she has
lost her home. What is the FIRST task to encourage in the session?
-Let her tell her story
-Relaxation techniques
-Assess her situation
-Problem-solving - Answer-✅Let her tell her story
/.The reliability of an assessment tool is an indicator of:
-Whether the assessment tool is measuring what it is supposed to measure
-How dependable the assessment tool is
-Faking good or faking bad
-How effective the assessment tool is with different cultural populations - Answer-✅How
dependable the assessment tool is
/.Carl is incarcerated and will be engaging in treatment for substance use as part of his
sentence. He has questions about confidentiality. What is the BEST response?
,-Acknowledge the client's fears and assure him you cannot violate his trust
-Validate Carl's concerns about confidentiality and ask him for more information
-Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed consent for treatment
-Tell Carl that unless life is endangered, his or others, no violations of confidentiality will
be made - Answer-✅Provide information on limits of confidentiality and gain informed
consent for treatment
Clients who are incarcerated or are in treatment involuntarily still have the right to refuse
treatment, and they have the right to understand who has access to information about
their treatment and under what conditions. If there are specific reporting requirements,
that must be provided. If reports are given to the courts, parole, or other entities, the
client has a right to be informed so he/or she can make an informed decision about
whether or how much to engage.
/.Glenda is a young mother of three small children. She is HIV-positive and struggling to
accept the illness as part of her life, all the while fearing what her health status could
mean in the long-term for her young children. She has a good support system and is a
good mother, but she has periods of fear, anger, and sadness. She wants help in
dealing with the waves of emotion that sometimes intrude on her life. The BEST
response is to:
-Not judge her
-Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status
and future
-Seek to preserve life by helping her find someone who can take over caring for her
children
-Rule out the impact of other health issues impacting her mental status - Answer-
✅Provide counseling to address her feelings of grief and loss around her health status
and future
Glenda is specifically asking for help in dealing with difficult emotions. There may or
may not be a long-term issue related to her children, and if there is, it is many years
down the road and not something you need to address at this time.
/.Gertrude, age 76, had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. She does not require
rehabilitation, but is limited in her ability to do tasks of daily living. Her spouse is not
able to assist her due to his own physical limitations. The FIRST step is to:
, -Ask what other family members are available to assist temporarily until other
arrangements can be made
-Contact home health to determine what they qualify for
-Determine if the couple has long-term care or other insurance
-Assess the full array of needs and available resources - Answer-✅Assess the full array
of needs and available resources
Explanation: The first step is to assess the full extent of the needs before taking any
actions. While limitations are present, resources may already be in place to
compensate. Beginning where the client is requires fully understanding where the client
is.
/.Ed and Glenda request help in dealing with their adult son who continues to rely on
them for support. He moves in and out of their house, depending on his needs. He
cannot meet his rent payments, cell phone, and insurance payments, much less food,
and other expenses. His parents cannot understand where his money goes, though his
employment ebbs and flows. Ed and Glenda know the economy is bad and have friends
who are experiencing similar circumstances with their adult children. The son sees his
peers struggling and their parents helping, so he feels certain he is a victim of his
circumstances. Ed and Glenda request help in learning to set boundaries without
hurting their son. The FIRST task is:
-Assess the systems that enable and reinforce the son's current patterns
-Begin family therapy with the Bowen model
-Refer Ed and Glenda to tough love information and supports
-Educate Ed and Glenda that each time they pro - Answer-✅Assess the systems that
enable and reinforce the son's current patterns
Explanation: The first step is to assess the systems in place that create and sustain the
behaviors that Ed and Glenda desire to change.
/.Celeste is in prison for abusing her children. Throughout the trial, she admitted no fault
and showed no remorse, only maintained she did nothing wrong. During the initial
interview with her social worker, Celeste said the whole event was an accident brought
on by an overdose of her prescribed medication. To establish rapport and mutual
respect, the social worker's NEXT step is:
-Confront her denial as their relationship must be built on honesty to have respect
-Assess Celeste's family history of violence
