MSW CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Systems Theory.
Answer: A system is a whole comprising component parts that work
together. Applied to social work, systems theory views human behavior
through larger contexts, such as members of families, communities, and
broader society. Important to this theory is the concept that when one thing
changes within a system, the whole system is affected. Systems tend toward
equilibrium and can have closed or open boundaries.Apgar PhD LSW
ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide:
A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 43). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ Systems Theory Applications to Social Work.
Answer: 1. Social workers need to understand interactions between the
micro, meso, and macro levels. 2. Problems at one part of a system may be
manifested at another. 3. Ecomaps and genograms can help to understand
system dynamics. 4. Understanding "person-in-environment" is essential to
identifying barriers or opportunities for change. 5. Problems and change are
viewed within larger contexts.Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn
(2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive
Study Guide for Success (pp. 43-44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle
Edition.
◍ Some System Theory Terms.
Answer: Closed system- uses up its energy and diesDifferentiation-
becoming specialized in structure and function Entropy- closed,
disorganized, stagnant; using up available energy Equifinality- arriving at
, the same end from different beginnings homeostasis steady state Input-
obtaining resources from the environment that are necessary to attain the
goals of the system Negative entropy- exchange of energy and resources
between systems that promote growth and transformation Open system a
system with cross-boundary exchange Output- product of the system that
exports to the environment Subsystem- a major component of a system
made up of two or more interdependent components that interact in order to
attain their own purpose( s) and the purpose( s) of the system in which they
are embedded Suprasystem- an entity that is served by a number of
component systems organized in interacting relationships throughput energy
that is integrated into the system so it can be used by the system to
accomplish its goalsApgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11).
Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide
for Success (p. 44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ The eight interlocking concepts of Bowen Theory include:.
Answer: 1) Differentiation of Self2) Triangles3) Nuclear Family Emotional
Process4) Family Projection Process5) Emotional Cutoff6)
Multigenerational Transmission Process7) Sibling Position8) Societal
Emotional Process.
◍ FAMILY THEORIES.
Answer: Family theory provides a theoretical and therapeutic base for
dealing with family-related situations; it is also useful in understanding and
managing individual problems by determining the extent to which such
problems are related to family issues. A family systems approach argues that
in order to understand a family system, a social worker must look at the
family as a whole, rather than focusing on its members. People do not exist
in a vacuum. They live, play, go to school, and work with other people.
Most anthropologists agree that, next to their peculiar tendency to think and
use tools, one of the distinguishing characteristics of human beings is that
they are social creatures. The social group that seems to be most universal
and pervasive in the way it shapes human behavior is the family. For social
workers, the growing awareness of the crucial impact of families on clients
, has led to the development of family systems theory. Family systems theory
searches for the causes of behavior, not in the individual alone, but in the
interactions among the members of a group. The basic rationale is that all
parts of the family are interrelated. Further, the family has properties of its
own that can be known only by looking at the relationships and interactions
among all members. Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11).
Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide
for Success (pp. 44-45). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ MSW Field Courses - Generalist.
Answer: SOWK 590 (Block)SOWK 575 & 577 (Split)
◍ MSW Field Courses - Advanced Clinical.
Answer: SOWK 695 (block)SOWK 685 & 677 (split)
◍ The family systems approach is based on several basic assumptions:.
Answer: 1. Each family is more than a sum of its members. 2. Each family is
unique, due to the infinite variations in personal characteristics and cultural
and ideological styles. 3. A healthy family has flexibility, consistent
structure, and effective exchange of information.4. The family is an
interactional system whose component parts have constantly shifting
boundaries and varying degrees of resistance to change. 5. Families must
fulfill a variety of functions for each member, both collectively and
individually, if each member is to grow and develop. 6. Families strive for a
sense of balance or homeostasis. 7. Negative feedback loops are those
patterns of interaction that maintain stability or constancy while minimizing
change. Negative feedback loops help to maintain homeostasis. Positive
feedback loops, in contrast, are patterns of interaction that facilitate change
or movement toward either growth or dissolution. 8. Families are seen as
being goal oriented. The concept of equifinality refers to the ability of the
family system to accomplish the same goals through different routes. 9. The
concept of hierarchies describes how families organize themselves into
various smaller units or subsystems that are comprised by the larger family
system. When the members or tasks associated with each subsystem become
, blurred with those of other subsystems, families have been viewed as having
difficulties. For example, when a child becomes involved in marital issues,
difficulties often emerge that require intervention. 10. Boundaries occur at
every level of the system and between subsystems. Boundaries influence the
movement of people and the flow of information into and out of the system.
Some families have very open boundaries where members and others are
allowed to freely come and go without much restriction; in other families,
there are tight restrictions on where family members can go and who may be
brought into the family system. Boundaries also regulate the flow of
information in a family. In more closed families, the rules strictly regulate
what information may be discussed and with whom. In contrast, information
may flow more freely in families that have more permeable boundaries. 11.
The concept of interdependence is critical in the study of family systems.
Individual family members and the subsystems comprised by the family
system are mutually influenced by and are mutually dependent upon one
another. What happens to one family member, or what one family member
does, influences other family members. Genograms are diagrams of family
relationships beyond a family tree allowing a social worker and client to
visualize hereditary patterns and psychological factors. They include
annotations about the medical history and major personality traits of each
family member. Genograms help uncover intergenerational patterns of
behavior, marriage choices, family alliances and conflicts, the existence of
family secrets, and other information that will shed light on a family's
present situation.Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social
Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 46). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ The family systems Key clinical issues include:.
Answer: -Establishing a contract with the family -Examining alliances
within the family-Identifying where power resides-Determining the
relationship of each family member to the problem -Seeing how the family
relates to the outside world -Assessing influence of family history on current
family interactions -Ascertaining communication patterns -Identifying
QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ Systems Theory.
Answer: A system is a whole comprising component parts that work
together. Applied to social work, systems theory views human behavior
through larger contexts, such as members of families, communities, and
broader society. Important to this theory is the concept that when one thing
changes within a system, the whole system is affected. Systems tend toward
equilibrium and can have closed or open boundaries.Apgar PhD LSW
ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide:
A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success (p. 43). Springer Publishing
Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ Systems Theory Applications to Social Work.
Answer: 1. Social workers need to understand interactions between the
micro, meso, and macro levels. 2. Problems at one part of a system may be
manifested at another. 3. Ecomaps and genograms can help to understand
system dynamics. 4. Understanding "person-in-environment" is essential to
identifying barriers or opportunities for change. 5. Problems and change are
viewed within larger contexts.Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn
(2015-05-11). Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive
Study Guide for Success (pp. 43-44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle
Edition.
◍ Some System Theory Terms.
Answer: Closed system- uses up its energy and diesDifferentiation-
becoming specialized in structure and function Entropy- closed,
disorganized, stagnant; using up available energy Equifinality- arriving at
, the same end from different beginnings homeostasis steady state Input-
obtaining resources from the environment that are necessary to attain the
goals of the system Negative entropy- exchange of energy and resources
between systems that promote growth and transformation Open system a
system with cross-boundary exchange Output- product of the system that
exports to the environment Subsystem- a major component of a system
made up of two or more interdependent components that interact in order to
attain their own purpose( s) and the purpose( s) of the system in which they
are embedded Suprasystem- an entity that is served by a number of
component systems organized in interacting relationships throughput energy
that is integrated into the system so it can be used by the system to
accomplish its goalsApgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11).
Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide
for Success (p. 44). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ The eight interlocking concepts of Bowen Theory include:.
Answer: 1) Differentiation of Self2) Triangles3) Nuclear Family Emotional
Process4) Family Projection Process5) Emotional Cutoff6)
Multigenerational Transmission Process7) Sibling Position8) Societal
Emotional Process.
◍ FAMILY THEORIES.
Answer: Family theory provides a theoretical and therapeutic base for
dealing with family-related situations; it is also useful in understanding and
managing individual problems by determining the extent to which such
problems are related to family issues. A family systems approach argues that
in order to understand a family system, a social worker must look at the
family as a whole, rather than focusing on its members. People do not exist
in a vacuum. They live, play, go to school, and work with other people.
Most anthropologists agree that, next to their peculiar tendency to think and
use tools, one of the distinguishing characteristics of human beings is that
they are social creatures. The social group that seems to be most universal
and pervasive in the way it shapes human behavior is the family. For social
workers, the growing awareness of the crucial impact of families on clients
, has led to the development of family systems theory. Family systems theory
searches for the causes of behavior, not in the individual alone, but in the
interactions among the members of a group. The basic rationale is that all
parts of the family are interrelated. Further, the family has properties of its
own that can be known only by looking at the relationships and interactions
among all members. Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11).
Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide
for Success (pp. 44-45). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ MSW Field Courses - Generalist.
Answer: SOWK 590 (Block)SOWK 575 & 577 (Split)
◍ MSW Field Courses - Advanced Clinical.
Answer: SOWK 695 (block)SOWK 685 & 677 (split)
◍ The family systems approach is based on several basic assumptions:.
Answer: 1. Each family is more than a sum of its members. 2. Each family is
unique, due to the infinite variations in personal characteristics and cultural
and ideological styles. 3. A healthy family has flexibility, consistent
structure, and effective exchange of information.4. The family is an
interactional system whose component parts have constantly shifting
boundaries and varying degrees of resistance to change. 5. Families must
fulfill a variety of functions for each member, both collectively and
individually, if each member is to grow and develop. 6. Families strive for a
sense of balance or homeostasis. 7. Negative feedback loops are those
patterns of interaction that maintain stability or constancy while minimizing
change. Negative feedback loops help to maintain homeostasis. Positive
feedback loops, in contrast, are patterns of interaction that facilitate change
or movement toward either growth or dissolution. 8. Families are seen as
being goal oriented. The concept of equifinality refers to the ability of the
family system to accomplish the same goals through different routes. 9. The
concept of hierarchies describes how families organize themselves into
various smaller units or subsystems that are comprised by the larger family
system. When the members or tasks associated with each subsystem become
, blurred with those of other subsystems, families have been viewed as having
difficulties. For example, when a child becomes involved in marital issues,
difficulties often emerge that require intervention. 10. Boundaries occur at
every level of the system and between subsystems. Boundaries influence the
movement of people and the flow of information into and out of the system.
Some families have very open boundaries where members and others are
allowed to freely come and go without much restriction; in other families,
there are tight restrictions on where family members can go and who may be
brought into the family system. Boundaries also regulate the flow of
information in a family. In more closed families, the rules strictly regulate
what information may be discussed and with whom. In contrast, information
may flow more freely in families that have more permeable boundaries. 11.
The concept of interdependence is critical in the study of family systems.
Individual family members and the subsystems comprised by the family
system are mutually influenced by and are mutually dependent upon one
another. What happens to one family member, or what one family member
does, influences other family members. Genograms are diagrams of family
relationships beyond a family tree allowing a social worker and client to
visualize hereditary patterns and psychological factors. They include
annotations about the medical history and major personality traits of each
family member. Genograms help uncover intergenerational patterns of
behavior, marriage choices, family alliances and conflicts, the existence of
family secrets, and other information that will shed light on a family's
present situation.Apgar PhD LSW ACSW, Dr. Dawn (2015-05-11). Social
Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide for
Success (p. 46). Springer Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
◍ The family systems Key clinical issues include:.
Answer: -Establishing a contract with the family -Examining alliances
within the family-Identifying where power resides-Determining the
relationship of each family member to the problem -Seeing how the family
relates to the outside world -Assessing influence of family history on current
family interactions -Ascertaining communication patterns -Identifying
