Master the ASWB Exam: Strategies and Scenarios Workshop

A six-year-old child lives with a foster family. One biological parent is in prison, and the other is in residential treatment for alcohol dependence. The child is small for his age, often has temper outbursts, and has difficulty completing schoolwork. The social worker notes that his speech is immature. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A school social worker is working with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The child struggles with understanding social cues and forming friendships with peers. Which of the following techniques would be MOST effective in helping the child develop better social skills?

A social worker meets with an adult client who rarely leaves home except to go to work. For the past seven months, the client has experienced excessive worry and reports feeling irritable and restless. What is the MOST likely diagnosis?

A social worker in private practice is temporarily relocating to another city. After a thorough assessment of the therapeutic needs, risks, and benefits for each client, the social worker offers to continue the therapeutic relationship with several clients through email communication. Given the complexities of remote therapy, which of the following client profiles would be MOST appropriate for continuing therapy via email, taking into account both ethical and clinical considerations?

A social worker meets with the parent of a newborn diagnosed with severe cranial facial deformities. The parent expresses feelings of sadness and guilt and talks of wishing that the baby would die. What should the social worker do NEXT?

A social worker is assigned to evaluate a client convicted of sexual assault. During the initial interview, the client expresses anger about the requirement to obtain treatment because he is convinced, that he was wrongly convicted. When the social worker explains the evaluation process, the client directs his anger to the social worker and challenges the social worker’s competence to adequately evaluate him. What should the social worker do FIRST to begin to build a therapeutic relationship?

A social worker has been working with a client for several months, and the client presents a small, thoughtful gift during a session as a token of appreciation for the support they have received. The social worker is unsure of the best course of action. Given the complexity of the situation, which of the following responses is MOST appropriate?

A client invites their social worker to attend a family celebration, such as a wedding or birthday party, as a gesture of gratitude for the support they have received. The social worker values the relationship with the client but is unsure whether attending the event would be appropriate. Which of the following responses is MOST appropriate?

A teenager with a history of self-harm and impulsivity is attending a therapy session where the therapist has been using Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as the primary intervention. During the session, the teenager becomes upset and starts expressing suicidal thoughts. In this situation, the therapist should choose one of the following responses:

You are conducting an intake with a parent who has been referred to your agency by their child’s school. During the session, the client states that she has no social support system and has been physically abused by her husband in the past. The mom expresses feeling overwhelmed and is unsure what to do. In this situation, the priority for the social worker should be to:

A college student is seeking treatment for depression. He states he is feeling hopeless, worthless, and helpless and has felt depressed for several months. In this situation, what should the social worker do FIRST when assessing this client?

When working with a client referred for clinical services by their Primary Care Provider, the referral notes that the client is experiencing back pain, headaches, insomnia, and depressive symptoms. However, no further details about the depressive symptoms are provided. During the initial intake, what should the social worker focus on FIRST?

During the initial intake, a high school student disclosed to a school social worker that he routinely skips classes and smokes marijuana daily. He claimed that his parents are unaware of his actions and that he frequently fabricates medical notes to justify his absences. What is the first thing the social worker should do to help this student?

A hospital social worker meets with a 13-year-old patient for an initial intake. Upon reviewing his medical chart, the social worker discovers that he hasn’t received any visits since admission. The patient says he is confused and worried that no one has come to visit. As a social worker, what should you do first?

A case manager in a skilled nursing care facility meets with a 70-year-old female client. The client has been at the facility for five weeks and continues to make progress daily. The patient’s husband calls the facility requesting to speak to his wife. The social worker notified the patient about the phone call, and she started crying and stated, ” I don’t want to talk to anyone.”  How should the social worker respond?

A social worker in a community mental health agency is working with a client who has schizophrenia and a history of homelessness. The client has recently secured stable housing through a supportive housing program but is struggling to adhere to their medication regimen and attend psychiatric appointments. The client tells the social worker, “I don’t think the medication is helping, and I don’t want to waste my time going to appointments.” What should the social worker do FIRST?

A social worker has a client who frequently calls between appointments to reschedule. The social worker finds themselves feeling angry about the inconvenience this behavior causes. What should the social worker do FIRST?

An eighth-grade teacher consults the school social worker about a student who has undergone chemotherapy and experienced hair loss. The student appears sad, is struggling with schoolwork, and is not participating in activities. What should the social worker do FIRST?