ASWB Masters 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client in a domestic violence shelter discloses that her abusive partner has threatened to kill her if she does not return home. What is the social worker's FIRST priority?
- Document the threat in the case file
- Assess the client's immediate safety and develop a safety plan (Correct answer)
- Contact law enforcement on behalf of the client
- Refer the client to a legal aid attorney
Correct answer: Assess the client's immediate safety and develop a safety plan
Assessing immediate safety and collaborating on a safety plan is the first priority when a client faces a credible, imminent threat.
Question 2: Which theoretical framework emphasizes that behavior is best understood by examining the interaction between an individual and their environment across multiple system levels?
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Cognitive-behavioral theory
- Ecological systems theory (Correct answer)
- Attachment theory
Correct answer: Ecological systems theory
Ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner) focuses on the interplay between individuals and nested environmental systems (micro, meso, exo, macro).
Question 3: A social worker suspects a colleague is billing Medicaid for services not rendered. The MOST appropriate initial action is to:
- Report the colleague directly to Medicaid fraud investigators
- Confront the colleague privately and document the conversation
- Consult the agency's compliance officer or supervisor (Correct answer)
- Remain silent to protect workplace relationships
Correct answer: Consult the agency's compliance officer or supervisor
Consulting the agency's compliance officer or supervisor is the appropriate first step for suspected fraud, following internal reporting protocols.
Question 4: During a home visit, a social worker notices an 8-year-old child has multiple unexplained bruises in various stages of healing. Which action is MOST appropriate?
- Ask the parents to explain the bruises before making any report
- File a mandated report with child protective services (Correct answer)
- Schedule a follow-up visit in one week to monitor the situation
- Refer the family to a pediatrician for evaluation
Correct answer: File a mandated report with child protective services
Mandated reporters must report reasonable suspicion of child abuse immediately; the bruise pattern described is a classic indicator.
Question 5: A client recently immigrated from a collectivist culture and resists making individual decisions without family input. A culturally competent social worker should:
- Encourage the client to develop greater personal autonomy
- Incorporate family members into the decision-making process as the client desires (Correct answer)
- Explain that US norms emphasize individual choice
- Refer the client to a counselor from the same culture
Correct answer: Incorporate family members into the decision-making process as the client desires
Culturally competent practice respects collectivist values; involving family aligns with the client's cultural framework and self-determination.
Question 6: Which defense mechanism is illustrated when a person who is angry at their boss comes home and yells at their spouse?
- Projection
- Rationalization
- Displacement (Correct answer)
- Sublimation
Correct answer: Displacement
Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original target to a safer substitute, as seen when anger toward a boss is vented on a spouse.
Question 7: A social worker is leading a task group for agency staff to improve discharge planning. Which group development stage is characterized by conflict and competition among members?
- Forming
- Storming (Correct answer)
- Norming
- Performing
Correct answer: Storming
The storming stage (Tuckman's model) is marked by interpersonal conflict and competition as members vie for roles and challenge group structure.
ASWB Masters 2
A client in a domestic violence shelter discloses that her abusive partner has threatened to kill her if she does not return home.
What is the social worker's FIRST priority?