LMSW Intervention and Treatment Planning 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker is developing a discharge plan for a client leaving an inpatient psychiatric unit. The MOST critical element to include is:
- A list of coping skills the client learned during hospitalization
- A scheduled follow-up appointment within 7 days and crisis contact information (Correct answer)
- Documentation of all diagnoses assigned during the stay
- A referral for vocational rehabilitation
Correct answer: A scheduled follow-up appointment within 7 days and crisis contact information
Research shows that follow-up within 7 days of psychiatric discharge significantly reduces readmission rates; crisis contacts ensure safety in the high-risk post-discharge period.
Question 2: A social worker using structural family therapy would most likely intervene by:
- Analyzing the family's communication patterns through genograms
- Challenging and restructuring rigid subsystem boundaries and hierarchies (Correct answer)
- Focusing on each family member's individual cognitive distortions
- Exploring the family's multigenerational trauma narrative
Correct answer: Challenging and restructuring rigid subsystem boundaries and hierarchies
Structural family therapy, developed by Minuchin, targets dysfunctional family structures, including diffuse or rigid boundaries and inappropriate hierarchies, through active restructuring techniques.
Question 3: A client reports that the coping strategies identified in the treatment plan are 'not working.' The evidence-based response is to:
- Validate the client's frustration and immediately change the treatment approach
- Explore how, when, and how consistently the strategies are being used before modifying the plan (Correct answer)
- Conclude the interventions are incompatible with the client's diagnosis
- Extend the treatment timeline without making any changes
Correct answer: Explore how, when, and how consistently the strategies are being used before modifying the plan
Before modifying a treatment plan, the social worker should conduct a collaborative review of skill implementation to determine whether the strategies are being applied correctly and consistently.
Question 4: A social worker applying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) would encourage a client experiencing depression to:
- Challenge and eliminate negative thoughts through cognitive restructuring
- Accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to values-based actions (Correct answer)
- Suppress or distract from distressing emotions to improve functioning
- Relive depressive episodes to achieve cathartic resolution
Correct answer: Accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to values-based actions
ACT emphasizes psychological flexibility through accepting internal experiences without struggle and taking action aligned with personal values, rather than eliminating distress.
Question 5: A social worker is developing an intervention plan for an older adult experiencing social isolation. Which approach best addresses the ecological context of this problem?
- Individual psychodynamic therapy to explore attachment history
- A multilevel plan addressing transportation barriers, community programs, and family engagement (Correct answer)
- Pharmacological referral for antidepressants
- Online CBT self-help modules only
Correct answer: A multilevel plan addressing transportation barriers, community programs, and family engagement
An ecological approach addresses isolation by targeting environmental, social, and familial systems rather than focusing solely on the individual client.
Question 6: During the termination phase of treatment, a client begins reporting new, serious symptoms. The appropriate response is to:
- Proceed with termination as planned since goals have been met
- Reassess the client's current needs and collaboratively determine whether to extend, modify, or refer (Correct answer)
- Immediately transfer to a crisis service
- Attribute symptoms to termination anxiety and provide brief reassurance only
Correct answer: Reassess the client's current needs and collaboratively determine whether to extend, modify, or refer
New serious symptoms require reassessment regardless of treatment phase; the social worker must evaluate whether to extend treatment, modify the plan, or refer based on clinical need.
Question 7: A social worker is treating a child with ADHD using behavioral intervention. Which element is most essential to include in the treatment plan?
- Weekly individual psychoanalytic sessions
- Parent training, school consultation, and contingency management strategies (Correct answer)
- Biofeedback therapy as the primary modality
- Medication as the sole intervention
Correct answer: Parent training, school consultation, and contingency management strategies
Evidence-based treatment for childhood ADHD includes parent training in behavior management, collaboration with school staff, and contingency management across settings.
LMSW Intervention and Treatment Planning 5
A social worker is developing a discharge plan for a client leaving an inpatient psychiatric unit.
The MOST critical element to include is: