MSW FREE Master of Social Work Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker is conducting a biopsychosocial assessment for a new client experiencing homelessness. Which component should be prioritized first according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs?
- Exploring childhood trauma history
- Assessing immediate safety and basic needs (Correct answer)
- Evaluating the client's social support network
- Administering a mental health screening tool
Correct answer: Assessing immediate safety and basic needs
According to Maslow's hierarchy, physiological and safety needs must be addressed before higher-level needs can be effectively assessed.
Question 2: Which theoretical framework emphasizes examining how systems such as family, community, and society influence an individual's behavior and well-being?
- Cognitive behavioral theory
- Ecological systems theory (Correct answer)
- Psychodynamic theory
- Rational emotive behavior therapy
Correct answer: Ecological systems theory
Ecological systems theory, developed by Bronfenbrenner, examines the multiple environmental systems that interact to influence human development and behavior.
Question 3: A clinical social worker suspects that a 10-year-old client is being physically abused by a caregiver. What is the social worker's PRIMARY legal obligation?
- Confront the caregiver directly during the next family session
- File a report with Child Protective Services as a mandated reporter (Correct answer)
- Wait for additional evidence before taking any action
- Refer the family to a parenting education program
Correct answer: File a report with Child Protective Services as a mandated reporter
Social workers are mandated reporters and must file a report with Child Protective Services when there is reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect.
Question 4: In the DSM-5-TR, which specifier is used to indicate that a client's major depressive disorder symptoms include excessive guilt, psychomotor agitation, and early morning awakening?
- With anxious distress
- With melancholic features (Correct answer)
- With atypical features
- With peripartum onset
Correct answer: With melancholic features
The melancholic features specifier is characterized by a loss of pleasure in nearly all activities, excessive guilt, psychomotor changes, and early morning awakening.
Question 5: A social worker in a hospital setting is facilitating discharge planning for an elderly patient with dementia. Which ethical principle is MOST challenged when the patient insists on returning home alone despite safety concerns?
- Social justice
- Dignity and worth of the person (Correct answer)
- Importance of human relationships
- Service
Correct answer: Dignity and worth of the person
The principle of dignity and worth of the person encompasses client self-determination, which can conflict with the social worker's duty to protect vulnerable clients from harm.
Question 6: Which intervention approach uses a structured, time-limited format that focuses on resolving a specific problem identified by the client within approximately 8-12 sessions?
- Long-term psychodynamic therapy
- Task-centered practice (Correct answer)
- Narrative therapy
- Motivational interviewing
Correct answer: Task-centered practice
Task-centered practice is a brief, structured intervention model typically lasting 8-12 sessions that focuses on specific, client-identified problems and concrete action steps.
MSW FREE Master of Social Work Questions and Answers 2
A social worker is conducting a biopsychosocial assessment for a new client experiencing homelessness.
Which component should be prioritized first according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs?