Social Worker Interview

A 32-year-old man is referred to a social worker after his children were removed by child protective services due to allegations of neglect. He tells the social worker that he is not sure that he wants to fight to get them back. He states he doesn't think he wants to go through all the things child protective services wants him to do only to not regain custody in the end. Which response is the best thing the social worker should say to the client?

A) "You are free to choose whether or not you want to try to regain custody of the children."

B) "Your children will benefit from knowing that you at least tried to regain custody, even if you aren't successful."

C) "It may be helpful to work toward regaining custody initially, and if at any time you decide you want to to give up, you can do so."

D) "It's important to look at how not attempting to get custody of the children will be viewed by child protective services."

A 55-year-old male has been meeting with a social worker to address his alcohol dependence. Over the past few weeks he has cut down on his drinking. He arrives at his scheduled appointment sweating. He states he has been vomiting and he has a noticeable tremor in his hands. How should the social worker respond?

A) Encourage the client to withstand the uncomfortable symptoms for a few days as they will likely pass after the painful process of detox.

B) Encourage the client to decrease his alcohol intake more slowly as he is less likely to suffer such serious withdrawal symptoms.

C) Talk to the client about the possible dangers of alcohol withdrawal and allow the client to make his own decision about whether or not to seek medical help.

D) Call 911, even if the client refuses to consent, as the client is likely detoxing and may experience seizures or possibly death.

A social worker is meeting with a 50-year-old African-American male who acknowledges he has some suicidal ideation. He was previously diagnosed with major depression and was recently discharged from an inpatient hospitalization. He reports that following his hospitalization he has more energy and feels better. He lives at home with his wife and his adult children have moved out of the home. He works in construction and states that he works about 60 hours per week. What suicide risk factors should the social worker pay close attention to?

A) Having adult children who have moved out of the home puts him at a higher risk.

B) The client is African-American and therefore, statistically, a higher suicide risk.

C) The long hours that he works put him at a higher risk of suicide.

D) His improvement during his hospitalization may actually give him the energy to complete suicide.

A social worker is employed at a doctor's office. The program director, who is a doctor at the office, reports that the office will begin providing services via video conferencing to established clients who live in rural areas. The purpose is to increase access to services for clients who lack reliable transportation. What should the social worker do?

A) Discuss with each client the potential risks, benefits, and consequences of receiving services via electronic media.

B) Begin services with clients who have already begun receiving service via video conferencing with a doctor.

C) Explain to the program manager that social workers cannot establish therapeutic relationships with clients when clients are not physically present.

D) Inform the program manager that social workers are not allowed to provide telemedicine.

A 16-year-old client is seeking services from an outpatient social worker after becoming the victim of a sexual assault. The client's mother has signed a general release of information that allows the social worker to talk to the school. The social worker receives a call from the client's math teacher who states the client's grades have declined and she wants to know if there is something "going on" with the client lately. How should the social worker respond?

A) Contact the client's mother to determine how much information she is comfortable with the teacher knowing.

B) Tell the math teacher that the client was sexually assaulted.

C) Talk to the client about whether or not she would want any information disclosed and the possible implications of disclosing information.

D) Contact a supervisor before disclosing any information.

A social worker has started to treat a woman who has been diagnosed with dependent personality disorder. The woman reports a variety of failed relationships. She acknowledges that she often makes unhealthy choices in the kinds of partners that she picks. When establishing a therapeutic relationship with the client, what sort of information should the social worker keep in mind?

A) Establishing rapport will be difficult and the client is likely to drop out of treatment early.

B) The client is likely to have difficulty expressing her emotions and most likely lacks basic social skills.

C) The client's dramatic presentation and desire to be the centre of attention may interfere with developing the therapeutic relationship.

D) The client may be superficially compliant with treatment to try and gain approval but may struggle to make lasting change.

A social worker is conducting an initial assessment with a client. What the best way for the social worker to inquire about the client's sexual orientation?

A) "Tell me about your sexuality."

B) "What is your sexual orientation?"

C) "Do you consider yourself to be gay or straight?"

D) "Are you attracted to men or women?"

Social Worker Interview

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