Exam Prep Ch.4 Social Work With Individuals And Families

Chapter 4

Social Work with Individuals and Families

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Today's approach to individuals and families differs from the casework method attributed to Mary Richmond in that it emphasizes the importance of ________.

a) care and concern

b) systematic information gathering

c) the development of a plan for improvement

d) collaboration

e) working one-on-one

2. The first formalized social work practice with individuals and families was developed to address issues of ________.

a) individual pathology

b) immigration issues

c) poverty

d) mental illness

e) community exclusion

3. Social work practice with individuals and families developed in ________.

a) settlement houses

b) charity organizations

c) almshouses

d) missions

e) mutual benefit societies

4. The clinical function of direct practice with individuals and families focuses on ________.

a) changing thought patterns, feelings, or behaviours

b) accessing resources

c) providing information and referrals

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

5. When a hospital social worker is coordinating a discharge to a rehabilitation hospital, she is exercising her function in ________.

a) clinical practice

b) direct practice

c) case management

d) advocacy

e) counselling

6. Service navigation with individuals and families involves ________.

a) facilitating connections to resources

b) acting as an intermediary between individuals/families and service systems

c) helping individuals and families to overcome barriers to service provision

d) short-term counselling

e) advocacy

7. "Common factors" is a term used to refer to ________.

a) the functions all social workers have in common

b) elements of relationship-building

c) factors involved in direct practice

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

8. Which of the following statements best describes the skill of attending?

a) Non-verbal aspects of communication that convey interest and presence

b) Using open-ended questions to encourage elaboration

c) Paraphrasing what is being said to ensure a common understanding

d) Repeating verbatim what has been recounted to communicate that one is following

e) Summarizing key themes

9. Social workers communicate empathy to individuals and families by ________.

a) asking about feelings

b) summarizing their understanding of a situation

c) clarifying facts

d) focusing on what is relevant

e) setting client-centred goals

10. Which of the following skills is NOT an example of good communication?

a) parroting

b) questioning

c) summarizing

d) paraphrasing

e) establishing eye contact

11. A closed question would start with the following: ________.

a) Do

b) Why

c) What

d) How

e) Could

12. The most crucial determinant of success for work with individuals and families is ________.

a) the match between theoretical framework and client need

b) the instillation of hope

c) the relational base achieved

d) the application of evidence-based techniques

e) years of experience of the helping professional

13. Social workers establish collaboration with individuals and families who ________.

a) seek their services

b) are referred to their services

c) are mandated to receive services

d) both A and C

e) all of the above

14. When a social worker's verbal communication matches his non-verbal communication, he is showing ________.

a) care and concern

b) empathy

c) genuineness

d) collaboration

e) hope

15. Reflecting is primarily used to ________.

a) demonstrate that a social worker's understanding of what has been said matches the client's meaning

b) encourage elaboration

c) challenge a client's understanding

d) convey interest

e) establish a relational base with individuals and families

16. ________ is particularly effective when working with individuals and families who are from different cultural backgrounds than the social worker.

a) Reflecting

b) Questioning

c) Attending

d) Summarizing

e) Caring

17. Three processes that underlie the components of the social work relationship are ________.

a) client-centredness, self-awareness, and attunement

b) collaboration, empathy, and genuineness

c) empathy, genuineness, and self-awareness

d) client-centredness, collaboration, and genuineness

e) none of the above

18. The Canadian Official Languages Act guarantees access to French or English for services provided directly by ________.

a) social service agencies

b) health service agencies

c) education, health, and social service agencies

d) federal government agencies

e) provincial government agencies

19. ________ have adopted policies that guarantee bilingual service in government agencies and health services.

a) Nova Scotia and Quebec

b) Ontario and British Columbia

c) Alberta and Manitoba

d) Quebec and Ontario

e) Manitoba and New Brunswick

20. Seabury, Seabury, and Garvin (2011) identify ________ components to the planning/contracting phase of the helping process.

a) five

b) four

c) three

d) six

e) two

21. In Joan Keefler's assessment template, the problem definition refers to a description of the problems or issues as ________.

a) observed by the worker

b) reported by the client

c) reported by the referral source

d) observed by other collaterals

e) both A and B

22. ________ is critical to the assessment process.

a) Following a client's lead

b) Timing questions well

c) Eliciting information in a caring manner

d) none of the above

e) all of the above

23. There are ________ phases in the helping process.

a) six

b) five

c) four

d) three

e) two

24. The exploration and assessment phase of the helping process involves ________.

a) the development of a purpose

b) collection and analysis of information

c) identification of joint goals and tasks

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

25. Social work interventions are guided by ________.

a) research and theory

b) organizational constraints

c) client preferences

d) professional judgment

e) all of the above

26. Integrating electronic exchanges such as texting and emailing into face-to-face practice has been shown to ________.

a) improve clinical outcomes

b) enhance the practitioner-client relationship

c) harm clients

d) both A and B

e) all of the above

27. Social work assessments are most typically informed by ________.

a) verbal reports from clients

b) information received from other informants impacted by the presenting issues

c) worker observations

d) other professional reports

e) Both A and C

28. The common factor that has received the least attention in the literature is ________.

a) care and concern

b) hope

c) genuineness

d) problem-solving

e) collaboration

29. A ________ social worker would inform clients of their rights and of any potential risks.

a) genuine

b) empathetic

c) concerned

d) hopeful

e) collaborative

30. Being self-aware helps social workers to ________.

a) work through negative feelings

b) develop care and concern

c) engage with personal experiences of privilege and marginalization

d) both A and B

e) all of the above

31. Seeking feedback on the helping process and recognizing when individuals and families feel understood are examples of ________.

a) openness

b) care and concern

c) attunement

d) genuineness

e) collaboration

32. The Helping Relationship Inventory is a useful tool to help social workers ________.

a) develop a relationship with individuals

b) communicate collaboration

c) assess how they are being experienced by an individual

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

33. From the perspective of critical theories, self-disclosure is ________.

a) inevitable

b) desirable

c) risky

d) problematic

e) both A and B

34. ________ is NOT a common factor.

a) Genuineness

b) Hope

c) Problem-solving

d) Care and concern

e) Empathy

35. Joan Keefler's assessment template incorporates ________.

a) the problem-solving perspective

b) a strengths perspective

c) the ecosystems framework

d) both B and C

e) all of the above

36. Assessment as a product refers to ________.

a) the way information is gathered

b) a standardized template

c) a written professional summary

d) the outcome of gathering information

e) all of the above

37. Written assessments should include ________.

a) facts

b) worker observations

c) client observations

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

38. ________ is NOT a focus of the work in the contracting/planning phase of the helping process.

a) Identifying purpose

b) Setting goals

c) Specifying responsibilities

d) Consolidating gains

e) Identifying target problems

39. When working with individuals and families, it is important to establish a purpose for the work in order to ________.

a) clarify what is within and outside the social worker's mandate

b) elicit what the individual or family needs

c) identify the reasons for the work together

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

40. ________ is NOT typically a component of the ending/evaluation phase of the helping process.

a) Processing the emotional bond

b) Consolidating gains

c) Setting goals

d) Planning next steps

e) Reviewing progress

41. Family structure refers to ________.

a) the number of people in a family

b) who is in a family

c) how a family is organized

d) all of the above

e) none of the above

42. The genogram is particularly useful for identifying ________.

a) current family structure

b) intergenerational patterns

c) important dates and events

d) concerns of each family member

e) important facts about a family

43. The genogram typically includes information about ________ generation(s).

a) one

b) two

c) three

d) four

e) five

44. The genogram is based on the work of ________.

a) Felix Biestek

b) Mary Richmond

c) Joan Keefler

d) Marion Bogo

e) Murray Bowen

45. Tracking in regard to the helping process with families involves ________.

a) noting important dates

b) listening to pertinent issues being discussed

c) observing patterns of interaction

d) keeping an eye on the time

e) keeping track of facts

TRUE/FALSE QUESTIONS

1. Social work practice with individuals and families involves clinical work and case management.

2. Different theoretical perspectives hold divergent views on worker self-disclosure.

3. The focus of a social work assessment can vary depending on the context in which the social worker works.

4. Brokering is a form of service navigation.

5. When a client is referred by someone else, he or she is considered to have sought services involuntarily.

6. The process of exploring and assessing a client's issues and concerns is guided by the nature in which they came to seek services.

7. Most social work assessments are informed by verbal reports and observations made during client interviews.

8. Establishing eye contact is always an effective way of communicating interest and presence.

9. Attending skills are the skills used by a social worker to ensure clients attend the next meeting.

10. Social work assessments are never guided by standardized forms.

11. Closed questions can be helpful when trying to gather factual information.

12. The phases of the helping relationship differ based on the expected duration of the social work encounter.

13. Parroting is a helpful communication skill when a social worker is trying to communicate that she is following a client's story.

14. It is helpful for social workers to review client progress during the ending phase of the helping relationship.

15. Clients usually experience pleasure or relief when their social work encounter is coming to an end.

16. A signed agreement between a worker and a client serves as a good measure of collaboration.

17. Hope is an important element of the helping process.

18. A social worker cannot express care and concern if he or she does not like the client.

19. The case management aspect of direct practice with individuals and families focuses on accessing services, rather than establishing a relational base.

20. Reflecting can be a particularly useful form of communication when social workers are working with clients from vastly different cultural backgrounds than their own.

21. Care and concern can be communicated by asking about and recognizing how experiences of marginalization and discrimination affect individuals and families.

22. If clients do not answer important questions right away, social workers should ask further questions.

23. Target problems are challenges clients face that they wish to change.

24. The Keefler assessment template is informed by the ecosystems framework.

25. Families typically frame their issues in relational terms (e.g., "We are having difficulty with our communication").

26. A genogram is a schematic diagram of family relations.

27. Social workers who meet with multiple members of a family must connect and establish rapport with everyone.

28. All social workers in direct practice consider family dynamics.

29. The Helping Relationship Inventory identifies issues that individuals and families are having in their relationships with others.

30. It is generally accepted that self-disclosure is an important component of direct practice with individuals and families.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What are the two components of direct practice in social work?

2. What are common factors? Why are they important to direct practice with individuals and families?

3. In what ways is a social work assessment both a process and a product?

4. What is the professional opinion in Keefler's assessment template?

5. What four processes does Bogo (2006) associate with "good" endings in the social worker—client relationship?

6. What two factors might impact how an ending is processed and experienced by a client?

7. What is a genogram? How can it be used to inform work with individuals and families?

8. What are the common elements of social work assessments, regardless of setting?

9. What is a target problem? To which phase of helping does it relate?

10. What is the problem definition in Keefler's psychosocial template?

11. How might a social worker help a client to elicit goals?

12. What are some of the differences between Mary Richmond's understanding of casework and today's formulation of direct practice?

13. How is the Helping Relationship Inventory useful for attunement?

14. What makes reflecting a particularly helpful form of communication when working across differences?

15. How might questions shut down conversation rather than encourage clients to tell their stories?

16. What is summarizing and when should it be used in an interview with a client?

ESSAY QUESTIONS

1. Discuss the debate around worker self-disclosure in social work.

2. Outline the pros and cons of electronic communication between workers and clients.

3. Discuss how hope can be communicated and fostered when working with individuals and families.

4. How might communication skills need to be adapted when social workers work with clients from different cultural backgrounds than their own?

5. Describe some of the similarities and differences between social work practice with individuals and social work practice with families.

6. Describe how the exploration and assessment phase of helping may be impacted by the voluntary nature of the request.

7. Identify some of the questions social workers may reflect on during the exploration and assessment phase. How might these reflections inform their understanding of the issues to be addressed?