Human Services Expert Q&A

A social worker is working in coalition with community organizations. The members of the coalition plan to develop a proposal that would document the need for affordable housing for low-income residents. The immediate next step for the coalition would be to:​

A) ​gather information that clarifies and defines the problem.
B) ​identify sources of funding for the construction of affordable housing.
C) ​locate potential locations for the construction of affordable housing.
D) ​write a petition supporting their cause.

Prior to developing an intervention change strategy to address a community's concerns, a social worker should first engage community participants in:​

A) ​identifying potential funding sources.
B) ​building a common community hall.
C) ​identifying specific needs or problems.
D) ​developing alternative plans of action.

In the context of social work, the empowerment perspective assumes that power and powerlessness are inextricably linked to the experience of _____.​

A) ​inequality
B) ​authenticity
C) ​injustice
D) ​self-awareness

Sam, a social worker, has noticed a trend in the problems faced by elderly people in his town. Several elderly clients have reported that by the end of the month, they lack adequate funds to purchase food. The issue identified by the elderly clients is an indication for the social worker to:​

A) ​analyze the situation for the appropriateness of a macro intervention.
B) ​arrange opportunities of social interaction for the elderly clients.
C) ​arrange subsidized housing for the elderly clients.
D) ​organize life skills lessons for the elderly clients.

Change at the macro level is primarily focused on:​

A) ​the backward section of society.
B) ​the privileged section of society.
C) ​intervening in personal matters of people.
D) ​large-scale interventions.

Which of the following statements is true of contingency contracting?​

A) ​It requires family members to wait for one member to initiate changes.
B) ​It is important to persuade family members to avoid exploring potential barriers.
C) ​It is wise to encourage family members to make their own reciprocal behavioral agreement.
D) ​It requires family members to undertake overly ambitious actions.

The goal of bringing a family together is to:​

A) ​teach the members of the family about social work theories.
B) ​identify the problem at hand.
C) ​determine the negative traits of each family member.
D) ​identify the particular family member causing the problem.

​In on-the-spot interventions, social workers should give feedback that is _____.

A) ​general
B) ​evaluative
C) neutral​
D) ​undescriptive

_____ is a technique used in experiential family practice models to assist family members in analyzing and observing their alliances and in making decisions concerning possible changes.​

A) ​Family dissonance
B) ​Family enmeshment
C) ​Family restructuring
D) ​Family sculpting

Which of the following statements is true of family strengths and protective factors?​

A) ​They include the presence of a supportive network.
B) ​They cannot be used at the individual level.
C) ​They cannot be used to focus on future issues.
D) ​They focus on negative experiences in the past.

High-context cultures rely on _____.​

A) ​verbal messages
B) ​individual identity
C) ​nonverbal expressions
D) ​independent existence

As opposed to high-context cultures, in low-context cultures, there is a greater emphasis on _____.​

A) ​nonverbal expressions
B) ​group identity
C) ​verbal messages
D) ​shared understanding

Which of the following statements is true of the family systems view of family and individual functioning?​

A) ​It is the most flexible family engagement perspective.
B) ​It is the least prescriptive family engagement perspective.
C) ​It favors treating individuals as members of a collective.
D) ​It favors treating individuals as an independent unit of analysis.

Family therapists often use the word _____ to describe the process in which a social worker establishes working relationships with each member of a family as well as with the family as a whole.​

A) ​dissonance
B) ​enmeshment
C) ​joining
D) ​collusion

In the power and control phase of a task group, facilitators should endeavor to:​

A) ​stimulate idea-related conflict.
B) ​stimulate personality-related conflict.
C) ​encourage groupthink.
D) ​encourage group differentiation.

During a group's working phase, the expectation of a weekly progress report from the leader:​

A) ​increases the necessity of reminding the members of their contract agreements.
B) ​reduces the members' sense of independence and accomplishment.
C) ​makes monitoring of individual members haphazard and unsystematic.
D) ​helps increase motivation of the members to work toward goals between sessions.

To ensure that time is allocated reasonably to each member during the working phase of group development, Toseland and Rivas recommend that group leaders:​

A) help each member to work in turn and generalize concepts to all members.​
B) ​set a timer to ring when allocated time for a member has elapsed.
C) ​focus on members who are highly involved and ask the other members to watch and learn.
D) ​decide who is most in need of attention and focus on that member during the remaining time.

The focus during the working phase of group development is on:​

A) ​initiation and introductions.
B) ​achieving members' goals.
C) ​balancing positive and negative feedback.
D) ​completing unfinished business.

During a group's working phase, when members struggle with feelings of hurt, disappointment, fear, inferiority, and related issues, leaders can enhance individual and group growth by:​

A) ​elaborating on the negative sentiments for closure.
B) ​encouraging the members to internalize and learn from the feelings.
C) ​focusing on the universality of underlying sentiments.
D) ​explaining about the struggle for power to the members.

In shaping a group's norms, leaders need to intervene in certain instances. Such interventions should:​

A) ​focus on group-related matters.
B) ​focus on individual attitudes.
C) ​single out one person from the group.
D) ​impose a solution on the group.