Risk assessment methods shows up in the Assessment and Diagnosis section of the ASWB exam outline. Here's more than you need to know for the exam on the topic: Risk assessment enables social workers to identify potential risks and take necessary measures to prevent or minimize harm to clients. Methods of risk assessment include: Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) - Uses standardized tools and guidelines to assess risk. SPJ involves making informed professional judgments based on a structured analysis of the relevant factors in a given situation. Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA) - Focuses on ..read more

 Take a look at the latest ASWB Exam Handbook for some new additions coming to the social work licensing exam. If you've taken the exam recently, you know they've already added highlighting and strikethrough to the exams. Handy tools for some, distracting--and potentially time-wasting--bells and whistles for others. But a bigger, more meaningful change is happening. For the first time in who knows how long, the exam will include something other than just questions with a STEM (the question part) and FOUR ANSWER OPTIONS. It will now include--drumroll please--questions with a STEM and THREE ..read more

One of the questions that comes up again and again regarding the LCSW exam is also a very basic one: what score do you need to pass? The answer is...no one can say for sure. There are multiple exams being given at the same level, at the same time around the country. The ASWB spells it all out here.   Generally, pass points range from 90 to 107 correct answers of the 150 scored questions. Okay, 90/150 to 107/150. That's [opens calculator] between 60 and 71%. Meaning that on some versions of the exam, you can miss nearly half the questions and still arrive at a pass sheet after your ..read more

When is bad behavior just bad behavior, and when does it cross the line into being clinically significant? Let's take a look at the DSM criteria for antisocial personality disorder. They are: A. Pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, occurring since age 15, including three or more of these: Failure to conform to social norms. Deceitfulness. Impulsivity, failure to plan ahead. Irritability and aggressiveness. Reckless disregard for the safety of others. Consistent irresponsibility (work, money). Lack of remorse. B. At least 18 years older. C. Conduct disorder ..read more

There's more to effective exam prep than cramming lots of information into your head. This is especially true for the LCSW exam, which tests not only your understanding of social work essentials, but your ability to use them flexibly in various contexts. A vignette may offer an easily identifiable set of symptoms, but don't be surprised if the question takes a sudden turn. Instead of asking, "What is the BEST diagnosis?"--the question you were prepared to answer with easy--you might be thrown a curve: "How would a social worker using cognitive behavioral therapy MOST likely respond?" You've ..read more

Let's visit Cluster B personality disorders. You know ones. The dramatic, emotional, erratic group: antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and, today's spotlight item, histrionic personality disorder. Personality disorders--as opposed to just personality--involve patterns of beliefs and behaviors that severely impair those diagnosed with them. A full 10-15%  of people meet criteria for a personality disorder. That's a whole lot of people suffering, and often making others suffer, with long-standing, difficult-to-treat conditions. Those with histrionic personality disorder seek attention more ..read more

Play therapy is what it sounds like. Instead of talk being the currency of treatment, clients and therapist engage in play, exploring thoughts, feelings, and conflicts through playing. The hive mind at Wikipedia adds: Play therapy is a method of meeting and responding to the mental health needs of children and is extensively acknowledged by experts as an effective and suitable intervention in dealing with children’s brain development. It is generally employed with children aged 3 through 11 and provides a way for them to express their experiences and feelings through a natural, self-guided, s ..read more

It's nice to have some help as you're preparing to pass the licensing exam. Maybe lots of help. It's a big exam with potential content spanning just about everything you've learned in school and in social work practice. But there's no need to get overwhelmed. And there's no reason to do it all by yourself. Many, many social workers have travelled this road before you. They've passed the exam. And they've left their wisdom all over the net, on flash card sites, on blogs like this one, and have gone to work creating practice tests--based upon their experience--for various exam companies. Google ..read more

Knowing the NASW Code of Ethics means knowing the entire NASW Code of Ethics. To be prepared for the clinical social work exam, it's wise to dig past the micro practice principles in the code and continue all the way through to item #6, "Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society." That includes four subsections: social welfare, public participation, public emergencies, and social and political action. Here are those sections with details: Social Welfare Social workers should promote the general welfare of society, from local to global levels, and the development of peopl ..read more

If you didn't know, you wouldn't notice, but the Association of Social Work Boards (the ASWB)--the people who write and administer the social work licensing exam--have made some changes. The minor tweaks to the old exam content outlines kicked in with the new year (2018). The more with-it exam prep companies have adjusted their offerings to fit the new guidelines (SWTP, for example). But if you're prepping using older material, don't sweat it. The outline changes are minimal. Some areas of the exam are being stressed a little bit more, others a little bit less. And some of the areas in the ou ..read more