Exam Prep Blog: September 2017

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and here at TDC we’ve been using our blog to begin conversations around this often-taboo topic. On both the social work and MFT licensing exams, this topic is sure to show up in several forms. We have focused our free practice questions this month on suicide and today we explore the topic of self-injury. These topics are highlighted on licensing exams because our licensing organizations want to ensure that we are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize the signs and symptoms of risk to self, distinguish between life threatening and non life threatening behaviors, and take the appropriate steps based on the level of risk.

So often when I see a successful clinical social worker who is a leader in their area of expertise I find myself asking “how did they get where they are today?” and wondering what their first few years out of grad school were like. We are interviewing and sharing the stories of clinical social workers' “pathways to success” that have brought them to where they are today. These interviews will share insights, hard earned wisdom, and tips that we hope will encourage and inspire you no matter where you are on your own pathway to success.

For this week’s MFT practice question, we explore the subject of assessment. If you are preparing for your licensing exam, whether the Law and Ethics or Clinical exam, you can expect to see multiple questions on this topic. The importance of conducting a thorough assessment cannot be overstated. Comprehensive assessments are necessary at the onset of treatment to help clinicians understand why their client is seeking treatment, what their client hopes to achieve, if any crisis issues are present and require attention, and ultimately allows them to develop an effective treatment plan. Knowing when to assess and what the priorities of assessment are will both be tested on your exam.

“A semicolon is used when an author could've chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life."-Project Semicolon

Yesterday we posted the following question about suicidal clients, and today we have the answer and rationale for you!

As you all know, September is Suicide Prevention Month, and here at TDC, we are using the month as a platform to begin conversations around this often-taboo topic. If you’re studying for your licensure exam, whether a social work exam OR a MFT exam, you’ve probably found that this topic is front and center. There’s a good reason for that: at some point in our professional lives we will almost certainly work with at least one client who wants to end his or her life. Our state boards and licensing organizations want to ensure that as competent professionals we can recognize the signs and symptoms of potential suicide, assess for it accurately, and take the necessary steps to help our client’s stay safe.

Recently the TDC team had the honor of screening a new film, The S Word Documentary: Opening the Conversation About Suicide. And for our team it did just as the title indicated-it opened up a space for us to have conversations about suicide and the ways it has impacted our lives personally and professionally.

Last month we shared Yves Domond's successful journey using the Therapist Development Center to pass his master's level social work exam after failing the exam four previous times. This month we are excited to share our interview with Caroline Moreno who recently PASSED her marriage and family therapy exam to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist!