LCSW Exam Prep

Clinical Supervision on the ASWB Licensing Exams

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Wed, 10/09/2019 - 07:43pm

This may come as a surprise to some LMSW and LCSW test-takers, but you are likely to see some questions on the ASWB exam asking what action a supervisor should take with their supervisee. The ASWB puts clinical supervision questions on their exams for two reasons.: 1. To assess whether social workers understand the purpose of and activities done in supervision; and 2. Once you pass this exam, supervising other social workers may be in your future! The NASW and ASWB collaborated to create a document on the Best Practice Standards in Social Work Supervision. While this goes into far greater

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DSM-5: No More Multiaxial System

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Fri, 09/27/2019 - 05:21pm

The DSM-5 was published in 2013. Many social workers went to school learning the DSM-IV-TR and because of this, we still receive coaching questions about the differences between the DSM-IV-TR and the DSM-5. We know regardless of which DSM you went to school with, picking up the DSM-5 can feel daunting. The thought of learning and applying all of the DSM-5 information to LCSW exam questions can be overwhelming. But fear not: TDC's got you covered! How am I supposed to memorize the DSM-5? The good news is, you aren’t! The ASWB does not expect you to have the DSM-5 memorized. One of my favorite

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Free LCSW Practice Exam Question

Submitted by Robin Gluck on Fri, 09/27/2019 - 02:22pm

Alright Social Work Exam and MFT Exam-Takers, it’s Tuesday, time for another free LCSW practice exam question to help you study. For this week's Hot Topic we’re taking a brief look at Domestic Violence. Let’s take a closer look at a possible test item.

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ASWB Practice Question: Aging Adults

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 09/09/2019 - 07:00pm

As you prepare for your ASWB exam, know that issues surrounding aging adults are likely to show up in one form or another on your test. The ASWB is assessing not only that you know how to appropriately respond to scenario questions with aging adults, but also that you know symptoms for common diagnoses such as Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer's. Additionally-and this is an important one-they want to make sure you aren’t answering based on any underlying assumptions or stereotypes you have about aging adults. Self-Determination Like our work with any client population, we want to

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Overcoming our Achilles Heel: Community Social Work

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 07/01/2019 - 03:40pm

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="alignnone" width="900"] community social work[/caption] For many of us pursuing clinical licensure, thinking about the macro social work questions that could show up on the exam sends our otherwise clinically confident selves into a mental tailspin. It makes sense; for most of us taking the ASWB social work exams (whether LMSW or LCSW), our intent is to do clinical work. Because many of us lack work experience at the community level, this topic feels daunting. What is Community Social Work? Community social work looks at the impact larger social systems

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What does LCSW mean? Definition of LCSW

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 06/03/2019 - 02:00pm

Every now and then I’ll receive a question asking what 'LCSW' means or how being an LCSW differs from an MFT. The term LCSW stands for licensed clinical social worker. What exactly is a licensed clinical social worker? An LCSW is someone who has graduated from an accredited social work master's program, completed supervised clinical hours, and passed the ASWB’s clinical licensure exam. This is the highest level of social work licensure a person can obtain. When social workers move from being unlicensed (or provisionally licensed) to fully licensed clinicians, some significant changes occur

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Negative Reinforcement Examples for ASWB Exams

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 05/06/2019 - 06:12pm

Negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement are two concepts from behavioral therapy that are likely to show up on the ASWB’s exams (both LMSW and LCSW). While we previously wrote a blog with a practice question and rationale on this topic, today we want to take a few minutes to hone in specifically on negative reinforcement examples, as this is one of the most misunderstood behavioral principles. Reinforcement In operant conditioning, the word ‘reinforcement’ refers to strengthening (increasing) a desired behavior. So if I want a child to complete his chores, do his homework, etc., I

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Free ASWB Practice Question: Minor Consent to Therapy

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 03/04/2019 - 08:15pm

One of the questions I am frequently asked as a coach (sometimes several times a week!) is this: what is the age of consent is for therapy? Can minor’s consent to their own therapy? Do parents have a right to access their child's record? The most important thing you need to know regarding this topic for your ASWB exam is this: the age of consent varies state to state. In some states, a child as young as 12 can consent to their own therapy. In other states, however, even a 17-year-old minor cannot be seen for therapy without parental consent. Age of Consent What many people are unaware of is

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Free ASWB Practice Question: Danger to Others

Submitted by Heidi Tobe on Mon, 02/04/2019 - 06:18pm

Happy February to everyone getting ready to PASS their ASWB social work licensing exams. Today we are covering a topic (including a FREE aswb practice exam question) that we can say with near certainty will show up on your LCSW and LMSW exams: Danger to Others. Danger to Others As social workers, we not only have a responsibility to honor our client’s self-determination, but also to protect society (hence why we are mandated reporters for children, the elderly, and dependent adults and why we have a duty to warn). Here are a few helpful pieces of information you want to keep in mind about

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