Mnemonics

For FIRST, NEXT, BEST

SFAREAFI Safety
Feelings
Assess
Refer
Educate
Advocate
Facilitate
Intervene
Rule out medical -> physica
RUSAFE Under the influence -> don
Save lives -> Safety issues, r
Assess before action -> asse
Feelings-> Acknowledge, C
Empower -> Respect Client

FARM GRITS ROAD ELIMINATE ANSWERS THAT

Focus on unresolved issues

Advice/judge
Recommend to support gro
Make therapy apt

Give literature
recommend therapy session
Inform parents
Terminate
Speak to supervisor

Respect self determination

Offer contract with clients
Allow clients to lead session
Do or say nothing
FoStNoPeAd GROUPS
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Adjourning
Orphan Annie Pretty Little Girl Freud psychosexual stages
Oral
Anal
Phallic
Latent
Genital
Phyllis Safely Socializes Each Sunday maslow’s hierarchy of ne
Physiological
Safety
 Social
Esteem
Self actualization
Robes Pierre still cant cook Couples development
Romance
Power Struggle
Stability
Commitment
Co-Creation
Sally Poops Coconut Farts Piaget’s cognitive develo
Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete
Formal
PCP Affects Many Robots stages of change
Precontemplation
contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance
Relapse
Everyone Always Passes The Exam Twice Problem solving process
Engagement
Assessment
Planning
Treatment
Evaluation
Termination
Orange Cats Elope in the Rain Community organizing
Orientation
Conflict
Engagement
Reinforcement
Unit I: Human Development, Diversity, & Behavior in the Environment

Erikson’s 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development:

Stages Age Responsibilities Successful? Unsuccessful?

Learn ability to trust Gain confidence/ Inability to trust, sense of fear,

Trust vs. Birth – based on consistency security in the world, anxiety, insecurities
of caregiver even when
Mistrust 1 year threatened
Working to establish
Autonomy independence (make Become confident and Feelings of inadequacy and
choices, walking away secure in their ability shame, low self esteem
vs. Shame/
from mother, etc.) to survive
Doubt 1–3
Develop sense of
Initiative vs. Plan activities, make up initiative; feel secure Develop sense of guilt, like they
3–6 games, initiate in ability to lead are a nuisance to others
Guilt
activities with others others/make decisions
Initiate projects, see
Industry vs. them through to Feel industrious and Feel inferior, doubt their
6 – 12 completion, and feel confident in their abilities, and fail to reach their
Inferiority (Puberty) pride about what they ability to achieve goals potential
have achieved
Explore possibilities Develop strong sense Sense of confusion (“I don’t
Identity vs. and begin to form of identity & remain know what I want to be when I
12 – 18 identity; Who am I? true to their values & grow up”) about themselves &
Role (Adolescence) What do I want to do beliefs their role in the world
Confusion with my life?

20s – Early Comfortable

Intimacy vs. Share oneself with relationships and a Avoiding intimacy & fearing
40s others and explore sense of commitment, commitment-Isolation,
Isolation (Early intimate relationships safety, and care loneliness, and depression
Adulthood)
40s – Mid Establish careers, settle Give back to society
Generativity down, begin families; through raising
60s develop sense of being children & being Become stagnant and feel
vs. (Middle part of bigger picture productive in their unproductive
Stagnation Adulthood) work and
communities
 If satisfied with If feel they have been
Ego Contemplate life progression of their unproductive, become
Mid 60s – accomplishments lives, develop integrity dissatisfied and develop despair;
Integrity vs. End of Life depression & hopelessness
Despair

Domains of Development:
1. Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge)
2. Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (attitude or self)
3. Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (skills)

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory:

Stage Age Characteristics

Sensorimotor 0–2 Primitive logic in manipulating objects; begins intentional actions; play is imitative;
*object permanence; schemas (mental representation) of objects

Preoperational 2–7 Symbolic thinking; magical thinking; thinking is concrete/irreversible; *egocentric;

can’t see viewpoint of others; imaginary friends

Concrete 7 – 11 Beginning of logical thought; understand cause/effect relationships; thinking is

Operations reversible; develop rules of logic; *logical thinking

11 –
Formal Maturity *Abstract thinking; hypothetical thinking; assume adult roles/responsibilities
Operations

Sally Poops Coconut Farts

Kohlberg’s Moral Development:

Stage Age Characteristics
Elementary Stage 1: obedience/punishment: child obeys authority out of fear of
Preconventional School Level punishment
(Before age 9) Stage 2: self-interest: child acts acceptably as it is in their best interest;
conforms to rules to receive rewards
Early Stage 3: “good boy/girl”: acts to gain approval from others
Conventional Adolescence Stage 4: authority & social order: obeys laws/fulfills obligations to maintain
(School Age) social system
*follows stereotypic terms of morality
Stage 5: social contract: genuine interest in welfare of others; concerned w/
Postconventional Teens/ individuals being morally right
 Adults Stage 6: concern for larger issues of morality
*this level is not reached by most adults

Learning Theories:
● Behaviorist: Pavlov, Skinner; learning is viewed through change in behavior and the stimuli in external
environment are the locus of learning; SWs aim to change the external environment in order to bring
about desired change
● Cognitive: Piaget; learning is viewed through internal mental processes (insight, information
processing, memory, & perception) & and the locus of learning is internal cognitive structures; SWs aim
to develop opportunities to foster capacity & skills to improve learning
● Humanistic: Maslow; learning is viewed as a person’s activities aimed at reaching his/her full
potential, & the locus of learning is in meeting cognitive & other needs; SWs aim to develop the whole
person
● Social/Situational: Bandura; learning is obtained between people and their environment and their
interactions and observations in social contexts; SWs establish opportunities for conversation &
participation to occur

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)

● Unconditioned Stimulus 🡪 Unconditioned Response
● Unconditioned Stimulus + Conditioned Stimulus 🡪 Unconditioned Response
● Conditioned Stimulus 🡪 Conditioned Response

Operant Conditioning (Skinner)

● Antecedent 🡪 Response/Behavior 🡪 Consequence
● Reinforcement (positive + negative)
● Punishment (positive + negative)

Behavioral Terms
o Aversion Therapy: any treatment aimed at reducing the attractiveness of a stimulus/behavior by
pairing it with an aversive stimulus (i.e. Antabuse for alcoholism)
o Biofeedback: behavior training program that teaches a person how to control certain functions such
as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, & muscular tension; often used for ADHD & Anxiety
Disorders
o Extinction: withholding a reinforcer that normally follows a behavior; behavior that fails to produce
reinforcement will eventually cease
o Flooding: treatment procedure in which client’s anxiety is extinguished by prolonged real or imagined
exposure to high-intensity feared stimuli
o In Vivo Desensitization: pairing & movement through a hierarchy of anxiety, from least to most
anxiety provoking situations; takes place in a “real” setting
o Rational Emotive Therapy (RET): a cognitively oriented therapy in which SW seeks to change a
client’s irrational beliefs by argument, persuasion, & rational reevaluation and by teaching client to
counter self-defeating thinking with new, non-distressing self-statements
o Shaping: method used to train a new behavior by prompting & reinforcing successive approximations
of the desired behavior
o Systematic Desensitization: anxiety-producing stimulus is paired with relaxation-producing response
so that eventually an anxiety-producing stimulus produces a relaxation response
 o Time Out: removal of something desirable (negative punishment)
o Token Economy: client receives tokens as reinforcement for performing specified behaviors

Ethnicity vs. Race

o Ethnicity: shared cultural characteristics (language, religion, culture, place of origin)
o Race: physical characteristics (skin color)
o Cultural Identity: the identity of a group or culture of an individual who is influenced by their self-
identification with that group or culture

Three-Stage Model for Adolescent Cultural & Ethnic Identity Development

1. Unexamined identity (no awareness or real curiosity)
2. Search for a cultural, racial, & ethnic identity
3. Achievement of identity

Classic Model of Cultural, Racial, & Ethnic Identity Development

1. Pre-encounter: not consciously aware of culture/race/ethnicity & how it affects life
2. Encounter: has an encounter that provokes thought about the role of cultural, racial, & ethnic
identification (may be positive or negative)
3. Immersion-Emersion: after encounter forces client to confront identity, a period of exploration
follows; search for info & learn through interaction with others from same groups
4. Internalization & Commitment: client has developed secure sense of identity & is comfortable
socializing both within and outside their group

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (bottom 🡪 top)

1. Physiological Needs (food, water, shelter, sleep)
2. Safety Needs (protection from elements/danger)
3. Social (Love & Belongingness) Needs (friendship, intimacy, affection)
4. Esteem Needs (self-respect & respect from others)
5. Self-Actualization (realizing personal potential)
Phyllis Safely Socializes Each Sunday

Personality Theories
o Biological: genetics are responsible for personality
o Behavioral: personality is a result of interaction between individual & environment
o Psychodynamic: influence of unconscious & childhood experiences
o Humanist: importance of free will & individual experience; self-actualization: innate need for
personal growth that motivates behavior
o Trait: personality is made up of a number of broad traits

Self-Esteem
o Childhood: high self-esteem in young children; as they develop cognitively, they get a more accurate
self-evaluation based on social comparison/external feedback
o Adolescence: continues to decline (body image, puberty, etc.)
o Adulthood: increases gradually through adulthood; peaks in late 60s
o Older Adulthood: declines; begins to drop around 70
Parenting Styles
● Authoritative - strict and warm
● Authoritarian - strict and cold
● Permissive - undemanding, supportive
● Uninvolved - undemanding, unsupportive
Family Life Cycle
1. Family of Origin Experience
2. Leaving Home
3. Pre-marriage Stage
4. Childless Couple Stage
5. Family with Young Children
6. Family with Adolescents
7. Launching Children
8. Later Family Life

Couples Development
1. Romance: individuals are introduced and learn that they have common interests/attraction;
conversations & dates; passion, nurturing, & selfless attention; focus is attachment;
symbiotic/mutualistic relationship- put needs of other before your own; differences are minimized
2. Power Struggle: begin to notice differences that were once overlooked; focus on differences rather
than similarities; may need time apart; must learn to share power, forfeit fantasies of complete
harmony, & accept partner without changing them
3. Stability: redirection of personal attention, time & activities away from partners & towards oneself;
autonomy & individuality;
o Practicing: partners learn to live independent lives while still identifying/seeing the value of
being part of an intimate relationship
o Rapprochement: reestablishing of intimacy
4. Commitment: able to embrace reality that both partners are human/have shortcomings; partners
acknowledge that they want to be with each other & that the good outweighs the bad; ideal time for
marriage
5. Co-Creation: consistency; mutual growth; often work on projects together (businesses, families, etc.)
Robespierre Still Can’t Cook

Adolescence:
1. Early: thoughts mostly limited to present rather than future; deeper moral thinking; moodiness;
increased desire for privacy & independence; tendency to return to childish behavior when stressed
2. Middle: increased capacity for setting goals & thinking about the meaning of life; continued
adjustment to changing bodies & worry about being “normal”; continued drive for independence
3. Late: increased concern for future; ability to delay gratification; development of serious relationships;
increased focus on cultural & ethnic identity

Defense Mechanisms
o Compensation: enables one to make up for real or fancied deficiencies (i.e. short man assumes cocky,
overbearing manner)
o Conversion: repressed urge is expressed disguised as a disturbance of body function
 o Decompensation: deterioration of existing defenses
o Devaluation: often with BPD; person attributes exaggerated negative qualities to self or another
o Intellectualization: person avoids uncomfortable emotions by focusing on facts & logic; emotional
aspects completely ignored as being irrelevant
o Reaction Formation: person adopts affect, ideas, attitudes, or behaviors that are opposites of those
they harbor
o Sublimation: potentially maladaptive feelings or behaviors are diverted into socially acceptable,
adaptive channels (i.e. person with angry feelings channels them into athletics)
o Substitution: unattainable or unacceptable goal, emotion, or object is replaced by one more
attainable/acceptable
o Undoing: person uses words or actions to symbolically reverse/negate unacceptable thoughts,
feelings, or actions (i.e. person compulsively washing hands to deal with obsessive thoughts)\

Stages of Treatment for Substance Abuse

1. Stabilization
2. Rehabilitation/Habilitation
3. Maintenance

Systems Theory
o Views human behavior through larger contexts, such as members of families, communities, and
broader society
o *when one thing changes in a system, the whole system is affected
o Systems tend towards equilibrium
o Must understand interactions between micro, mezzo, & macro
o Problems at one part of a system may be manifested in another
o Ecomaps/genograms
o Importance of understanding PIE (person-in-environment)
o Closed System: uses up its energy and dies**
o Open System: system with cross-boundary exchange
o Differentiation: becoming specialized in structure and function
o Entropy: closed, disorganized, stagnant; using up available energy
o Negative Entropy: exchange of energy & resources between systems that promote growth and
transfer
o Equifinality: arriving at the same end from different beginnings
o In family systems theory, refers to the ability of the family system to accomplish the same goals
through different routes
o Input: obtaining resources from the environment that are necessary to attain the goals of the system
o Output: a product of the system that exports to the environment
o Throughput: energy that is integrated into the system so it can be used by the system to accomplish
its goals
o Subsystem: a major component of a system made up of 2 or more interdependent components that
interact in order to attain their own purpose(s)
 o Suprasystem: an entity that is served by a number of component systems organized in interacting
relationships

Role Theories
o Clients have multiple roles in their lives & each role carries its own expectations about appropriate
behavior; role theory examines how these roles influence a wide array of psychological outcomes,
including behavior, attitudes, cognitions, & social interaction
o Role Ambiguity: lack of clarity of role
o Role Complementarity: the role is carried out in an expected way (i.e. parent-child; SW-client)
o Role Discomplementarity: the role expectations of others differ from one’s own
o Role Reversal: when two or more individuals switch roles
o Role Conflict: incompatible or conflicting expectations

Stages of Group Development:

1. Preaffiliation: development of trust (forming)
2. Power & Control: struggles for individual autonomy & group identification (storming)
3. Intimacy: utilizing self in service of the group (norming)
4. Differentiation: acceptance of each other as distinct individuals (performing)
5. Separation/Termination: independence (adjourning)
Fo St No Pe Ad

Group Concepts
o Groupthink: when a group makes faulty decisions because of group pressures; groups affected by
groupthink tend to ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other
groups
o Groups are especially vulnerable to groupthink when:
▪ Members are similar in background
 ▪ The group is insulated from outside opinions
▪ There are no clear rules for decisions making
o Causes of groupthink: illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in inherent
morality, stereotyped views of those “on the out”, direct pressure on dissenters, self-
censorship, illusion of unanimity, self-appointed “mindguards”
o Group Polarization: occurs during group decision making when discussion strengthens a dominant
point of view and results in a shift to a more extreme position than any of the members would adopt
on their own

Person-In-Environment (PIE) Theory

o Highlights the importance of understanding individual behavior in light of the environmental contexts
in which a client lives and acts
o Client-centered, not agency-centered
o Examines social role functioning, the environment, mental health, & physical health

Crisis Intervention Stages

1. Assess lethality
2. Establish rapport
3. Identify problems
4. Deal with feelings
5. Explore alternatives
6. Develop an action plan
7. Follow-up

Communication Concepts
o Cognitive Dissonance: arises when a person has to choose between 2 contradictory attitudes and
beliefs; the most dissonance arises when 2 options are equally attractive
o Echolalia: repeating noises & phrases; associated w/ Catatonia, Autism, & Schizophrenia
o Metacommunication: the context within which to interpret the content of the message (i.e.
nonverbal communication, body language, vocalization)
Psychoanalytic Theory
o Freud; client is seen as the product of his past & treatment involves dealing with the repressed
material in the unconscious
o Three Levels of Awareness:
o Conscious: contains all info that a client is paying attention to at any given time
o Preconscious: contains all info outside of a client’s attention but readily available if needed-
thoughts & feelings can be brought into consciousness easily
o Unconscious: contains thoughts, feelings, desires, & memories of which clients have no
awareness but that influence every aspect of their day-to-day lives
o Three Personality Components
o Id: a reservoir of instinctual energy that contains biological urges such as impulses towards
survival, sex, & aggression; id is unconscious & operates according to the pleasure principle
(the drive to achieve pleasure & avoid pain)
o Ego: the component that manages the conflict between the id & the constraints of the real
world; some parts of ego are unconscious, whereas others are preconscious and conscious;
operates according to the reality principle
 ▪ Ego-Syntonic: behaviors “in sync” with the ego (no guilt)
▪ Ego-Dystonic: behaviors “dis-n-sync” with the ego (guilt)
▪ Ego Strength: the ability of the ego to effectively deal with the demands of the id, the
superego, and reality; helps maintain emotional stability & cope with internal & external
stress
o Superego: the moral component of personality; contains all the moral standards learned from
parents & society; causes clients to feel guilty when they go against society’s rules

Freud’s Psychosexual Development

Stage Age Sources of Pleasure Result of Fixation
Oral Birth to Activities involving the mouth, such as Excessive smoking, overeating,
roughly 12 sucking, biting, & chewing or dependence on others
months
Age 2, when An overly controlling (anal-
Anal the child is Bowel movements retentive) personality or an
being toilet easily angered (anal-expulsive)
trained personality
Phallic Age 3-5 Genitals Guilt or anxiety about sex

Latency Age 5 to Sexuality is latent, or dormant, during No fixations at this stage

puberty this period
Genital Begins at The genitals; sexual urges return No fixations at this stage
puberty

Individual Psychology
o Alfred Adler
o Main motivations for human behavior are not sexual or aggressive urges, but striving for perfection;
children naturally feel weak and inadequate in comparison to adults- this feeling of inferiority drives
them to adapt, develop skills, & master challenges
o Compensation- the attempt to shed normal feelings of inferiority
o Aim is to develop a more adaptive lifestyle by overcoming feelings of inferiority & self-centeredness &
to contribute more toward the welfare of others

Self-Psychology
o Defines the self as the central organizing and motivating force in personality
o As a result of receiving empathic responses from early caretakers (self-objects), child’s needs are met &
child develops strong sense of selfhood
o Objective is to help client develop a greater sense of self-cohesion
o Through therapeutic regression, client reexperiences frustrated self-object needs
o Mirroring: behavior validates child’s sense of perfect self
o Idealization: child borrows strength from others and identifies with someone more capable
o Twinship/Twinning: child needs an alter ego for sense of belonging

Ego Psychology
o Focuses on the rational, conscious processes of the ego
 o Based on the assessment of a client as presented in the present (here & now)
o Treatment focuses on the ego functioning of a client

Object Relations Theory

o Margaret Mahler
o Lifelong relationship skills are strongly rooted in early attachments with parents
Age Phase Subphase Characteristics
Infant is detached & self-absorbed;
0 – 1 month Normal Autism spends most of time sleeping
*this stage later abandoned
Child is now aware of mother, but no
1 – 5 months Normal Symbiotic sense of individuality; infant & mother
are one – barrier between them & rest
of the world
Infant ceases to be ignorant of
5 – 9 months Separation Differentiation/ differentiation between them &
mother; increased alertness & interest
/Individuation Hatching
for outside world; use mother as point
of orientation
Brought about by infant’s ability to
9 – 15 months Practicing crawl & then walk freely; infant begins
to explore & becomes more distant
from mother
Infant once again becomes close to
mother; child realizes their physical
mobility demonstrates separateness
15 – 24 months Rapprochement
from mother; toddler becomes
tentative, wants mother to be in sight
so they can explore their world
H Child understands that mother has a
24 – 38 months Object Constancy separate identity & is truly a separate
individual

Indicators of Abuse
o Sexual Abuse:
o Extreme changes in behavior- regression, fears & anxieties, withdrawal, sleep disturbances,
recurrent nightmares
o Children may show unusual interest in sexual matters or know sexual info inappropriate for
their age group
o Psychological Abuse/Neglect:
o Avoid eye contact & experience deep loneliness, anxiety, or despair
o Have flat & superficial way of relating; little empathy towards others
o Lowered capacity to engage appropriately with others
o Engage in bullying, disruptive, or aggressive behavior
o Engage in self-harming and/or self-destructive behaviors
o Physical Abuse/Neglect
o Unexplained bruises or welts
 o Unexplained burns
o Unexplained fractures to skull, nose, or facial structure
o Unexplained lacerations or abrasions

Sexual Orientation & Gender Identify

o Pansexual/Queer: people whose attractions span across many different gender identities (male,
female, transgender, genderqueer, intersex, etc.)
o Gender Identity: usually conforms to anatomic sex in both heterosexual & homosexual individuals;
however, individuals who identify as trans feel themselves to be of a different gender identity from
their biological sex
o Gender Fluidity: when gender expression shifts between masculine and feminine

3 Phases of Coming Out

1. Feeling Different
2. Confusion
3. Self-Acceptance

Unit II: Assessment & Intervention Planning

Biopsychosocial Assessment
o Biological Section: medical history, developmental history, current medications, substance abuse
history, & family history of medical illnesses
o Psychological Section: client’s present psychiatric illness or symptoms, history of current psychiatric
illness or symptoms, past or current psychosocial stressors, & mental status; explore how problem has
been treated in the past, past or present psychiatric medications, & family history of psychiatric
symptoms & substance-related illnesses
o Social Section: client systems & unique client context; may identify strengths and/or resources
available for treatment planning; includes sexual identity concerns, personal history, family of origin
history, support system, abuse history, education, legal history, marital/relationship status/concerns,
work history, & risks; spiritual beliefs/cultural traditions
**client’s basic info, background, current functioning, impressions, assessment, & recommendations
**assessment written by SW that summarizes the client’s problems that need to be solved

Mental Status Exam

o Structured way of observing/describing client’s current state of mind; necessary part of assessment
o Includes:
o Appearance
o Orientation (awareness of time/place, etc.)
o Speech pattern
o Affect/mood
o Impulsive/potential for harm
o Judgment/insight
o Thought processes/reality testing
o Intellectual functioning/memory
Medical Terms
o Comorbid: existing with or at the same time
o Contraindicated: not recommended or safe to use
o Endogenous Depression: depression caused by a biochemical imbalance rather than a psychosocial
stressor or external factors
o Exogenous Depression: depression caused by external events or psychosocial stressors
o Hypomanic: elevated, expansive, or irritable mood that is less severe than full-blown manic symptoms
o Postmorbid: subsequent to the onset of an illness
o Premorbid: prior to the onset of an illness
o Psychotic: experiencing delusions or hallucinations

Signs of Drug Use

o Marijuana: glassy, red eyes; loud talking; inappropriate laughter followed by sleepiness; loss of
interest, motivation; weight gain or loss
o Cocaine: dilated pupils; hyperactivity; euphoria; irritability; anxiety; excessive talking followed by
depression or excessive sleeping at odd times; may go long periods of time without eating or sleeping;
weight loss; dry mouth and nose
o Heroin: contracted pupils; no response of pupils to light; needle marks; sleeping at unusual times;
sweating; vomiting; coughing, sniffling; twitching; loss of appetite

Organic Brain Syndrome

o Term used to describe physical disorders that impair mental function
o Most common symptoms: confusion, impairment of memory, judgment, intellectual function, agitation
o Caused by alcoholism, Alzheimer’s, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Parkinson’s, stroke, etc.

Testing Instruments
o Beck Depression Inventory: assesses presence & degree of depression in adolescents & adults
o Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI): personality test for the assessment of
psychopathology (various mental health disorders)
o Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): self-report inventory that attempts to classify individuals
along 4 dimensions:
o General attitude towards the world (introverted or extroverted)
o Perception (sensation vs. intuition)
o Processing (thinking style or feeling style)
o Judging vs. perceiving
o Rorschach Inkblot Test: projective test; used to assess perceptual reactions & other psychological
functioning
o Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: for children and adults
o Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): projective test; make up stories based on pictures of ambiguous
scenes

Disorders:
o Neurodevelopmental Disorders:
o Intellectual Disabilities
 ▪ Mental Retardation
▪ Global Developmental Delay
o Communication Disorders
▪ Language Disorder
▪ Speech Sound Disorder
▪ Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder (stuttering)
▪ Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder – new
o Autism Spectrum Disorder
▪ Incorporates Asperger’s, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, & Pervasive Developmental
Disorder
o Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
▪ Must appear before age 12
o Specific Learning Disorder, Tic Disorders, Motor Disorders, Other…
o Schizophrenia Spectrum & Other Psychotic Disorders
o Schizotypal (Personality) Disorder
▪ Pattern of odd or eccentric thinking, speaking, dressing
▪ strange, outlandish, or paranoid beliefs
▪ "magical thinking"
o Delusional Disorder
▪ the presence of at least 1 delusion for at least 1 month; have never met criteria for
schizophrenia; function is not impaired outside the delusion
▪ Erotomanic Type: central theme of the delusion is that another person is in love with
the individual
▪ Grandiose Type: conviction of having some great (but unrecognized) talent or insight or
having made some important discovery
▪ Jealous Type: central theme of the individual's delusion is that his or her spouse or lover
is unfaithful
▪ Persecutory Type: involves the individual's belief that he or she is being conspired
against, cheated, spied on, followed, poisoned or drugged, maliciously maligned,
harassed, or obstructed in the pursuit of long-term goals
▪ Somatic Type: central theme of the delusion involves bodily functions or sensations
▪ Mixed Type: no one delusional theme predominates

▪ Unspecified Type: the dominant delusional belief cannot be clearly determined or is not
described in the specific types
o Brief Psychotic Disorder
▪ One or more: (at least one must be 1, 2, or 3)
1. Delusions
2. Hallucinations
3. Disorganized speech
4. Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
--at least 1 day but less than 1 month
o Schizophreniform Disorder
▪ Same as Schizophrenia, but duration of less than 6 months
o Schizophrenia
▪ At least 6 months
▪ Two or more for at least 1 month: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech,
disorganized or catatonic behavior, negative symptoms
 ▪ Negative Symptoms: "Flat affect", reduced feelings of pleasure in everyday life,
difficulty beginning and sustaining activities, reduced speaking
▪ Positive Symptoms: psychotic behaviors- hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders,
movement disorders
*respond better to antipsychotic meds
▪ Four A’s: Affect, Association, Ambivalence, Autism
o Schizoaffective Disorder
▪ Person has both the psychotic symptoms necessary to meet criteria for schizophrenia &
either a major depression or manic episode
▪ Experience delusions or hallucinations for at least 2 weeks when they are NOT having
depressive or manic episode
o Catatonia
o Bipolar & Related Disorders
o Bipolar I
▪ Defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days, or by manic symptoms that are so
severe that the person needs immediate hospital care.
▪ Usually, depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks.
▪ Episodes of depression with mixed features (having depression and manic symptoms at
the same time) are also possible.
o Bipolar II
▪ Defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but not the full-
blown manic episodes described above.
o Cyclothymic Disorder
▪ Numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms as well numerous periods of depressive
symptoms lasting for at least 2 years (1 year in children and adolescents)
o Depressive Disorders
o Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
▪ For children up to age 18**
▪ New in DSM-5
▪ Childhood condition of extreme irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper
outbursts. DMDD symptoms go beyond a being a "moody" child
o Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
▪ 5+ depressive symptoms for at least 2 weeks
▪ At least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or
pleasure
o Persistent Depressive Disorder
▪ Previously Dysthymia
▪ Depressed mood that lasts for at least two years
o Anxiety Disorders
o Separation Anxiety
o Selective Mutism
o Specific Phobia
o Social Anxiety
o Panic Disorder
o Panic Attack
o Agoraphobia
o General Anxiety Disorder
o Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders
o Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
o Body Dysmorphic Disorder
o Hoarding Disorder
o Trichotillomania
o Excoriation Disorder (skin picking)
o Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders
o Reactive Attachment Disorder
▪ Occurs during infancy or early childhood
▪ Pattern of disturbed and inappropriately developed attachments of behaviors
▪ Child/infant will often NOT turn to an attachment figure for comfort, etc.
▪ When a caregiver attempts to comfort the child or infant, under distress, there is no
positive expression of emotion displayed by the child of infant
o Disinhibited Social Engagement
▪ Not afraid of adult strangers and not shy of meeting new people for the first time.
▪ Overly friendly, very talkative to strangers and may even begin hugging or cuddling
unknown adults. The child will show no fear when a stranger talks to them or touches
them
▪ A child with DSED may not hesitate to take off with an unfamiliar person and will not
look to parents or primary caregivers for permission to approach strangers. Symptoms
of DSED may continue into the teenage years, but the condition is not known to last into
adulthood.
o PTSD
▪ More than 1 month
o Acute Stress Disorder
▪ Same as PTSD but LESS than one month (more than 3 days)
o Adjustment Disorders
▪ A change in emotion or behavior because of an identifiable stressor or event.
▪ These disorders are associated with a higher risk of suicide and attempts. There are
many possible stressors. It can be a single stressor (e.g., ending an intimate
relationship), multiple stressors (e.g., business or marital problems), recurrent (e.g.,
seasonal business problems or an unsatisfying sexual relationship), or continuous (e.g.,
painful illness or a living in a crime filled neighborhood).
o Dissociative Disorders
o Dissociative Identity Disorder
▪ Characterized by "switching" to alternate identities
▪ May feel the presence of two or more people talking or living inside head, and may feel
as though possessed by other identities
▪ Recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information, and/or
traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting
o Dissociative Amnesia
▪ Main symptom is memory loss that's more severe than normal forgetfulness and that
can't be explained by a medical condition
▪ Can't recall information about oneself or events and people in life, especially from a
traumatic time
 ▪ Can be specific to events in a certain time, such as intense combat, or more rarely, can
involve complete loss of memory about yourself. It may sometimes involve travel or
confused wandering away from your life (dissociative fugue).
▪ An episode of amnesia usually occurs suddenly and may last minutes, hours, or rarely,
months or years.
o Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
▪ Involves an ongoing or episodic sense of detachment or being outside oneself-
observing actions, feelings, thoughts and self from a distance as though watching a
movie (depersonalization)
▪ Other people and things around you may feel detached and foggy or dreamlike, time
may be slowed down or sped up, and the world may seem unreal (derealization)
o Somatic Symptom & Related Disorders
o Somatic Symptom Disorder
▪ Psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a bodily form without apparent
physical cause
▪ People's symptoms concern and preoccupy them, worry them constantly, and/or drive
them to see doctors very frequently
o Illness Anxiety Disorder
▪ Excessive preoccupation and worry about the possibility of having or getting a serious
illness
o Conversion Disorder
▪ Physical symptoms that resemble those of a nervous system disorder develop
▪ Examples: paralysis of an arm or leg, vision loss, hearing loss, seizures
o Factitious Disorder
▪ People pretend to have symptoms for no apparent external reason (such as to get time
off from work)
o Feeding & Eating Disorders
o PICA
▪ Compulsive eating of nonnutritive substances (dirt, clay, paint, etc.)- any age
o Rumination Disorder
▪ Eating disorder in which a person -- usually an infant or young child -- brings back up and
re-chews partially digested food that has already been swallowed- any age
o Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
▪ "Extreme picky eating"
▪ Avoidance of specific types of food textures, colors and smells; eating at an abnormally
slow pace or having a general lack of appetite.
o Anorexia Nervosa
o Bulimia Nervosa
o Binge-Eating Disorder
o Elimination Disorders
o Enuresis (bed wetting)
o Encopresis (feces)
o Sleep-Wake Disorders
o Sexual Dysfunctions
o Gender Dysphoria
o Disruptive, Impulse-Control, & Conduct Disorders
o Oppositional Defiant Disorder
 ▪ Patterns of anger, irritability, argumentative or defiant behavior, and/or vindictiveness
▪ Unlike children with CD, children with ODD are not aggressive toward people or animals,
do not destroy property, and do not show a pattern of theft or deceit
o Intermittent Explosive Disorder
▪ Explosive outbursts of anger, often to the point of rage, that are disproportionate to the
situation at hand
o Conduct Disorder
▪ Repetitive & persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others, or major
age-appropriate norms, are violated
▪ ***often seen as the precursor to antisocial personality disorder, which is not diagnosed
until the individual is 18 years old
o Antisocial Personality Disorder
▪ **After 18
▪ A personality disorder characterized by amorality and lack of affect
o Pyromania
o Kleptomania
o Substance-Related & Addictive Disorders
o Neurocognitive Disorders
o Delirium
o Major or Mild __ due to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Traumatic Brain Injury, HIV, etc.
o Personality Disorders
o Cluster A (‘Odd’)
▪ Schizoid
● Introverted, withdrawn, solitary, emotionally cold & distant; absorbed with own
thoughts and feelings; fearful of closeness/intimacy with others
▪ Paranoid
● Extreme suspiciousness or mistrust of others
▪ Schizotypal
● Pattern of odd or eccentric thinking, speaking, dressing
● Strange, outlandish, or paranoid beliefs
● "magical thinking"
o Cluster B (‘Dramatic’)
▪ Antisocial
● Amorality and lack of affect; after age 18
▪ Borderline
● Unstable interpersonal relationships, behavior, mood, & self-image; abrupt and
extreme mood changes; stormy interpersonal relationships; fluctuating self-
image; self-destructive actions
▪ Narcissistic
● Grandiose sense of self-importance
● Fantasies of infinite success, control, brilliance, beauty, or idyllic love
● Sense of entitlement
▪ Histrionic
● Behave melodramatically or "over the top"; constantly displaying an excessive
level of emotionality; attention thinking
o Cluster C (‘Anxious’)
▪ Avoidant
 ● Hypersensitive to rejection and unwilling to become involved with others unless
sure of being liked; avoidance of social events or work that involves
interpersonal contact
▪ Dependent
● Pattern of dependent & submissive behavior; relying on others to make personal
decisions; require excessive reassurance and advice
▪ Obsessive-Compulsive
● Difference from OCD: OCPD not directed by thoughts one is unable to control;
OCD is distressed by behaviors, whereas OCPD thinks their actions have
aim/purpose- don’t think it’s irrational, so usually won’t seek help

SOAP Format
o Format for developing treatment plans
o Subjective: client’s report of how they have been doing since the last visit/what brought them in
o Objective: in health care, this includes vital signs, physical examinations, lab work; in other settings,
includes objective indicators of problems such as failing school, legal issues, etc.
o Assessment: social worker pulls together the objective & subjective findings into short assessment
o Plan: plan includes what will be done as a consequence of the assessment

Types of Research
o Experimental: randomized experiments; most rigorous- strongest
o Quasi-Experimental: uses intervention & comparison groups, but assignment to groups is
nonrandom (used when randomization to groups is not practical/feasible)
o Pre-Experimental: contain intervention groups only & lack comparison/control groups- weakest

Single Subject Research

o Aims to determine whether an intervention has an intended impact
o Most common: pre- post-test aka single-case study (AB) – comparing behavior before treatment
(baseline; A) to behavior after the start of treatment (intervention; B)
o Client used as own control
o Flexible, simple, and low-cost
o BUT, because of small number of study participants, single study designs often have poor
external validity
o Internal Validity: observed effects of the IV on the DV are real & not caused by extraneous factors
o External Validity: how generalizable those inferences are to the general population

Reliability (ability to get consistent assessments by reducing random errors associated w/ its collection)
o Interrater/Interobserver Reliability: assesses the degree to which different raters/observers give
consistent estimates of the same phenomenon
o Test-Retest Reliability: assesses consistency of a single measure (test) from one time to another
o Parallel Forms Reliability: assesses consistency of the results of different versions of an assessment
tool measuring the same construct
o Internal Consistency Reliability: evaluates the degree to which different test items that examine the
same construct produce similar results
Validity (degree to which what is being measured actually is what is claimed to be measured)
o Face Validity: examines whether the measure appears to be assessing the intended construct
o Content Validity: examines whether all of the relevant content domains are covered
o Criterion-Related Validity: correlates test results with another criterion of interest (i.e. used to
predict future or current performance)
o Predictive Validity: if the test actually predicts what it is supposed to predict
o Concurrent Validity: assesses whether constructs distinguish between groups

Errors
o Type I: ‘false positive’ – detecting an effect that isn’t actually present
o Type II: ‘false negative’ – failure to detect an effect that is actually present

Unit III: Interventions with Clients/Client Systems

Phases of Intervention/Problem-Solving Process

o Engagement: SW actively involved with client to determine why treatment was sought; define
parameters of the helping relationship (defining roles); expectations for treatment
o Assessment: client is the source of providing essential information upon which to define the problem
& solutions, as well as identifying collateral contacts from whom to collect gaps in data
o Planning: client & SW develop common understanding of client’s preferred lifestyle and develop goals
based upon it; develop specific action plans & specify who will do what, what/how resources will be
needed/used, and timeline for implementation & review
o Treatment/Intervention: client must be actively involved in mobilizing their support network to
realize continued progress & sustainable change; must track progress & adjust timelines accordingly
o Evaluation: subjective reports of a client, in conjunction w/ objective indicators of progress, are used
to determine which goals/objectives have been met & whether new goals/objectives should be set
o Termination: client reflects on what has been achieved & anticipates what supports are in place if
problem arises again
Everyone Always Passes The Exam Twice

Stages of Change
1. Precontemplation: client is unaware, unable, and/or unwilling to change; this stage sees the greatest
resistance & lack of motivation; characterized by arguing, interrupting, denial, or ignoring the problem;
may not show up to appointments or agree that change is needed; denial, ignorance of problem
o Best way for SW to deal with client in this stage: establish rapport, acknowledge resistance,
keep conversation informal, try to engage client, & recognize their feelings, concerns, etc.
2. Contemplation: client is ambivalent or uncertain regarding behavior change; due to this, their
behaviors are unpredictable; client may be willing to look at pros and cons of behavior change, but is
not committed to working towards it; ambivalence, conflicted emotion
3. Preparation: experimenting with small changes, collecting information about change
4. Action: taking direct action toward achieving a goal
5. Maintenance: maintaining a new behavior, avoiding temptation
6. Relapse: feelings of frustration & failure
PCP Affects Many Robots
Verbal & Nonverbal Communication
o Active Listening: commenting on clients’ statements, open-ended questions, etc.
o Silence: can show acceptance of clients’ feelings & promotes introspection; use with clients displaying
**high emotion
o Questioning
o Reflecting/Validating
o Paraphrasing/Clarifying
o Reframing

Misc. Intervention Concepts

o Congruence
o The matching of awareness and experience with communication
o Role Play
o Engages clients; teaches empathy/understanding of different perspectives
o Improves interpersonal & communication skills
o Role Modeling
o Live Modeling: watching a real person perform the desired behavior
o Symbolic Modeling: filmed or videotaped models demonstrating desired behavior
o Participant Modeling: individual models anxiety-evoking behaviors for a client & then prompts
the client to engage in the behavior
o Covert Modeling: clients are asked to use their imagination, visualizing a particular behavior as
another describes the imaginary situation in detail
o Harm Reduction Techniques
o Any program, policy, or intervention that seeks to reduce or minimize the adverse health &
social consequences associated with an illness, condition, or behavior without requiring client
to practice abstinence, discontinue use, or completely extinguish a behavior
o Designed to “meet the client where they are”; acknowledge significance of any positive change
o Conflict Resolution
o 1) Recognition of an existing or potential conflict
o 2) Assessment of the conflict situation
o 3) Selection of an appropriate strategy
o 4) Intervention
o Crisis Intervention
o Time limited; brief; most crises last 4-6 weeks
o Crisis does not need to be precipitated by major life event
o Goals are to relieve the impact of stress, return client to previous level of functioning, help
strengthen coping mechanisms, & develop adaptive coping strategies
o Anger Management Techniques
o Relaxation exercises: deep breathing, yoga, meditation, guided imagery, stretching
o Cognitive techniques: replacing destructive thoughts with healthy ones; using logic; not using
“all or nothing” approach
o Communication skills: slowing down speech; listening to what others are saying
 o Environmental changes: walking away/leaving situation; avoiding people/situations that evoke
anger
o Stress Management Techniques
o Clients learn to monitor their stress & identify stress triggers
o Assist clients in identifying what aspects of a situation they can control
o CBT
o Goal is to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are responsible for clients’ difficulties
o Combination between psychotherapy & behavioral therapy
o Cognitive Restructuring: identifying dysfunctional beliefs/patterns of thoughts & changing
them; rewarding oneself for successful coping efforts
o Partializing Techniques
o Breaking down complex issues into simpler ones to make it less overwhelming
o *use Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs

o Psychoeducation Methods
o Provide clients with information necessary to make informed decisions that will allow them to
reach their respective goals
o Gottman Method
o Couples therapy approach
o Focuses on conflicting verbal communication in order to increase intimacy, respect, & affection

Group Work
o When individual problems arise, they should be directed to the group for possible solutions- group is
the agent of change
o Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed
o Contraindications for group: client who is in crises, suicidal, compulsively needy for attention, actively
psychotic, and/or paranoid
o Open Group: new members can join at any time
o Closed Group: all members begin at the same time
o Stages
o Beginning: SW identifies purpose of the group and SW’s role; time to convene, organize, & set
plan; members often remain different/removed until they develop relationships
o Middle: almost all the group’s work occurs here; relationships strengthened; group leaders
less involved
o End: group reviews its accomplishments

Family Therapies
● Strategic
o Examines family processes and functions, such as communication or problem-solving patterns;
brief, direct, task-centered
o SW is more interested in creating change in behavior than change in understanding
● Structural
o Looks at family relationships, behaviors, and patterns as they are exhibited within the therapy
session in order to evaluate the structure of the family; enactments
● Bowenian
 o Acknowledges generational influences on family and individual behavior
o Identifying multigenerational behavioral patterns, such as management of anxiety, can help
people see how their current problems may be rooted in previous generations
o Differentiation: the more differentiated, the more client can be an individual while in emotional
contact with family; core concept of Bowenian approach
o Emotional Fusion: tendency for family members to share an emotional response
o Emotional Triangle: network of relationships among three people
Prevention Strategies
o Primary: goal is to protect people from developing a disease, experiencing an injury, or engaging in a
behavior in the first place (ex: immunizations, education on seatbelts/helmets, regular exercise, etc.);
most cost effective
o Secondary: occurs after a disease, injury, or illness has occurred; aims to slow the progression or limit
the long-term impacts; ex: telling those with heart condition to take aspirin; modifying work
assignments for injured workers
o Tertiary: focuses on managing more complicated, long-term diseases, injuries, or illnesses; goal is to
prevent further deterioration & maximize quality of life; ex: pain management groups, rehab programs

Evaluation
o Formative: ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during service delivery;
allow SW to make changes as needed to help achieve program goals; ex: needs assessment
o Summative: occur at the end of services & provide an overall description of their effectiveness;
examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met; ex: impact evaluations & cost-benefit
analyses

Program Objective Terminology

o Mission Statement: general, concise statement outlining the purpose guiding the practices of an
organization
o Goals: broad, general statements of what the program intends to accomplish; describe broad
outcomes in general terms (i.e. clear communication, problem-solving skills)
o Objectives: brief, clear statements that describe the desired outcomes; more specific than goals
o Outcomes: achieved results; knowledge, abilities (skills), and/or attitudes (that have been obtained

Steps to Referring Clients

1. Clarifying the need or purpose for the referral
2. Researching resources
3. Discussing and selecting options
4. Planning for initial contact
5. Initial contact
6. Follow-up to see if need was met

Misc. Policy Terms

o Ethics Audit: critical feature of implementing a comprehensive risk management strategy; examining
risks by: appointing a committee/task-force; gathering info from agency documents; interviews with
staff/clients, etc.; determining whether there is no risk, minimal risk, moderate risk, or high risk;
preparing action plans to address each risk; monitoring policy implementation
 o Cooptation: strategy used to influence social policy as leaders will try to quiet dissention or
disturbances not only by dealing with immediate grievances, but by making efforts to channel the
energies/angers of dissenters into more legitimate & less disruptive activities; incentives are offered &
other efforts are made aimed at complacency

Community Organizing
o Focused on harnessing the collective power of communities to tackle issues of shared concern;
challenges government, corporations, & other power-holding institutions in order to tip the power
balance more in favor of communities
o Sources of Power
o Coercive: power from control of punishment
o Reward: power from control of rewards
o Expert: power from superior ability or knowledge
o Referent: power from having charisma or identification with others who have power
o Legitimate: power from having legitimate authority
o Informational: power from having information
o Social Planning: the process by which a group or community decides its goals & strategies relating to
societal issues; SW plans “with” rather than “for” community members

Community-Based Decision Making

1. Orientation Stage: community members meet for the first time and start to get to know each other
2. Conflict Stage: disputes, little fights, and arguments may occur; these conflicts are eventually worked
out
3. Emergence Stage: community members begin to see and agree on a course of action
4. Reinforcement Stage: community members finally make a decision and justify why it was correct
Orange Cats Elope in the Rain

Organizational Theories
o Classical Organizational Theories
o Scientific Management Theory (Theory X): based on finding the ‘one’ best way to perform each
task; carefully matching each worker to each task; closely supervising workers, using reward &
punishment as motivators; & managing/controlling behavior
o Weber’s Bureaucratic Theory: emphasized need for hierarchical structure of power to ensure
stability & uniformity
o Administrative Theory: emphasized establishing a universal set of management principles that
could be applied to all organizations
o Major deficiency with these theories: attempted to explain people’s motivation to work strictly
as a function of economic reward
o Neoclassical Theories
o Human Relations Theory (Theory Y): reaction to the tough, authoritarian structure of classical
theory; genuine concern for human needs in order to produce creativity & emphasized
importance of cohesive work groups, participatory leadership, & open communication
o Modern Organizational Approaches
o Systems Approach: considers the org. as a system composed of a set of interrelated, mutually
dependent subsystems
 o Sociotechnical Approach: considers org. as composed of a social system, technical system, & its
environment; they interact with each other, so it’s necessary to balance them appropriately
o Contingency or Situational Approach: recognizes that org. systems are interrelated with their
environment & different environments require different org. systems for effectiveness

Fiscal Management Techniques

o Planning: the short- & long-term strategies used to ensure fiscal solvency
o Acquisition: the gathering of human, material, & economic resources through such means as
fundraising, grant writing, contractual arrangements, fees, purchase of merchandise, and so on
o Allocation: the distribution of resources internally (i.e. to specific departments) or externally (i.e.
contracting outside consultants)
o Internal Control: the establishment of standardized policies/procedures relating to all transactions &
events involving monetary items
o Recording/Reporting: use of a system to list & classify all transactions of a fiscal nature
o Evaluating: periodic review of financial activities to assess their efficiency & effectiveness

Supervision
● Administrative: ensures that SW is accountable to the public as well as to their organization’s
policies; make sure work is performed in an acceptable manner
● Educational: establishes a learning alliance between a supervisor and a SW with the aim of
teaching new skills or refining existing ones
● Supportive: focused on increasing performance by decreasing job-related stress that interferes
with functioning

Types of Program Evaluation

● Cost-Benefit Analysis: determines the financial costs of operating a program as compared
with the fiscal benefits of its outcomes
● Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: similar to Cost-Benefit Analysis, but considers the benefits that
are not measured in monetary terms, such as illnesses prevented or lives saved
● Outcome Assessment: the process of determining whether a program has achieved its
intended goals

Unit IV: Professional Relationships, Values, & Ethics

Core Social Work Values

● Service
● Social Justice
● Dignity & Worth of the Person
● Importance of Human Relationships
● Integrity
● Competence

Steps in Ethical Problem Solving

 o An ethical dilemma is a predicament when SW must decide between 2 viable solutions that
seem to have similar ethical value
1. DETERMINE whether there is an ethical issue or dilemma
2. IDENTIFY the main principles & values involved
3. RANK the main principles & values that are most relevant to the issue or dilemma
4. DEVELOP an action plan
5. IMPLEMENT the action plan
6. REFLECT on the outcome

Misc. Ethics
o WHODAS 2.0: DSM assessment to help SW determine assistance needed in functional life domains
o Self-Disclosure: prior to engaging in any self-disclosure, SW should consult with supervisor about why
such disclosure is professionally justified
o Documentation: should be completed as soon as possible after client contact
o Advance Directives: legal written agreements that will be honored in the future when people can no
longer communicate their wishes; includes living wills (client’s preference for medical care), power of
attorney (clients designate other people to make healthcare decisions on their behalf), or both

Confidentiality
o Consent: if client is a minor or lacks capacity, informed consent must be obtained by a responsible
third party & assent must be obtained from client
o Withholding: SW should limit clients’ access to their records only in exceptional circumstances where
there is compelling evidence that such access would cause serious harm to the client
o Storing separately: demographic info, assessments, service plans with goals, discharge plan, release
of info & referrals, and correspondence should all be kept in separate sections or folders
o Suing: if client sues SW, SW has the right to defend themselves & may need to release client info as
part of their defense; however, it should be limited only to what is relevant to defense

Legal Terms
o Subpoena: SW should respond & claim privilege, but not turn over records unless court issues a
subsequent order to do so; demand to appear before the court
o Court Order: if disclosure would cause harm to client, SW should request that the court withdraw the
order or limit the order as narrowly as possible or maintain the records under seal, unavailable for
public inspection; must produce client records when presented with court order
o Deposition: the testimony one provides to the court
o Cause of Action: the reason why an action has been brought before the court (i.e. negligence)

Models of Supervision
o Individual
o Benefits: full attention given to supervisee; more time/safer environment in which to explore
supervisee’s dynamics & the impact of work (countertransference, secondary trauma, etc.); less
exposure to poor practices of peers
o Challenges: supervisee may feel intimidated by supervisor; costly/time consuming; no input
from others
o Peer Group
 o Benefits: each group member can offer/receive wisdom and experience; avoids chance of
getting stuck with unwanted supervisor; peer support
o Challenges: potential for unconscious designation of more experienced/skilled members as ‘de
facto’ supervisors; requires mutual trust, openness & respect; competition, defensiveness, &
criticism may occur; clinical case discussion is limited by time
o Facilitated Group (facilitated by professional leaders)
o Benefits: learning occurs from others’ practice examples; opportunities for role play; less
expensive & time consuming than individual supervision
o Challenges: less time for each supervisee; supervisor may be anxious about their own
competence; group needs to have high level of trust

**The most consistent factor associated with beneficial outcomes of a helping relationship is a positive
relationship between a social worker and a client

Social Work Practice Roles

o Advocate: champion the rights of others with the goal of empowering the client system being served;
speak on behalf of clients when they are unable to do so/others will not listen
o Broker: identify, locate, & link client systems to resources; once clients are assessed & potential
services identified, broker assists in choosing the most appropriate service option & assists in
negotiating the terms of service delivery
o Change Agent: participates as part of a group or organization seeking to improve or restructure some
aspect of service provision; uses problem-solving model
o Counselor: goal of improving social functioning; help clients articulate their needs, clarify their
problems, apply intervention strategies, etc.; empower clients by affirming their personal strengths &
capacities to deal with problems more effectively
o Mediator: when dispute resolution is needed; intervene in disputes between parties to help them find
compromises, etc.; takes neutral stance
*The primary role of SWs is to act as a resource – assuming various roles depending on the nature of client
problems

o h
** Social Exchange Theory: idea of totaling potential benefits & losses to determine behavior (client may
remain in abusive relationship because the high cost of leaving lowers the attractiveness
** traditional couples therapy is not appropriate for addressing abuse; puts the victim at greater risk
** medical needs & safety are priority (think Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs)

Adverse Impacts on Social Workers

o Burnout: state of physical, emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual exhaustion; manifests in cynicism
or lack of satisfaction in working with clients; characterized by emotional fatigue & feeling inadequate
due to not being able to change clients’ life circumstances; occurs cumulatively over time
o Secondary Trauma: relates to the behaviors & emotions that result from knowledge about
traumatizing events experienced by clients; symptoms mirror those experienced by the primary victim
(insomnia, chronic irritability, angry outbursts, difficulty concentrating, avoidance)
o Compassion Fatigue: syndrome consisting of a combination of symptoms of secondary trauma and
burnout; represents the overall experience of emotional & physical fatigue that SW can experience due
 to the use of empathy when treating clients who are distraught & experiencing emotional pain;
compassion fatigue occurs cumulatively over time whereas secondary trauma is more immediate

SW Own Values That May Inhibit Therapeutic Relationship

o Universalism: idea that there is one acceptable norm or standard for everyone vs. there are other valid
standards that have been developed by people that they have determined to be most useful to them
o Dichotomous “either-or” thinking: differences are inferior, wrong, bad vs. differences are just different
and coexist
o Heightened ability/value on separating, categorizing, numbering, “left brain” vs. “right brain” or
“whole picture”; mental activity is highly valued to the exclusion of physical & spiritual experiences
o High value on control, constraint, restraint vs. value on flexibility, emotion/feelings, expressiveness,
spirituality; what cannot be controlled & definitively defined is deemed nonexistent, unimportant, or
unscientific
o Measure of self comes from outside, & is only in contrast to others vs. value comes from within- you
are worthwhile because you are born, & you strive to live a life that is in harmony with others & the
environment
o Power is defined as “power over” others, mastery over environment vs. “power through” or in
harmony with others

Disorders
1. Neurodevelopmental Disorders
a. Intellectual Disabilities, Communication Disorders, *Autism, *ADHD, Tics, Motor
Disorders, Specific Learning Disorder
2. Schizophrenia Spectrum & Other Psychotic Disorders
a. Schizotypal, Delusional, Brief Psychotic, Schizophreniform, Schizophrenia
3. Bipolar & Related Disorders
a. Bipolar I, II, Cyclothymic Disorder
4. Depressive Disorders
a. DMDD, Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, Premenstrual
Dysphoric Disorder
5. Anxiety Disorders
a. Separation, Selective Mutism, Phobias, Panic, GAD
6. Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders
a. Body Dysmorphic, Hoarding, Trichotillomania, Excoriation
7. Trauma & Stressor-Related Disorders
a. Reactive Attachment Disorder, Disinhibited Social Engagement, PTSD, Adjustment
Disorders
8. Dissociative Disorders
9. Somatic Symptoms & Related Disorders
10. Feeding & Eating Disorders
a. PICA, Rumination, Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating
11. Elimination Disorders
a. Enuresis, Encopresis
12. Sleep-Wake Disorders
13. Sexual Dysfunctions
 14. Gender Dysphoria
15. Disruptive, Impulse-Control, & Conduct Disorders
a. ODD, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Antisocial, Conduct, Pyro/Klepto
16. Substance-Related & Addictive Disorders
17. Neurocognitive Disorders
a. Delirium, Alzheimer’s & other Dementias/Diseases
18. Personality Disorders
a. Cluster A: Odd & Eccentric
i. Schizoid, Paranoid, Schizotypal
b. Cluster B: Dramatic, Emotional, Erratic
i. Antisocial, BPD, Narcissistic, Histrionic
c. Cluster C: Anxious & Fearful
i. Avoidant, Dependent, OCD
*Weird, Wacky, Worried
ODA (odd, dramatic, anxious)

Antipsychotics (Schizophrenia & Mania)

o Haldol
o Thorazine
Typical o Prolixin
o Mellaril
o Risperidone
o Seroquel
Atypical o Clozapine
o Zyprexa
o Geodon
o Invega
*Tardive Dyskinesia
He Thought it was Real

Antidepressants (Depression &&& OCD!)

SSRIs Tricyclics MAOIs atypical
antidepressants
o Citalopram (Celexa) o Asendin o Nardil o Desyrel
o Escitalopram (Lexapro) o Anafranil o Parnate o Effexor
o Fluvoxamine (Luvox) o Elavil o Remeron
o Paroxetine (Paxil) o Tofranil Mayo goes with o Serzone
o Fluoxetine (Prozac) o Aventyl no pickles o Wellbutrin
o Sertraline (Zoloft) o Pamelor o Cymbalta
o Norpramin *dietary
SS Less Sex o Sinequan restrictions
o ET on his bike (beer, cheese, etc.)
Mood Stabilizers (Bipolar)
o Depakene
o Lamactil
o Lithium
o Tegretol
o Topamax
o Light their dark
Stimulants (ADHD)
o Adderall (Amphetamine)
o Concerta (Methyphenidate)
o Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)
o Metadate (Methylphenidate)
o Ritalin (Methylphenidate)
o Vyvanse (Lisdexamphetamine)
Anti-Anxiety
o Ativan (Lorazepam)
o Buspar (Buspirone)
o Klonopin (Clonazepam)
o Valium (Diazepam)
o Xanax (Alprazolam)

*benzodiazepines

Other Medications:
o Asthma
o Advair Diskus: asthma & chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD)
o Ventolin: asthma (in inhalers)
o High Cholesterol
o Crestor: lipid-lowering agent; high cholesterol
o Sinvastatin: high cholesterol
o Thyroid
o Levothyroxine Sodium: thyroid
o Synthroid: hypothyroidism
o High Blood Pressure
o Lisinopril: high blood pressure
o Metopropol: high blood pressure & reduce risk of heart attacks
o Other
o Diovan: heart disease/failure
o Hydrocodone: painkiller
o Lantus: diabetes
o Lyrica: seizures & nerve pain
o Nexium: gastro issues