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Roles of a Social Worker

10/21/2012 11:41:00

Expect to encounter questions on the ASWB exam regarding the different roles of a community practice social worker. It is important to be familiar with responsibilities associated with the following roles: Advocate, Broker, Mediator, Lobbyist, Facilitator and Enabler.

Broker - A broker assist clients with obtaining access to resources, makes referrals and also assists clients with navigating complex service systems. These duties can also include educating clients about treatment and resource options. The roles of a case manager and broker are similar.

Enabler - An enabler assists clients with coping with difficult circumstances and engages clients in becoming active participants in the problem solving process. Enablers also works with individuals, families and groups to modify behaviors that can serve as obstacles to them achieving their goals.

Mediator - The mediator role involves resolving arguments or conflicts within micro, mezzo, or macro systems. At the macro level, the mediator helps various subsystems within a community, or a community work out their differences. At the micro and mezzo levels, mediators assist in areas such as resolving divorce and child custody cases. A mediator remains neutral and does not side with either party in the dispute but rather helps opposing parties come to a mutually beneficial resolution.

Advocate - An advocate works towards appealing for the rights of individuals and in some cases, dis-enfranchised groups. The advocate vioces the conerns of the group and assists in obtaining resources, political power and social change. The advocate role involves stepping forward and speaking on behalf of the client system

Lobbyist - Lobbying is a political acitivity that involves voicing the concerns of groups and communities with the goal of influencing and shaping local and national policy. Lobbyist speak on behalf of the groups that they represent with politicians at the local and national level.

Facilitator - A social work facilitator serves as a leader in a group.The group may be a family therapy group, a task group, a sensitivity group, an educational group, a self-help group, or a group with some other focus. The facilitator role may also apply to community practice - in this capacity, a facilitator brings together people and lines of communication, channeling their activities and resources towards the resolution of a shared goal.

Process of Elimination

09/09/2012 12:54:00

Several test takers struggle with the fact that the ASWB exam is presented in a multiple choice format. It's important to use Process of Elimination when faced with determining the correct answer for an exam question. We recommend that test takers:

1.) Pay attention to key concepts in the question.

2.) Be mindful of the age of the client, stage of the therapeutic relationship, duration of symptoms and sequence of intervention (First, Next, Last)

3.) Your role (social worker in a school setting, hospital, community center, etc)

Additionally, make sure that you review all possible answers before making a selection. Be sure to eliminate the erronerous answer and the distractor.

ASWB Exam KSAs

01/30/2012 20:16:00

Be sure to review the ASWB KSAs. These KSAs provide test takers with information about the range of topics that can appear on the ASWB Licensing Exam. Here is the link - http://www.aswb.org/pdfs/2011KSAs.pdf

NASW - South Carolina Spring Symposium

01/06/2012 17:30:00

Inspired Consulting Group will present a seminar entitled "An Overview of the ASWB Licensing Exam" at the upcoming NASW - South Carolina Spring Symposium. The seminar will take place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 from 9:45am - 11:15am. Visit the NASW - SC website for details and registration information. http://www.scnasw.org/

Catholic University Social Work Exam Prep Class

12/21/2011 13:29:00

Inspired Consulting Group will host a two day social work exam prep class on the campus of the Catholic University of America. The class will be held on Friday and Saturday, February 24-25, 2012 from 9am - 4pm and will take place in the Caldwell Hall Auditorium. Please visit http://ncsss.cua.edu/ce/default.cfm for details.

University of Maryland Continuing Education Programs

12/19/2011 21:15:00

Inspired Consulting Group will host three trainings with the University of Maryland School of Social Work's Continuing Professional Education Program this Spring. Visit their website for detailsl!

http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/cpe/

The University of South Carolina College of Social Work

12/09/2011 16:35:00

Inspired Consulting Group finished a two day Social Work Exam Prep class at the University of South Carolina's College of Social Work today. Students: feel free to ask us any questions about information that was covered during the class.

NASW Code of Ethics

12/03/2011 17:07:00

It is very important to be familiar with various sections of the NASW Code of Ethics. If you are preparing for the exam, you need to know the difference between a boundary violation and a boundary crossing. You will also need to be aware of the definitions of dual and multiple relationships; among other things. Please share comments and questions related to this matter.

Social Work Exam Prep

12/02/2011 03:39:00

Feel free to ask us any questions you have about the Social Work Licensing Exam. .