Cheat sheet
ASWB Cheat Sheet
Values + Ethics
- 35-36% of exam
- Confidentiality Boundaries Mandatory Reporting Informed Consent Justice
Assessment + Planning
- 32-33% of exam
- Risk Assessment Biopsychosocial Diagnosis Treatment Planning Resources
Intervention + Practice
- 32% of exam
- Crisis Modalities Case Management Evaluation Supervision
Quick Facts
- Exam ASWB licensing
- Format Multiple choice
- After Aug 3 122 total questions
- Scored 110 scored
- Time 4 hours
- Fees $230 or $260
- Delivery Pearson VUE
- Retake 90-day wait
Ethics Check ET
- Legal, ethical, client, consult, document
- Law Code Client welfare Consult Document
Confidentiality vs Reporting ET
Confidentiality
- Protect privacy
- Use releases
- Share minimum
Reporting
- Abuse concerns
- Serious threat
- Legal duty
- Privacy yields to safety
Ethics Picker ET
- Info request → Check release ( Scope limits )
- Boundary issue → Assess harm ( Document rationale )
- Client choice → Support autonomy ( Assess capacity )
- Colleague impaired → Follow protocol ( Protect clients )
- Competence gap → Consult refer ( Scope limit )
- Termination risk → Transition plan ( Avoid abandonment )
Ethics Priorities ET
- Safety Protect life
- Law Know limits
- Ethics code Guide conduct
- Supervision Consult early
- Documentation Record rationale
- Competence Stay within scope
- Integrity Avoid deception
Confidentiality ET
- Informed consent Explain limits
- Release Written permission
- Minimum necessary Share least
- Duty warn Protect target
- Mandated report Report abuse
- Privilege Court protection
- Records Secure access
Boundaries + Justice ET
- Dual role Role conflict
- Gift Assess meaning
- Self-disclosure Client benefit
- Termination Planned transition
- Bias Check assumptions
- Access Remove barriers
- Advocacy Address systems
FIRST Action AS
- F-I-R-S-T: Facts, Immediacy, Risk, Safety, Team
- Facts first Immediacy Risk Safety Team consult
Assessment vs Intervention AS
Assessment
- Clarify facts
- Identify risk
- Formulate needs
Intervention
- Act on plan
- Apply method
- Coordinate care
- Know before doing
Risk Picker AS
- Suicide cue → Direct risk assessment ( Intent plan means )
- Targeted threat → Protective action ( Law plus consult )
- Child harm → Mandated report ( Safety first )
- Elder exploitation → Mandated steps ( Jurisdiction rules )
- Acute psychosis → Higher care ( Safety capacity )
- Medical confusion → Medical coordination ( Rule out cause )
Assessment Core AS
- Engagement Build rapport
- BPS Whole context
- MSE Current functioning
- Risk Safety status
- Strengths Protective factors
- Collateral Consent-bound data
- Culture Meaning context
Risk Scan AS
- Intent, plan, means, time, past, protection
- Intent Plan Means Time History Protection
Risk vs Diagnosis AS
Risk
- Immediate safety
- Intent means
- Protective factors
Diagnosis
- Pattern criteria
- Rule-outs
- Clinical formulation
- Safety before labels
Risk Assessment AS
- Intent Desire to act
- Plan Specific method
- Means Access available
- Timeframe Immediacy
- History Prior attempts
- Protection Reasons living
- Safety plan Concrete steps
Diagnosis + Planning AS
- DSM Diagnostic criteria
- Rule-out Check alternatives
- Medical cause Coordinate care
- Substance cause Differentiate effects
- Goals Measurable outcomes
- Objectives Specific steps
- Baseline Starting measure
Resources + Systems AS
- Triage Match acuity
- Referral Link service
- Eligibility Program rules
- Discharge Transition needs
- Medication Effects context
- Barriers Access gaps
- Support Natural helpers
Practice Flow IN
- Engage, assess, plan, intervene, evaluate
- Engage Assess Plan Intervene Evaluate
Counseling vs Case Management IN
Counseling
- Therapeutic change
- Skills insight
- Clinical goals
Case management
- Service linkage
- Coordination
- Resource access
- Therapy vs linkage
Intervention Picker IN
- Crisis state → Stabilize ( Ground safety )
- Automatic thoughts → CBT ( Thought record )
- Ambivalence → MI ( Elicit change )
- Emotion dysregulation → DBT skills ( Tolerance regulation )
- Family conflict → Systems work ( Interaction cycles )
- Resource gap → Case management ( Link services )
Intervention Methods IN
- Crisis Stabilize first
- CBT Thought behavior link
- DBT Skills regulation
- MI Resolve ambivalence
- SFBT Exceptions scaling
- Trauma-informed Avoid retrauma
- Family systems Interaction patterns
CBT vs MI IN
CBT
- Thought patterns
- Behavior change
- Homework practice
MI
- Ambivalence
- Change talk
- Autonomy support
- Restructure vs evoke
Case Management IN
- Coordination Align providers
- Advocacy Secure services
- Follow-up Verify linkage
- Level care Match intensity
- Teach-back Confirm understanding
- Harm reduction Reduce risk
- Continuity Warm handoff
Process vs Outcome IN
Process
- Delivery fidelity
- Attendance
- Implementation
Outcome
- Client change
- Goal progress
- Measured results
- How vs results
Evaluation + Supervision IN
- Process eval Implementation quality
- Outcome eval Goal achievement
- Reliability Consistent measure
- Validity Measures target
- Single-subject Client over time
- Consultation Expert input
- Impairment Protect clients
Common Traps
Rapport vs safety
- Rapport matters ≠ Safety overrides
Consent vs full disclosure
- Consent has scope ≠ Disclose minimum
Autonomy vs capacity
- Honor choice ≠ Assess capacity
Diagnosis vs medical cause
- DSM guides ≠ Medicine may explain
Best vs possible
- Many are plausible ≠ One fits sequence
Referral vs abandonment
- Referral links ≠ Abandonment drops
Last Minute
- 1. Weights: 35-36 / 32-33 / 32
- 2. After Aug 3: 122 questions
- 3. Four hours still applies
- 4. Ethics first; assess facts
- 5. Safety beats rapport
- 6. Consent limits sharing
- 7. Mandatory reporting breaks confidentiality
- 8. Assess before intervention
- 9. Direct suicide questions are appropriate
- 10. Goals must be measurable
- 11. Rule out medical causes
- 12. Document consultation rationale