What is a risk assessment in social work and what primary domains does it cover?

• A. An evaluation of self-harm/harm to others, danger to property, and imminent risk, including context, intent, and protective factors.
• B. An assessment focusing only on economic resources for services.
• C. An assessment focusing solely on subclinical anxiety.
• D. A review of treatment preferences.

Answer: (C)

Risk assessment in social work is the systematic process of estimating the likelihood that an individual will engage in dangerous behavior toward themselves or others and identifying factors that influence that risk. It covers primary domains such as self-harm risk, risk to others, and danger to property or safety, with careful attention to the context, the presence or absence of intent, and protective factors that may reduce risk. The assessment also integrates static factors from the person’s history and dynamic, current factors that can change over time to inform immediate safety planning and decisions about intervention. This focus is distinct from assessments of economic resources, subclinical anxiety, or treatment preferences, which would be addressed in other types of evaluation.