ACT Patient Safety & Risk Management 2

Question 1

A client in ACT therapy discloses passive suicidal ideation with no plan or intent. What is the most appropriate ACT-consistent response?

Accepted Answer

Explore the function of suicidal thoughts using defusion techniques while assessing safety

Answer

ACT uses defusion to examine the function of suicidal thoughts while conducting a thorough safety assessment before determining the level of intervention needed.

Question 2

Which documentation practice is essential when a client presents with self-harm risk in an ACT session?

Accepted Answer

Document the risk assessment, clinical reasoning, intervention, and safety plan in detail

Answer

Thorough documentation of risk assessments, clinical reasoning, and safety planning provides legal protection and continuity of care.

Question 3

An ACT therapist discovers a client has been restricting food intake. Under which framework should the therapist conceptualize this behavior?

Accepted Answer

As experiential avoidance maintaining the disorder

Answer

ACT conceptualizes disordered eating behaviors as experiential avoidance—attempts to escape internal distress—which guides the treatment approach.

Question 4

When is breaking confidentiality legally required in most US states regardless of therapist-client agreement?

Accepted Answer

When there is credible risk of serious harm to an identifiable third party

Answer

Duty-to-warn/protect laws in most US states mandate breaking confidentiality when a client poses a credible, serious threat to an identifiable third party.

Question 5

A therapist uses the ACT 'passengers on the bus' metaphor with a suicidal client. What is the primary clinical goal of this intervention?

Accepted Answer

To help the client defuse from suicidal thoughts and act according to values despite their presence

Answer

The metaphor helps clients recognize they can choose values-based actions even when distressing thoughts like suicidal ideation are present.

ACT Practice Test

ACT Practice Test

ACT Patient Safety & Risk Management 2