BRS Counseling, Education & Support Services 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a BRS identifies signs of elder abuse in a blind senior client during a home visit, the FIRST required action is to:
- Confront the suspected abuser directly
- Document observations and report to Adult Protective Services (Correct answer)
- Discuss concerns with the client's family at the next visit
- Continue observing over several sessions before acting
Correct answer: Document observations and report to Adult Protective Services
Mandatory reporting laws require immediate documentation and reporting of suspected elder abuse to Adult Protective Services, regardless of client consent.
Question 2: Which motivational interviewing technique involves the counselor restating the client's words in a slightly different way to deepen exploration?
- Affirmation
- Open-ended questioning
- Reflective listening (Correct answer)
- Summarizing
Correct answer: Reflective listening
Reflective listening (reflection) paraphrases or reframes what the client says to show understanding and encourage elaboration.
Question 3: A client with Usher syndrome expresses frustration that rehabilitation focuses only on vision and ignores their hearing loss. The BRS should FIRST:
- Explain that hearing services are outside the BRS scope of practice and end the discussion
- Acknowledge the client's frustration and collaborate to incorporate deaf-blind rehabilitation into the plan (Correct answer)
- Refer immediately to an audiologist without further discussion
- Suggest the client file a formal complaint
Correct answer: Acknowledge the client's frustration and collaborate to incorporate deaf-blind rehabilitation into the plan
Acknowledging the client's perspective and adapting the rehabilitation plan to address combined sensory loss reflects both person-centered practice and appropriate scope of practice collaboration.
Question 4: The ADA Title III requires businesses open to the public (places of public accommodation) to provide blind individuals with:
- Free transportation to all services
- Effective communication through auxiliary aids and services (Correct answer)
- Discounted pricing on all products
- Dedicated staff members trained in braille
Correct answer: Effective communication through auxiliary aids and services
ADA Title III mandates that public accommodations provide effective communication using auxiliary aids such as accessible formats, readers, or screen-compatible systems.
Question 5: During a rehabilitation teaching session, a client who lost vision due to diabetes becomes tearful and stops engaging. The MOST appropriate immediate response is to:
- Continue the lesson to keep the client on schedule
- Pause the lesson, acknowledge the emotion, and invite the client to talk (Correct answer)
- Redirect the client to a written handout
- Contact the client's physician immediately
Correct answer: Pause the lesson, acknowledge the emotion, and invite the client to talk
Pausing instruction to address emotional distress respects the client's needs and reflects a person-centered approach central to blind rehabilitation.
Question 6: Which assessment tool is MOST specifically designed to measure psychosocial adjustment to vision loss?
- Functional Vision Score (FVS)
- Nottingham Adjustment Scale (NAS) (Correct answer)
- LogMAR visual acuity chart
- Snellen eye chart
Correct answer: Nottingham Adjustment Scale (NAS)
The Nottingham Adjustment Scale measures emotional and functional adjustment to vision loss and is validated for use in blind rehabilitation populations.
Question 7: A BRS is preparing an individualized written rehabilitation program (IWRP) with a client. Who should lead the goal-setting process?
- The state vocational rehabilitation counselor alone
- The BRS in consultation with the medical team
- The client, with support from the BRS and relevant team members (Correct answer)
- The client's family members as primary decision-makers
Correct answer: The client, with support from the BRS and relevant team members
WIOA and best practice emphasize consumer-directed rehabilitation in which the client drives goal selection, supported by the BRS and interdisciplinary team.
BRS Counseling, Education & Support Services 4
When a BRS identifies signs of elder abuse in a blind senior client during a home visit, the FIRST required action is to: