CAADE Crisis Intervention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In crisis intervention, what does the acronym 'SLAP' help assess?
- Suicide risk: Specificity, Lethality, Availability, Proximity (Correct answer)
- Substance use: Severity, Level, Abuse pattern, Prior history
- Safety planning: Support, Location, Action, Prevention
- Stabilization: Sedation, Listening, Assessment, Plan
Correct answer: Suicide risk: Specificity, Lethality, Availability, Proximity
SLAP assesses suicide risk by evaluating the Specificity of the plan, Lethality of means, Availability of means, and Proximity of support.
Question 2: Which communication technique is MOST effective during the acute phase of a substance-related crisis?
- Confronting the client about their substance use choices
- Using active listening with short, clear, calm statements (Correct answer)
- Providing detailed psychoeducation about addiction
- Immediately referencing the client's treatment history
Correct answer: Using active listening with short, clear, calm statements
During acute crisis, active listening with brief, calm, and clear statements helps de-escalate and establish rapport without overwhelming the client.
Question 3: A client in opioid withdrawal becomes agitated and threatening. The FIRST priority of the counselor is to:
- Document the behavior in the client's chart
- Ensure physical safety of the client and others (Correct answer)
- Administer medication-assisted treatment immediately
- Contact the client's emergency contact
Correct answer: Ensure physical safety of the client and others
Safety is always the first priority in any crisis situation before proceeding with clinical interventions.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'precipitating event' in crisis theory?
- The client's long-standing pattern of substance use
- A specific triggering incident that overwhelms coping capacity (Correct answer)
- The counselor's intervention plan for the crisis
- A chronic stressor unrelated to the presenting problem
Correct answer: A specific triggering incident that overwhelms coping capacity
A precipitating event is the immediate trigger that overwhelms a person's usual coping mechanisms and initiates the crisis state.
Question 5: Under California law, a counselor may breach confidentiality WITHOUT client consent when:
- The client discloses ongoing recreational marijuana use
- The client expresses credible intent to harm an identifiable third party (Correct answer)
- The client refuses to participate in group therapy
- The client requests release of records to a family member
Correct answer: The client expresses credible intent to harm an identifiable third party
California's Tarasoff duty requires counselors to warn identifiable potential victims when a client makes a credible threat of harm.
Question 6: A client who has relapsed after 8 months of sobriety presents in crisis feeling hopeless. The MOST therapeutic initial response is to:
- Review the consequences of the relapse with the client
- Validate the client's feelings and explore ambivalence about recovery (Correct answer)
- Schedule a family intervention to address enabling behaviors
- Refer the client immediately to a higher level of care
Correct answer: Validate the client's feelings and explore ambivalence about recovery
Validating feelings and exploring ambivalence using motivational approaches helps the client re-engage with recovery rather than increasing shame.
Question 7: The goal of stabilization in the Roberts Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model is to:
- Eliminate all symptoms of psychological distress
- Help the client regain pre-crisis level of functioning (Correct answer)
- Establish a long-term therapeutic relationship
- Identify and treat co-occurring mental health disorders
Correct answer: Help the client regain pre-crisis level of functioning
Stabilization in Roberts' model aims to return the client to their pre-crisis equilibrium, not necessarily to resolve all underlying issues.
CAADE Crisis Intervention 2
In crisis intervention, what does the acronym 'SLAP' help assess?