CAC Crisis Intervention and Relapse Prevention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'abstinence violation effect' (AVE) in relapse prevention theory describes:
- A legal consequence of violating a sobriety agreement
- The cognitive and emotional reaction a person has after a lapse that increases relapse risk (Correct answer)
- A physiological withdrawal symptom after stopping substance use
- The effect of peer pressure on a client's decision to use substances
Correct answer: The cognitive and emotional reaction a person has after a lapse that increases relapse risk
AVE refers to the guilt, shame, and cognitive dissonance experienced after a lapse that can lead a person to abandon recovery efforts and continue using.
Question 2: Which tool is specifically designed to identify a client's individual high-risk relapse triggers?
- The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
- The Inventory of Drug Use Consequences (InDUC)
- The Situational Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) (Correct answer)
- The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
Correct answer: The Situational Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ)
The Situational Confidence Questionnaire (SCQ) assesses a client's self-efficacy across various high-risk situations, helping identify specific relapse triggers.
Question 3: During a crisis, a counselor should use the SLAP acronym to assess suicide risk. What does the 'L' stand for?
- Level of intent
- Lethality of plan (Correct answer)
- Length of crisis
- Loss of support
Correct answer: Lethality of plan
In the SLAP assessment (Specificity, Lethality, Availability, Proximity), 'L' stands for Lethality — the potential deadliness of the planned method.
Question 4: A client who is intoxicated arrives at the clinic in crisis. What is the counselor's MOST appropriate immediate action?
- Begin a standard intake assessment
- Ensure the client's safety and contact medical personnel if needed (Correct answer)
- Ask the client to leave and return when sober
- Immediately call law enforcement
Correct answer: Ensure the client's safety and contact medical personnel if needed
Ensuring safety and involving medical personnel if necessary is the priority when a client arrives intoxicated, as medical complications may be present.
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of an emotional relapse warning sign according to the relapse prevention model?
- Visiting a bar 'just to see old friends'
- Isolating, skipping meetings, and suppressing emotions (Correct answer)
- Bargaining about controlled use with the counselor
- Making a plan to obtain substances
Correct answer: Isolating, skipping meetings, and suppressing emotions
Emotional relapse involves behavioral signs such as isolation, poor self-care, and emotional suppression — before the person consciously thinks about using.
Question 6: The harm reduction approach to relapse prevention primarily focuses on:
- Immediate and complete abstinence from all substances
- Reducing the negative consequences of substance use even if use continues (Correct answer)
- Replacing one substance with a less harmful alternative permanently
- Providing incentives for maintaining a specific period of sobriety
Correct answer: Reducing the negative consequences of substance use even if use continues
Harm reduction aims to minimize the harms associated with substance use without requiring immediate abstinence as a prerequisite for engagement.
Question 7: A client reports feeling overwhelmed and is considering using substances to cope. Which counseling technique is MOST appropriate in this moment?
- Confront the client about the negative consequences of using
- Implement urge surfing and cognitive restructuring strategies (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a different counselor immediately
- Increase the client's medication dosage
Correct answer: Implement urge surfing and cognitive restructuring strategies
Urge surfing (riding out cravings without acting on them) and cognitive restructuring help clients manage urges and challenge thoughts that promote substance use.
CAC Crisis Intervention and Relapse Prevention 2
The 'abstinence violation effect' (AVE) in relapse prevention theory describes: