CAS Communication & Stakeholder Engagement 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When engaging a skeptical community leader in a public awareness campaign about addiction, the CAS should FIRST:
- Listen to their concerns and identify shared community priorities before presenting information (Correct answer)
- Present statistics on local overdose rates to demonstrate urgency
- Invite them to attend a client support group meeting
- Explain the CAS credential to establish professional credibility
Correct answer: Listen to their concerns and identify shared community priorities before presenting information
Understanding a stakeholder's perspective and aligning with their priorities builds trust and increases receptivity to new information.
Question 2: A CAS wants to improve coordination with a local emergency department regarding post-overdose follow-up. The MOST effective first step is:
- Meeting with ED leadership to understand their workflow and identify collaborative touchpoints (Correct answer)
- Sending educational brochures about addiction treatment to the ED waiting room
- Requesting that ED physicians attend an addiction training workshop
- Drafting a formal MOU before any direct communication
Correct answer: Meeting with ED leadership to understand their workflow and identify collaborative touchpoints
Understanding the ED's workflow first allows the CAS to propose collaboration that fits within existing systems rather than creating additional burdens.
Question 3: Which principle of trauma-informed communication is MOST important when interviewing a new client about their substance use history?
- Prioritizing physical and emotional safety by explaining the purpose of questions before asking them (Correct answer)
- Gathering as much information as possible in the first session to complete the assessment
- Using clinical terminology to maintain professional boundaries
- Asking all screening questions in a standardized order without deviation
Correct answer: Prioritizing physical and emotional safety by explaining the purpose of questions before asking them
Explaining the purpose of sensitive questions helps clients feel safe and reduces the likelihood of retraumatization.
Question 4: During a case conference, a colleague uses stigmatizing language to refer to a client with a substance use disorder. The CAS should:
- Respectfully correct the language and model person-first terminology in the discussion (Correct answer)
- Report the colleague to HR immediately without addressing it in the meeting
- Ignore the comment to avoid disrupting the meeting
- Wait until after the meeting and send an anonymous complaint
Correct answer: Respectfully correct the language and model person-first terminology in the discussion
Immediate, respectful correction models professional standards and reduces ongoing stigma within treatment teams.
Question 5: A CAS is writing a grant proposal to fund community addiction prevention programming. Which communication strategy will MOST strengthen the proposal?
- Combining local needs data with evidence-based program descriptions and clear outcome metrics (Correct answer)
- Emphasizing the organization's long history and reputation in the community
- Including testimonials from former clients as the primary evidence of effectiveness
- Focusing on the emotional stories of affected families to appeal to reviewers
Correct answer: Combining local needs data with evidence-based program descriptions and clear outcome metrics
Grant reviewers expect data-driven needs assessments paired with evidence-based interventions and measurable outcomes.
Question 6: When a client who speaks limited English is being assessed, the MOST appropriate accommodation is:
- Using a qualified medical interpreter and providing translated written materials (Correct answer)
- Asking the client's bilingual family member to interpret during the session
- Conducting the session in English and supplementing with gestures
- Delaying assessment until an interpreter can be hired permanently
Correct answer: Using a qualified medical interpreter and providing translated written materials
Qualified medical interpreters ensure accurate communication and protect confidentiality, which family members cannot guarantee.
Question 7: A CAS learns that a community coalition meeting has excluded treatment providers from the agenda. The BEST response is to:
- Request a seat at the table by presenting data on how treatment providers contribute to coalition goals (Correct answer)
- Boycott the coalition until treatment providers are included
- Send a written complaint to the coalition chair about exclusion
- Accept exclusion and focus on internal program improvement instead
Correct answer: Request a seat at the table by presenting data on how treatment providers contribute to coalition goals
Advocating for inclusion with data-driven arguments demonstrates the value of the treatment perspective and is more effective than adversarial approaches.
CAS Communication & Stakeholder Engagement 3
When engaging a skeptical community leader in a public awareness campaign about addiction, the CAS should FIRST: