Crisis Intervention Strategies Flashcards
7 cards from real CASAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crisis Intervention Strategies flashcards as text
A client in opiate withdrawal becomes agitated and threatens to leave the detox unit against medical advice. What is the counselor's FIRST priority?
Answer: Engage the client calmly and explore their concerns about staying
Therapeutic engagement that addresses the client's concerns is the first step to de-escalate the situation and encourage voluntary cooperation.
Which lethality assessment tool is specifically designed to evaluate suicide risk in substance-using populations by incorporating substance use factors?
Answer: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
The C-SSRS is widely validated and recommended across clinical settings, including substance abuse treatment, because it assesses ideation intensity, behavior, and intent comprehensively.
A client discloses that their domestic partner destroys their medications when angry. In crisis intervention, this pattern is BEST classified as:
Answer: Situational crisis related to financial stress
Domestic violence that disrupts treatment is a situational crisis because it arises from an external, identifiable event rather than a developmental or psychiatric cause.
During a crisis call, a client says 'I've already taken the pills.' The counselor's immediate action should be to:
Answer: Dispatch emergency services while keeping the client on the line
A completed overdose is a medical emergency; dispatching EMS immediately while maintaining verbal contact is the only appropriate response.
The ABC Model of Crisis Intervention focuses on Affect, Behavior, and Cognition. In the 'C' step, the counselor's goal is to:
Answer: Help the client reframe distorted thinking that is maintaining the crisis
In the ABC model, the Cognition step targets irrational or distorted beliefs that amplify the crisis state so the client can regain cognitive control.
A counselor working in a community recovery center receives a text from a client stating 'goodbye everyone.' The counselor cannot reach the client by phone. The MOST appropriate next step is to:
Answer: Send a wellness check request through local law enforcement
A 'goodbye' message with no response constitutes an imminent threat; requesting a law enforcement wellness check is the only action that ensures immediate physical safety.
Which principle of Motivational Interviewing is MOST applicable when a client in crisis is ambivalent about accepting help?
Answer: Rolling with resistance by exploring the ambivalence non-judgmentally
Rolling with resistance avoids power struggles and keeps the client engaged by acknowledging their ambivalence rather than confronting it.