CAT Addiction Technician Client Support and Aftercare 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is an example of a natural support in a client's recovery network?
- A licensed clinical social worker
- A recovery coach employed by the treatment center
- A long-time friend who is also in recovery (Correct answer)
- A case manager assigned by the state
Correct answer: A long-time friend who is also in recovery
Natural supports are informal relationships—friends, family, or peers—that exist outside formal service systems and provide ongoing encouragement.
Question 2: A client discloses that they are experiencing cravings after seeing an old using friend at a grocery store. Using a relapse prevention framework, the technician should help the client recognize this as a:
- Lapse that requires immediate return to inpatient care
- High-risk situation that triggered an external cue (Correct answer)
- Sign of insufficient motivation for recovery
- Normal experience that requires no specific action
Correct answer: High-risk situation that triggered an external cue
Encountering an old using friend is an external high-risk cue that can trigger cravings; recognizing it allows the client to apply coping strategies.
Question 3: A peer support specialist differs from an addiction technician primarily because the peer support specialist:
- Has a master's degree in counseling
- Uses lived experience with addiction and recovery as a primary qualification (Correct answer)
- Is licensed to prescribe medication-assisted treatment
- Is employed exclusively in hospital settings
Correct answer: Uses lived experience with addiction and recovery as a primary qualification
Peer support specialists are distinguished by their own personal recovery experience, which they use to build rapport and offer credible hope to clients.
Question 4: Which step in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12-Step model specifically involves making a list of people harmed and becoming willing to make amends?
- Step 4
- Step 8 (Correct answer)
- Step 10
- Step 12
Correct answer: Step 8
Step 8 involves making a list of all persons harmed and becoming willing to make amends to them all.
Question 5: When a client with co-occurring depression and alcohol use disorder is discharged, the continuing care plan should:
- Focus only on substance use since depression is a separate issue
- Exclude mental health referrals to avoid overwhelming the client
- Address both disorders with integrated or coordinated services (Correct answer)
- Prioritize mental health treatment and defer addiction support
Correct answer: Address both disorders with integrated or coordinated services
Co-occurring disorders require integrated or well-coordinated care that addresses both conditions simultaneously for optimal outcomes.
Question 6: A client asks the addiction technician about the difference between a lapse and a relapse. The most accurate distinction is:
- A lapse is a return to use that lasts more than a week; a relapse lasts less than a day
- A lapse is a brief, isolated return to use, while a relapse is a full return to previous patterns of use (Correct answer)
- A lapse involves only alcohol, while a relapse involves illicit substances
- There is no meaningful clinical difference between the two terms
Correct answer: A lapse is a brief, isolated return to use, while a relapse is a full return to previous patterns of use
A lapse is a single or brief episode of use, whereas a relapse represents a sustained return to prior patterns, though both warrant clinical attention.
Question 7: Which of the following client behaviors best indicates readiness to engage in aftercare planning?
- The client agrees with everything the technician suggests without comment
- The client identifies specific goals they want to achieve after discharge (Correct answer)
- The client says they will figure things out on their own after leaving
- The client asks to stay in treatment indefinitely
Correct answer: The client identifies specific goals they want to achieve after discharge
Identifying specific personal goals indicates intrinsic motivation and active engagement, which are strong predictors of successful aftercare participation.
CAT Addiction Technician Client Support and Aftercare 3
Which of the following is an example of a natural support in a client's recovery network?