Crisis Intervention Techniques Flashcards

A CBIS is working with a TBI survivor who becomes physically aggressive toward staff. After ensuring immediate safety, what is the next recommended step?

Answer: Conduct a post-crisis debriefing to identify triggers

Post-crisis debriefing identifies triggers and informs individualized prevention plans to reduce future incidents.

When using the CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) Non-Violent Crisis Intervention model, what does the 'tension reduction' phase involve?

Answer: Supporting the individual as they return to a calmer baseline

Tension reduction is the phase where the specialist provides supportive presence and helps the individual re-establish emotional equilibrium.

Which factor unique to TBI survivors can make standard crisis intervention protocols less effective?

Answer: Impaired ability to process verbal instructions quickly

TBI commonly slows processing speed, making lengthy verbal instructions overwhelming and ineffective during a crisis.

A TBI survivor presents with sudden paranoid ideation and believes staff are trying to harm them. What is the most appropriate immediate response?

Answer: Maintain a calm tone, validate the emotional experience, and avoid threatening movements

Validating the emotion without reinforcing delusional content, while remaining calm and non-threatening, is the evidence-based approach.

What is the role of a 'behavior support plan' in crisis prevention for TBI survivors?

Answer: It outlines individualized triggers, warning signs, and proactive strategies to prevent escalation

A behavior support plan is a proactive, individualized document designed to prevent crises by identifying patterns and pre-emptive strategies.

Which physiological TBI symptom can mimic psychiatric crisis behavior and must be ruled out first?

Answer: Post-traumatic seizure activity

Post-traumatic seizures can produce behavioral changes that resemble aggression or psychosis and require immediate medical evaluation.

During a crisis intervention, a specialist notices the TBI survivor is hyperventilating. What is the most appropriate immediate response?

Answer: Instruct the individual to breathe slowly and model calm breathing

Modeling slow, paced breathing is an accessible, effective grounding technique that addresses hyperventilation without requiring complex cognition.