Trauma-Informed Care & Mental Health Fundamentals Flashcards

The SAMHSA framework for trauma-informed care identifies six key principles. Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Answer: Competitive individualism

SAMHSA's six principles are: Safety; Trustworthiness & Transparency; Peer Support; Collaboration & Mutuality; Empowerment & Choice; and Cultural, Historical & Gender Issues.

A person experiencing a manic episode in the context of Bipolar I Disorder may present in a crisis setting with:

Answer: Decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, and impulsive behavior

Mania is characterized by elevated or irritable mood, decreased need for sleep, inflated self-esteem, and risky/impulsive behavior lasting at least 7 days.

Which therapeutic modality is specifically evidence-based for treating PTSD and involves systematically pairing trauma memories with relaxation to reduce their emotional charge?

Answer: Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)

Prolonged Exposure Therapy involves gradual, systematic exposure to trauma-related stimuli to reduce avoidance and desensitize trauma memories.

In assessing trauma in a pediatric client, a crisis specialist should be aware that children often express trauma primarily through:

Answer: Regression, play re-enactment, and somatic complaints

Children frequently express trauma through behavioral regression, repetitive trauma play, physical complaints, and sleep disturbances rather than direct verbal disclosure.

The concept of 'allostatic load' is relevant to trauma-informed care because it refers to:

Answer: The cumulative physiological wear on the body from chronic stress exposure

Allostatic load describes the cumulative damage to body systems (cardiovascular, immune, endocrine) from repeated stress activation over time.

When a crisis client reports hearing voices commanding them to harm themselves, the crisis worker should prioritize:

Answer: Assessing the nature, content, and command-compliance history of the voices

Command auditory hallucinations require careful assessment of content, client's relationship to the voices, and history of acting on commands to determine immediate risk.

The 'dual awareness' skill taught to trauma survivors in treatment helps clients:

Answer: Remain aware of present safety while recalling traumatic events

Dual awareness allows clients to simultaneously hold awareness of the safe present while processing traumatic memories, preventing complete retraumatization during therapy.