CDT Crisis Intervention & Safety Planning in Disability Trauma 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of crisis intervention for individuals with disabilities experiencing trauma?
- Stabilization and restoration of functioning to pre-crisis level (Correct answer)
- Permanent resolution of the underlying disability
- Immediate psychiatric hospitalization
- Removal from the home environment
Correct answer: Stabilization and restoration of functioning to pre-crisis level
Crisis intervention aims to stabilize the individual and restore functioning to their pre-crisis baseline, not to cure or permanently resolve underlying conditions.
Question 2: When conducting a lethality assessment with a person who has a communication disability, which accommodation is most important?
- Skipping the assessment to avoid confusion
- Using only written questions regardless of literacy level
- Using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools or the individual's preferred communication method (Correct answer)
- Relying solely on caregiver reports for accuracy
Correct answer: Using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools or the individual's preferred communication method
Using the individual's preferred AAC tools ensures accurate communication, respects autonomy, and produces more reliable lethality assessment data.
Question 3: Which model is most commonly referenced as a structured framework for crisis intervention in trauma-informed disability practice?
- Roberts' Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model (Correct answer)
- The DSM-5 diagnostic framework
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) framework
- The APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists
Correct answer: Roberts' Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model
Roberts' Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model provides a structured, evidence-based framework widely adopted in trauma-informed crisis intervention training.
Question 4: A person with an intellectual disability is in acute crisis following a traumatic event. Which initial stabilization approach is MOST appropriate?
- Providing complex psychoeducational materials about trauma
- Using simple, concrete, and predictable interventions (Correct answer)
- Conducting a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation immediately
- Focusing exclusively on physical safety while ignoring emotional reactions
Correct answer: Using simple, concrete, and predictable interventions
Simple, concrete, and predictable interventions reduce overwhelm and promote safety for individuals with intellectual disabilities during acute distress.
Question 5: What is Psychological First Aid (PFA) primarily designed to accomplish in disability trauma crisis response?
- Provide formal evidence-based psychotherapy
- Diagnose PTSD and other trauma disorders
- Reduce initial distress and foster short-term and long-term adaptive functioning (Correct answer)
- Replace long-term treatment planning and follow-up care
Correct answer: Reduce initial distress and foster short-term and long-term adaptive functioning
PFA is designed to reduce initial distress and support adaptive functioning as an early intervention, not as formal therapy or diagnostic assessment.
Question 6: When a disability-related crisis involves a caregiver as the alleged perpetrator, the clinician's FIRST priority should be:
- Confronting the caregiver directly about the allegation
- Ensuring the immediate safety of the individual with a disability (Correct answer)
- Conducting a comprehensive family systems assessment
- Notifying the disability service agency before taking any other steps
Correct answer: Ensuring the immediate safety of the individual with a disability
Ensuring the immediate safety of the vulnerable individual is always the first priority before any other intervention, investigation, or notification steps.
Question 7: In crisis intervention terminology, 'defusing' is best described as:
- A long-term therapeutic intervention for deep trauma processing
- A brief informal discussion shortly after a critical incident to reduce immediate stress (Correct answer)
- A formal structured debriefing process requiring written documentation
- A pharmacological intervention for acute anxiety management
Correct answer: A brief informal discussion shortly after a critical incident to reduce immediate stress
Defusing is a brief, informal intervention conducted shortly after a critical incident to reduce acute stress, and is distinct from more formal structured debriefing processes.
CDT Crisis Intervention & Safety Planning in Disability Trauma 1
What is the primary goal of crisis intervention for individuals with disabilities experiencing trauma?