CDT Crisis Intervention & Safety Planning in Disability Trauma 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A comprehensive safety plan for a person with a disability who has experienced trauma should ALWAYS include:
- Identified trauma triggers and individualized coping strategies (Correct answer)
- Instructions for the person to manage all future crises independently
- Recommendations to avoid all social contact during stress
- A single emergency contact phone number
Correct answer: Identified trauma triggers and individualized coping strategies
Effective safety plans identify specific triggers and personalized coping strategies that account for the individual's unique needs and disability-related factors.
Question 2: When developing a safety plan with a person who has a physical disability affecting mobility, which consideration is MOST critical?
- Whether the person is physically capable of running away from danger
- Accessible evacuation routes and accessible transportation options (Correct answer)
- The person's ability to independently dial 911 by voice
- The visibility and color of emergency exit signs in the environment
Correct answer: Accessible evacuation routes and accessible transportation options
Mobility limitations require specific planning around accessible evacuation routes and transportation to ensure the individual can physically reach safety in an emergency.
Question 3: The Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention (SPI) differs from a traditional no-suicide contract primarily because it:
- Prohibits any clinical discussion of suicidal thoughts during sessions
- Is a legally binding document signed by both client and clinician
- Focuses on reasons for living and coping strategies rather than just restricting behavior (Correct answer)
- Is completed by the clinician without meaningful client participation
Correct answer: Focuses on reasons for living and coping strategies rather than just restricting behavior
The Stanley-Brown SPI emphasizes collaborative identification of coping strategies and reasons for living, making it more clinically effective than behavior-restricting no-suicide contracts.
Question 4: For individuals with cognitive disabilities, safety plans should be modified to:
- Incorporate abstract concepts and extended metaphors for richer understanding
- Include only written instructions without visual supports
- Use simple language, visual supports, and concrete actionable steps (Correct answer)
- Be completed solely by the caregiver without the individual's input
Correct answer: Use simple language, visual supports, and concrete actionable steps
Safety plans must be accessible to the individual; simple language, visual supports, and concrete steps ensure people with cognitive disabilities can independently reference and use them.
Question 5: Which element of safety planning specifically addresses reducing access to means of self-harm?
- Listing crisis hotline phone numbers
- Means restriction or lethal means counseling (Correct answer)
- Social support identification and network mapping
- Emergency contact notification protocols
Correct answer: Means restriction or lethal means counseling
Means restriction (lethal means counseling) involves reducing access to items that could be used for self-harm and is a key evidence-based component of suicide safety planning.
Question 6: A clinician is creating a safety plan for a Deaf individual in crisis. Which accommodation is ESSENTIAL to include?
- A printed list of standard voice-call phone numbers only
- Visual alert systems and video relay services (VRS) or ASL interpreter access for emergency contacts (Correct answer)
- Instructions directing the individual to use voice calls during emergencies
- Relying exclusively on written notes for all emergency communication
Correct answer: Visual alert systems and video relay services (VRS) or ASL interpreter access for emergency contacts
Deaf individuals require accessible emergency communication options such as VRS, visual alert systems, and interpreter access to effectively implement their safety plan.
Question 7: In disability trauma practice, safety plans should be reviewed and updated:
- Only at the time of initial intake assessment
- Annually on a fixed schedule regardless of life changes
- At each session and especially after a crisis event or significant change in circumstances (Correct answer)
- Only when the individual explicitly requests a revision
Correct answer: At each session and especially after a crisis event or significant change in circumstances
Safety plans are living documents requiring regular review at each session and immediate updating after crises or circumstantial changes that may affect risk level.
CDT Crisis Intervention & Safety Planning in Disability Trauma 2
A comprehensive safety plan for a person with a disability who has experienced trauma should ALWAYS include: