CPS CPS Crisis Intervention & Mental Health Support 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of a school-based crisis intervention team?
- Discipline students who misbehave
- Restore a sense of safety and stabilize the environment after a crisis (Correct answer)
- Provide academic tutoring to struggling students
- Coordinate fundraising events for mental health programs
Correct answer: Restore a sense of safety and stabilize the environment after a crisis
A school-based crisis intervention team aims to restore safety, stabilize the environment, and support students' psychological well-being after a critical incident.
Question 2: Which mental health framework uses a three-tiered system to support all students in schools?
- DSM-5 Diagnostic Model
- Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) (Correct answer)
- Response to Intervention (RTI) only
- Individual Education Program (IEP) framework
Correct answer: Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
MTSS uses a three-tiered model providing universal supports (Tier 1), targeted interventions (Tier 2), and intensive services (Tier 3) for all students.
Question 3: Psychological First Aid (PFA) in schools is best described as:
- Long-term psychotherapy provided to trauma survivors
- Immediate supportive response to reduce initial distress following a crisis (Correct answer)
- Psychiatric medication management for students
- Annual mental health screening for all students
Correct answer: Immediate supportive response to reduce initial distress following a crisis
Psychological First Aid is an evidence-informed approach that provides immediate support to reduce distress and promote adaptive functioning after a crisis.
Question 4: When a student expresses suicidal ideation, what is the psycho-educational specialist's first priority?
- Notify the student's teachers immediately
- Ensure the student's immediate safety and conduct a risk assessment (Correct answer)
- Call the parents and dismiss the student for the day
- Refer the student to a community therapist and wait
Correct answer: Ensure the student's immediate safety and conduct a risk assessment
Ensuring immediate safety and conducting a thorough suicide risk assessment is the first and most critical step when a student expresses suicidal ideation.
Question 5: Which of the following is a key component of a student safety plan for suicide prevention?
- A list of academic accommodations
- Identification of warning signs and trusted contacts to call during a crisis (Correct answer)
- Behavioral intervention for classroom disruptions
- A medication management schedule
Correct answer: Identification of warning signs and trusted contacts to call during a crisis
A safety plan includes personal warning signs, coping strategies, trusted support persons, and emergency contacts to help a student manage suicidal crises.
Question 6: The PREPaRE model for school crisis prevention and intervention was developed by:
- The American Psychological Association (APA)
- The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) (Correct answer)
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- The U.S. Department of Education
Correct answer: The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
NASP developed the PREPaRE model as a school crisis prevention and intervention curriculum widely used by school psychologists.
CPS CPS Crisis Intervention & Mental Health Support 1
What is the primary goal of a school-based crisis intervention team?