CPSS Community Navigation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A peer specialist is helping someone connect to community mental health services for the first time. What is the MOST important first step?
- Schedule an appointment immediately without consulting the peer
- Assess the person's needs, preferences, and existing supports before making referrals (Correct answer)
- Give the person a printed list of all available services
- Contact the LME/MCO directly on behalf of the person without their knowledge
Correct answer: Assess the person's needs, preferences, and existing supports before making referrals
Assessing needs and preferences ensures referrals are person-centered and relevant to the individual's unique situation.
Question 2: In North Carolina, which entity manages the public behavioral health system and coordinates Medicaid-funded services for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders?
- The NC Department of Public Instruction
- Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs) (Correct answer)
- County social services departments exclusively
- Community health clinics independently
Correct answer: Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCOs)
LME/MCOs are the primary entities managing and coordinating publicly funded behavioral health services in North Carolina.
Question 3: A peer specialist uses a 'warm handoff' when connecting someone to a new service. What does this mean?
- Sending a written referral letter and waiting for the agency to respond
- Personally introducing the peer to the new provider or service, bridging the connection directly (Correct answer)
- Giving the person a phone number and encouraging them to call on their own
- Filing paperwork with the LME/MCO to authorize the service
Correct answer: Personally introducing the peer to the new provider or service, bridging the connection directly
A warm handoff involves a direct personal introduction that reduces barriers and increases the likelihood the person will engage with the new service.
Question 4: When assisting a peer with transportation barriers to accessing services, which NC-specific resource is MOST relevant to explore?
- Federal Highway Administration grants
- Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) benefits (Correct answer)
- Uber and Lyft corporate accounts
- State trooper escort services
Correct answer: Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) benefits
NC Medicaid covers non-emergency medical transportation for eligible members who have no other means to get to covered services.
Question 5: A peer discloses they are experiencing housing instability. As a community navigator, what is the peer specialist's appropriate role?
- Arrange housing on the peer's behalf and sign the lease for them
- Help the peer identify local housing resources and support them in self-advocating for their needs (Correct answer)
- Advise the peer that housing is outside the scope of peer support
- Report the situation to the peer's family without consent
Correct answer: Help the peer identify local housing resources and support them in self-advocating for their needs
Peer specialists support self-determination by helping individuals identify resources and advocate for themselves, not by taking over decision-making.
Question 6: Which benefit provides monthly income to individuals with disabilities who have limited work history and is commonly navigated in peer support roles?
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (Correct answer)
- Unemployment Insurance (UI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Correct answer: Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
SSI provides income support to disabled individuals with limited resources and work history, making it a frequent benefits navigation topic in peer support.
Question 7: A peer specialist notices a peer has been approved for services but has not followed through with intake. What is the BEST response?
- Close the case because the peer chose not to engage
- Explore barriers to engagement in a non-judgmental way and problem-solve together (Correct answer)
- Report the peer to the case manager for non-compliance
- Reschedule the intake appointment without talking to the peer
Correct answer: Explore barriers to engagement in a non-judgmental way and problem-solve together
Exploring barriers collaboratively and without judgment respects the peer's autonomy while helping remove obstacles to care engagement.
CPSS Community Navigation 2
A peer specialist is helping someone connect to community mental health services for the first time.
What is the MOST important first step?