CPSS Crisis Support 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a peer support specialist encounters someone in a mental health crisis who is refusing help, what is the MOST appropriate initial response?
- Call 911 immediately without engaging the person
- Use a calm, non-threatening tone and express genuine concern while listening (Correct answer)
- Insist the person accept help or you will contact their family
- Walk away and document that the person refused services
Correct answer: Use a calm, non-threatening tone and express genuine concern while listening
Approaching with a calm, non-threatening tone and active listening builds trust and is the foundation of effective crisis de-escalation.
Question 2: Which communication technique is MOST effective when a peer is expressing intense suicidal ideation?
- Redirect the conversation to positive topics quickly
- Argue that their problems are not as bad as they believe
- Ask direct, open-ended questions about their thoughts and feelings (Correct answer)
- Tell them you cannot help unless they call a crisis hotline
Correct answer: Ask direct, open-ended questions about their thoughts and feelings
Direct, open-ended questions show genuine engagement and help the peer feel heard, which is essential in suicidal crisis situations.
Question 3: A peer support specialist is helping someone who just experienced a traumatic event. Which approach best reflects trauma-informed crisis support?
- Focus on gathering detailed facts about the trauma to fill out required reports
- Prioritize establishing physical and emotional safety before anything else (Correct answer)
- Encourage the person to revisit the traumatic event in detail to process it
- Advise the person that their reaction is an overreaction and they will be fine
Correct answer: Prioritize establishing physical and emotional safety before anything else
Trauma-informed care prioritizes safety first, recognizing that a sense of safety is foundational before any deeper processing can occur.
Question 4: In North Carolina, when must a peer support specialist report a peer's statement about harming another person?
- Only if the peer has a previous history of violence
- When there is a credible, specific, and imminent threat to an identifiable person (Correct answer)
- Whenever any mention of anger or frustration toward another person is made
- Only if the peer is currently under a court-ordered treatment plan
Correct answer: When there is a credible, specific, and imminent threat to an identifiable person
The duty to warn or protect is triggered by a credible, specific, and imminent threat to an identifiable third party, consistent with North Carolina statutes.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes the peer support specialist's role during an active crisis versus a clinical provider's role?
- Peer specialists diagnose the crisis and recommend medication adjustments
- Peer specialists provide lived-experience-based support and connection while clinicians provide clinical assessment and treatment (Correct answer)
- Peer specialists take over primary crisis management responsibilities from clinicians
- Peer specialists only document observations and are not permitted to interact directly
Correct answer: Peer specialists provide lived-experience-based support and connection while clinicians provide clinical assessment and treatment
Peer support specialists complement clinical staff by offering lived-experience connection and emotional support, while clinical providers handle assessment and treatment decisions.
Question 6: When conducting a safety planning conversation with a peer, which element is considered the MOST critical to include?
- A list of the peer's diagnoses and current medications
- Warning signs that a crisis may be developing and personal coping strategies (Correct answer)
- The peer support specialist's personal cell phone number as the primary contact
- A signed agreement that the peer will not attempt self-harm
Correct answer: Warning signs that a crisis may be developing and personal coping strategies
Identifying personal warning signs and coping strategies empowers the peer to recognize and respond to early crisis indicators before the situation escalates.
Question 7: A peer discloses they have been stockpiling their medication and thinking about using it to end their life. What is the FIRST action a peer support specialist should take?
- Document the disclosure and submit it in the next weekly report
- Assess immediate safety and connect the peer with a clinical supervisor or crisis services right away (Correct answer)
- Advise the peer to flush the medication themselves and continue talking
- Inform the peer that this violates the peer support agreement and end the session
Correct answer: Assess immediate safety and connect the peer with a clinical supervisor or crisis services right away
Stockpiling medication represents imminent danger, requiring the peer support specialist to immediately assess safety and escalate to clinical or crisis intervention.
CPSS Crisis Support 2
When a peer support specialist encounters someone in a mental health crisis who is refusing help, what is the MOST appropriate initial response?