CPSS Ethical Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Informed consent in peer support means the person being supported:
- Has signed all required intake paperwork
- Understands the nature of the support relationship and voluntarily agrees to participate (Correct answer)
- Has been told the rules of the program
- Agrees with all recommendations made by the peer specialist
Correct answer: Understands the nature of the support relationship and voluntarily agrees to participate
True informed consent requires that the person understands what peer support involves and freely chooses to participate without coercion.
Question 2: A peer support specialist is asked by a family member for updates on a person they support. The peer specialist should:
- Share general progress to support the family's involvement
- Decline to share any information without written consent from the person supported (Correct answer)
- Refer the family member to the clinical team instead
- Confirm only that the person is enrolled in the program
Correct answer: Decline to share any information without written consent from the person supported
Without explicit written authorization from the person being supported, sharing any information with family violates confidentiality.
Question 3: Which scenario best illustrates a peer specialist staying within their scope of practice?
- Helping a person identify coping strategies they have used in their own recovery (Correct answer)
- Recommending a specific medication adjustment based on personal experience
- Diagnosing a person's behavior as a symptom of their mental health condition
- Conducting formal psychological assessments to guide the person's treatment
Correct answer: Helping a person identify coping strategies they have used in their own recovery
Peer specialists draw on lived experience to share coping strategies; they do not prescribe, diagnose, or conduct clinical assessments.
Question 4: A peer specialist disagrees with a treatment decision made by the clinical team. The most ethical response is to:
- Override the clinical decision by advising the person to ignore the recommendation
- Voice concerns through appropriate professional channels such as supervision or team meetings (Correct answer)
- Tell the person the clinical team is wrong
- Document the disagreement and take no further action
Correct answer: Voice concerns through appropriate professional channels such as supervision or team meetings
Peer specialists express disagreement professionally through proper channels, not by undermining clinical colleagues directly with the person being supported.
Question 5: Ethical peer support practice requires that a specialist prioritize:
- The goals of the agency over those of the person being supported
- The person's own self-determined goals and choices (Correct answer)
- The clinical team's treatment plan above the person's expressed wishes
- Outcomes that the peer specialist believes are in the person's best interest
Correct answer: The person's own self-determined goals and choices
Peer support is fundamentally person-centered and self-directed — the supported person's own goals take priority.
Question 6: Which statement about voluntary participation is most consistent with CPSS ethical standards?
- Participation is required for people in court-ordered treatment
- People should be encouraged to participate even if initially reluctant
- Peer support must always be offered on a voluntary basis and never coerced (Correct answer)
- Voluntary participation applies only to group sessions, not individual contacts
Correct answer: Peer support must always be offered on a voluntary basis and never coerced
Peer support is built on voluntary engagement; coercing participation undermines the foundation of mutual trust and respect.
Question 7: A peer specialist is struggling with their own recovery and is experiencing significant personal distress. The ethical first step is to:
- Continue working and manage personal issues privately to avoid burdening the agency
- Consult their supervisor and discuss whether they should temporarily reduce their caseload (Correct answer)
- Disclose their personal struggles to all people they are currently supporting
- Resign immediately to avoid impacting service quality
Correct answer: Consult their supervisor and discuss whether they should temporarily reduce their caseload
Self-care and ethical practice require peer specialists to consult supervision when personal distress may affect their ability to support others safely.
CPSS Ethical Practice 3
Informed consent in peer support means the person being supported: