CPSS Peer Support Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle of peer support emphasizes that individuals have the right to make their own choices, even if others disagree?
- Confidentiality
- Self-determination (Correct answer)
- Duty to warn
- Mutual aid
Correct answer: Self-determination
Self-determination is a foundational peer support principle recognizing that individuals are the experts on their own lives and have the right to direct their own recovery.
Question 2: A peer specialist shares their own recovery story to inspire a person they support. This is an example of which peer support concept?
- Boundary violation
- Intentional disclosure (Correct answer)
- Unsolicited advice
- Dependency building
Correct answer: Intentional disclosure
Intentional disclosure means strategically sharing personal recovery experiences to build hope and connection, rather than disclosing impulsively or for the specialist's own needs.
Question 3: In North Carolina's peer support framework, recovery is best described as:
- The absence of any psychiatric symptoms
- A cure achieved through medication compliance
- A personal journey of healing and growth (Correct answer)
- Discharge from all mental health services
Correct answer: A personal journey of healing and growth
Recovery is understood as a deeply personal, unique process of changing one's attitudes, values, and skills toward a satisfying life, not simply the elimination of symptoms.
Question 4: Which of the following best reflects the peer support value of 'mutuality'?
- The peer specialist provides advice while the individual listens
- Both parties can learn and grow from the relationship (Correct answer)
- The peer specialist avoids sharing any personal information
- The supervisor guides both the peer and the individual
Correct answer: Both parties can learn and grow from the relationship
Mutuality means the peer support relationship is reciprocal — both parties can benefit and learn, unlike traditional helper-helpee relationships.
Question 5: A peer support specialist notices they are forming a strong personal attachment to someone they support and beginning to feel responsible for that person's decisions. This is a sign of:
- Effective engagement
- Healthy alliance building
- Boundary erosion (Correct answer)
- Intentional disclosure
Correct answer: Boundary erosion
Feeling responsible for another person's choices and over-investing emotionally signals boundary erosion, which can harm both the specialist and the person being supported.
Question 6: The peer support principle of 'hope' is most effectively conveyed by:
- Telling someone their situation will definitely improve
- Promising specific outcomes if they follow treatment
- Modeling one's own lived recovery experience (Correct answer)
- Providing a list of success statistics for treatment programs
Correct answer: Modeling one's own lived recovery experience
Hope is most powerfully communicated through the peer specialist's own lived recovery, showing by example that a fulfilling life beyond crisis is possible.
Question 7: Which scenario best illustrates the peer support principle of 'person-first' language?
- Referring to someone as 'a schizophrenic'
- Describing someone as 'a person living with schizophrenia' (Correct answer)
- Using diagnostic labels to explain behavior
- Avoiding mental health terminology entirely
Correct answer: Describing someone as 'a person living with schizophrenia'
Person-first language places the individual before their diagnosis, reinforcing dignity and recognizing the whole person rather than defining them by a condition.
CPSS Peer Support Principles 2
Which principle of peer support emphasizes that individuals have the right to make their own choices, even if others disagree?