CPSS Trauma-Informed Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which approach is most consistent with trauma-informed care when a person shares their trauma story?
- Offer immediate solutions and problem-solving strategies
- Interrupt to ask clarifying questions for documentation
- Listen actively without judgment and follow the person's lead (Correct answer)
- Redirect the conversation to focus on current coping skills only
Correct answer: Listen actively without judgment and follow the person's lead
Active, non-judgmental listening that follows the person's lead respects their autonomy and creates the safety necessary for trauma-informed care.
Question 2: In trauma-informed peer support, what does 'trustworthiness and transparency' mean?
- Sharing all personal information about the peer supporter with the person served
- Being clear about roles, expectations, and decisions so the person can trust the process (Correct answer)
- Trusting that the person will always tell the truth about their experiences
- Providing transparent billing and administrative information only
Correct answer: Being clear about roles, expectations, and decisions so the person can trust the process
Trustworthiness and transparency mean being open and clear about the peer supporter's role, what to expect, and how decisions are made, which helps build a safe and reliable relationship.
Question 3: A peer support specialist who has their own lived experience with trauma should:
- Avoid working with trauma survivors to prevent personal triggers
- Share their full trauma story with every person they support to build connection
- Practice intentional self-disclosure and maintain appropriate boundaries (Correct answer)
- Seek supervisor approval before acknowledging any personal experience
Correct answer: Practice intentional self-disclosure and maintain appropriate boundaries
Intentional, boundaried self-disclosure can build rapport and reduce stigma, but must be purposeful and keep the focus on the person receiving support rather than the specialist.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a 'trauma trigger' that a peer support specialist should be aware of?
- A person asking for more meeting time
- Loud noises, certain smells, or specific words that remind a person of a traumatic event (Correct answer)
- A person disagreeing with their treatment plan
- A peer supporter arriving late to an appointment
Correct answer: Loud noises, certain smells, or specific words that remind a person of a traumatic event
Triggers are sensory or contextual cues that remind a person of a traumatic event and can activate a trauma response, so peer supporters should be aware of potential triggers in the environment.
Question 5: The phrase 'What happened to you?' instead of 'What's wrong with you?' represents which shift in perspective?
- Moving from a medical model to a recovery model
- Moving from a deficit-based to a trauma-informed, strengths-based perspective (Correct answer)
- Moving from peer support to clinical treatment
- Moving from individual therapy to group therapy
Correct answer: Moving from a deficit-based to a trauma-informed, strengths-based perspective
This shift reflects a trauma-informed, strengths-based perspective that views behaviors as responses to experiences rather than inherent personal deficits or disorders.
Question 6: Cultural humility in trauma-informed care requires a peer support specialist to:
- Assume that trauma is experienced the same way across all cultures
- Recognize that culture shapes how trauma is expressed, understood, and healed (Correct answer)
- Apply the same trauma interventions regardless of cultural background
- Avoid discussing cultural differences to prevent discomfort
Correct answer: Recognize that culture shapes how trauma is expressed, understood, and healed
Cultural humility requires recognizing that cultural context influences how trauma is experienced, expressed, and healed, and adjusting support accordingly.
Question 7: What is 'vicarious trauma' and why is it relevant for peer support specialists?
- Trauma that occurs when a specialist directly experiences a traumatic event at work
- The cumulative emotional impact of repeatedly hearing others' trauma stories, which can affect the specialist's well-being (Correct answer)
- A legal term for trauma caused by workplace negligence
- Trauma that is transferred from one peer to another through shared experiences
Correct answer: The cumulative emotional impact of repeatedly hearing others' trauma stories, which can affect the specialist's well-being
Vicarious trauma is the cumulative emotional toll of hearing and holding others' traumatic stories, and peer supporters must practice self-care and seek supervision to manage its effects.
CPSS Trauma-Informed Care 2
Which approach is most consistent with trauma-informed care when a person shares their trauma story?