CRC Mentoring & Education 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A recovery coach is helping a client set educational goals for their recovery. Which approach aligns with best mentoring practices?
- Set goals on the client's behalf to save time
- Develop SMART goals collaboratively with the client (Correct answer)
- Focus only on sobriety milestones, not educational goals
- Assign the same goals used with previous clients
Correct answer: Develop SMART goals collaboratively with the client
Collaboratively developed SMART goals increase client ownership and likelihood of follow-through.
Question 2: When a client discloses that they learn better through visual materials, a competent recovery coach should:
- Continue using only verbal explanation regardless
- Adapt educational materials to include charts, diagrams, or visual aids (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a different coach
- Document the preference but not act on it
Correct answer: Adapt educational materials to include charts, diagrams, or visual aids
Adapting to learning styles increases client engagement and comprehension.
Question 3: Which behavior best illustrates a recovery coach modeling healthy recovery to a mentee?
- Sharing only successful moments without acknowledging struggles
- Presenting a realistic account of their own recovery journey, including setbacks (Correct answer)
- Avoiding all discussion of personal recovery to maintain professionalism
- Emphasizing how different their recovery was from the client's
Correct answer: Presenting a realistic account of their own recovery journey, including setbacks
Authentic sharing, including honest accounts of setbacks, builds trust and provides realistic role modeling.
Question 4: A newly certified recovery coach feels unsure about how to teach coping skills. The most appropriate step is to:
- Skip teaching coping skills to avoid mistakes
- Seek supervision, additional training, or consultation from experienced coaches (Correct answer)
- Improvise without preparation
- Delegate all education to clinical staff only
Correct answer: Seek supervision, additional training, or consultation from experienced coaches
Seeking supervision and continuing education is an ethical obligation and hallmark of professional growth.
Question 5: Which scenario best represents a boundary violation in the mentoring relationship?
- Sharing a relevant personal experience to build rapport
- Accepting a large financial gift from a grateful client (Correct answer)
- Providing information about community recovery resources
- Using the client's preferred name
Correct answer: Accepting a large financial gift from a grateful client
Accepting financial gifts creates a dual relationship and compromises professional boundaries.
Question 6: A recovery coach is educating a client about the stages of change. The primary purpose of this education is to:
- Convince the client they are in the wrong stage
- Help the client recognize their current readiness and identify next steps (Correct answer)
- Diagnose the client's substance use disorder
- Replace the need for a treatment plan
Correct answer: Help the client recognize their current readiness and identify next steps
Stages-of-change education helps clients gain self-awareness and identify actionable next steps.
Question 7: When providing psychoeducation about trauma and its relationship to addiction, a recovery coach should:
- Conduct trauma processing therapy sessions
- Provide general information and refer to a trauma-specialized clinician when indicated (Correct answer)
- Avoid the topic to prevent client distress
- Assume all clients have trauma and deliver the same script
Correct answer: Provide general information and refer to a trauma-specialized clinician when indicated
Coaches provide foundational trauma-informed education while deferring clinical trauma treatment to licensed specialists.
CRC Mentoring & Education 3
A recovery coach is helping a client set educational goals for their recovery.
Which approach aligns with best mentoring practices?