CRS Crisis Intervention & Relapse Prevention Techniques 4

Question 1

When a recovery specialist identifies that a peer is experiencing a 'mental relapse' (ambivalence about staying sober), the BEST response is:

Accepted Answer

Acknowledge the ambivalence, validate the struggle, and explore reasons for recovery

Answer

Validating ambivalence and using motivational approaches helps the person reconnect with their own reasons for recovery without shame or coercion.

Question 2

The 'abstinence violation effect' (AVE) refers to:

Accepted Answer

The guilt and cognitive dissonance that follows a lapse, potentially worsening relapse

Answer

AVE describes how a person's negative self-attribution after a lapse ('I'm a failure') can trigger continued use as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 3

During a crisis intervention, using 'active listening' includes all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Offering unsolicited advice and solutions immediately

Answer

Active listening focuses on understanding the person's experience first; offering unsolicited advice interrupts the process and may feel dismissive.

Question 4

In safety planning for someone with co-occurring suicidal ideation and substance use disorder, it is MOST important to:

Accepted Answer

Address both conditions simultaneously and include means restriction

Answer

Integrated safety planning addresses both suicide risk and substance use together, including removing access to lethal means.

Question 5

Which of the following BEST describes a 'high-risk situation' in Marlatt's relapse prevention model?

Accepted Answer

A situation that threatens a person's sense of self-control and increases relapse risk

Answer

High-risk situations are defined by their threat to self-efficacy and sense of personal control, which increases the probability of relapse.

(CRS) Certified Recovery Specialist Practice Test