CRS Peer Support 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following BEST illustrates the principle of 'mutuality' in peer support relationships?
- The peer specialist provides all guidance while the client listens
- Both the peer specialist and client share power and learn from each other (Correct answer)
- The peer specialist avoids sharing any personal information
- The client directs all aspects of the peer specialist's work
Correct answer: Both the peer specialist and client share power and learn from each other
Mutuality means the relationship is reciprocal — both parties contribute, reducing the power differential inherent in traditional helper-client dynamics.
Question 2: A client in early recovery expresses ambivalence about attending AA meetings. Using motivational interviewing principles, a peer specialist should FIRST:
- Confront the client about the consequences of not attending
- Explore both sides of the client's ambivalence without judgment (Correct answer)
- Schedule the meetings for the client without their input
- Remind the client that AA is mandatory for recovery
Correct answer: Explore both sides of the client's ambivalence without judgment
Motivational interviewing involves exploring ambivalence by reflecting both sides, supporting autonomy and intrinsic motivation for change.
Question 3: In trauma-informed peer support, which of the following is MOST important to avoid?
- Asking open-ended questions about the client's goals
- Re-traumatizing clients by requiring detailed trauma narratives (Correct answer)
- Discussing available community resources
- Acknowledging the impact of trauma on the recovery process
Correct answer: Re-traumatizing clients by requiring detailed trauma narratives
Trauma-informed practice prioritizes safety and avoids requiring clients to relive or detail traumatic experiences unnecessarily.
Question 4: Which stage of the Transtheoretical Model is characterized by a person acknowledging a problem exists but not yet planning to change within the next 30 days?
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation (Correct answer)
- Preparation
- Maintenance
Correct answer: Contemplation
In the contemplation stage, individuals are aware of a problem and considering change but have not committed to action within the immediate future.
Question 5: When working with a client from a cultural background different from their own, a peer specialist should PRIMARILY:
- Assume the client shares universal recovery values
- Apply the same peer support techniques without modification
- Seek to understand the client's cultural context and how it shapes their recovery (Correct answer)
- Defer all cultural concerns to a licensed clinician
Correct answer: Seek to understand the client's cultural context and how it shapes their recovery
Cultural humility requires peer specialists to actively learn about and respect each client's cultural background as it influences their experience of recovery.
Question 6: A peer support specialist notices a client has missed several scheduled appointments and is not returning calls. The BEST initial response is to:
- Close the client's case after one week of no contact
- Make multiple persistent outreach attempts using agreed-upon methods (Correct answer)
- Report the client to law enforcement for a welfare check
- Assume the client is in relapse and escalate to crisis services immediately
Correct answer: Make multiple persistent outreach attempts using agreed-upon methods
Consistent, caring outreach using previously agreed methods demonstrates commitment to the client and may re-engage them before a crisis develops.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the peer specialist's role during a client's mental health crisis?
- Provide a clinical diagnosis and prescribe a coping strategy
- Offer emotional support, help activate the client's crisis plan, and connect to appropriate services (Correct answer)
- Take full control of decision-making to protect the client
- Avoid involvement because crisis intervention is only for clinicians
Correct answer: Offer emotional support, help activate the client's crisis plan, and connect to appropriate services
During a crisis, peer specialists provide support within their scope by activating pre-existing crisis plans and facilitating connections to clinical resources.
CRS Peer Support 3
Which of the following BEST illustrates the principle of 'mutuality' in peer support relationships?