CRS Peer Support 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting peer support services, notes should PRIMARILY reflect:
- Clinical diagnoses and medication changes
- The peer specialist's opinion of the client's prognosis
- Client-directed goals, activities completed, and progress toward recovery goals (Correct answer)
- Information shared by family members without the client's consent
Correct answer: Client-directed goals, activities completed, and progress toward recovery goals
Peer support documentation focuses on the client's own goals and the actions taken to support them, maintaining a strengths-based and client-centered perspective.
Question 2: Which of the following is a KEY ethical principle distinguishing appropriate from inappropriate self-disclosure by a peer specialist?
- Self-disclosure should be used whenever the specialist feels like sharing
- Self-disclosure is appropriate only when it serves the client's needs, not the specialist's (Correct answer)
- Full disclosure of the specialist's entire recovery history is required at the first meeting
- Self-disclosure should never occur in peer support relationships
Correct answer: Self-disclosure is appropriate only when it serves the client's needs, not the specialist's
Purposeful self-disclosure is guided by whether it benefits the client — it should never shift focus to the peer specialist's own needs.
Question 3: A peer specialist notices signs that a client may be experiencing domestic violence. The MOST appropriate action is to:
- Confront the alleged abuser directly
- Provide information about safety resources and follow mandatory reporting laws if applicable (Correct answer)
- Keep the information confidential at all times regardless of risk
- Document the suspicion but take no further action
Correct answer: Provide information about safety resources and follow mandatory reporting laws if applicable
Peer specialists must provide safety information, connect clients to resources, and comply with mandatory reporting obligations when domestic violence is suspected.
Question 4: What does the concept of 'whole health' mean in the context of peer recovery support?
- Focusing exclusively on abstinence from substances
- Addressing physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being as interconnected dimensions of recovery (Correct answer)
- Completing all prescribed clinical treatments without deviation
- Achieving financial independence as a prerequisite to recovery
Correct answer: Addressing physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being as interconnected dimensions of recovery
Whole health in recovery recognizes that lasting wellness requires attention to all dimensions of a person's life, not just substance use or mental health symptoms.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST illustrates the principle of 'self-determination' in peer support?
- The peer specialist sets the agenda for every session to ensure efficiency
- The client decides their own recovery goals even if the peer specialist disagrees (Correct answer)
- The treatment team determines the best path forward for the client
- The peer specialist chooses interventions based on their own recovery experience
Correct answer: The client decides their own recovery goals even if the peer specialist disagrees
Self-determination means the individual in recovery has the right to direct their own life and recovery journey, including setting goals the specialist may not personally prefer.
Question 6: A peer support specialist working in a jail diversion program should be MOST aware of which unique consideration?
- Clients in this setting have no recovery needs
- Coercive elements may affect the voluntariness of the client's engagement (Correct answer)
- Peer support is not appropriate in criminal justice settings
- Clients should be encouraged to plead guilty to receive services
Correct answer: Coercive elements may affect the voluntariness of the client's engagement
In criminal justice settings, peer specialists must be aware that coercive circumstances can undermine genuine voluntariness and must work to build authentic, trust-based relationships.
Question 7: Which of the following strategies BEST supports a client's long-term recovery after formal peer support services end?
- Encouraging ongoing dependence on the peer specialist for support
- Connecting the client to natural supports, community resources, and mutual aid groups (Correct answer)
- Scheduling monthly check-ins indefinitely with no transition plan
- Advising the client to avoid all peer and community connections
Correct answer: Connecting the client to natural supports, community resources, and mutual aid groups
Sustainable recovery is supported by community integration and natural supports, reducing reliance on formal services over time.
CRS Peer Support 5
When documenting peer support services, notes should PRIMARILY reflect: