CRSS Advocacy and Self-Determination 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A peer specialist notices a recovery home has a policy preventing residents from attending outside NA meetings. What is the most appropriate advocacy response?
- Accept the policy as the facility's right
- Help the individual file a formal grievance with the facility (Correct answer)
- Encourage the person to leave the facility immediately
- Report the facility to law enforcement
Correct answer: Help the individual file a formal grievance with the facility
Filing a formal grievance is the appropriate first step to challenge a policy that restricts a person's recovery support access.
Question 2: Which principle of self-determination recognizes that individuals have the right to make choices even if those choices involve risk?
- Beneficence
- Dignity of risk (Correct answer)
- Autonomy override
- Protective paternalism
Correct answer: Dignity of risk
The 'dignity of risk' principle holds that people have the right to take reasonable risks as part of living a self-directed life.
Question 3: A CRSS is helping someone navigate a system where services are fragmented across multiple agencies. Which advocacy skill is most critical in this scenario?
- Peer group facilitation
- Systems navigation and care coordination (Correct answer)
- Motivational interviewing
- Crisis intervention
Correct answer: Systems navigation and care coordination
Systems navigation helps individuals move through complex, fragmented service systems to access the support they need.
Question 4: When advocating publicly for policy change related to substance use disorders, which ethical boundary should a CRSS be most careful to observe?
- Never share personal recovery stories publicly
- Represent the peer's perspective, not their own organization's agenda (Correct answer)
- Avoid all contact with legislators
- Only advocate for issues that directly benefit the CRSS personally
Correct answer: Represent the peer's perspective, not their own organization's agenda
A CRSS must ensure their advocacy represents the people they serve and not overstep into promoting their own or their employer's agenda.
Question 5: A person in recovery states they want to stop taking prescribed medication against their doctor's advice. How should a CRSS respond?
- Contact the doctor immediately without the person's consent
- Respect their decision and offer information about potential risks and alternatives (Correct answer)
- Refuse to continue working with the person
- Insist they comply with the doctor's orders
Correct answer: Respect their decision and offer information about potential risks and alternatives
A CRSS supports informed decision-making by providing information about risks and alternatives while respecting the individual's autonomy.
Question 6: Which federal law protects individuals with substance use disorders from discrimination in employment settings?
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Correct answer)
- Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
- Fair Housing Act (FHA)
Correct answer: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA protects individuals in recovery from discrimination in employment, requiring reasonable accommodations.
Question 7: A CRSS wants to help a peer advocate for reduced wait times at a community mental health center. What is the most effective first step?
- Organize a media campaign
- Document the peer's specific experiences and identify others with similar concerns (Correct answer)
- Contact the state governor's office
- File a lawsuit against the center
Correct answer: Document the peer's specific experiences and identify others with similar concerns
Gathering specific evidence and building collective voice among those affected is the foundational step for effective advocacy.
CRSS Advocacy and Self-Determination 2
A peer specialist notices a recovery home has a policy preventing residents from attending outside NA meetings.
What is the most appropriate advocacy response?