CRSS Trauma-Informed Care and Practices 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes the core principle of trauma-informed care?
- Focus on diagnosing the individual's trauma disorder
- Shift from asking 'What is wrong with you?' to 'What happened to you?' (Correct answer)
- Require individuals to disclose trauma before receiving services
- Prioritize trauma processing over current recovery goals
Correct answer: Shift from asking 'What is wrong with you?' to 'What happened to you?'
Trauma-informed care reframes the perspective from pathology-focused to understanding that behaviors are often responses to past traumatic experiences.
Question 2: According to SAMHSA's framework, which of the following is NOT one of the six key principles of trauma-informed care?
- Safety
- Trustworthiness and transparency
- Mandatory trauma disclosure (Correct answer)
- Empowerment and choice
Correct answer: Mandatory trauma disclosure
SAMHSA's six principles include safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity — never mandatory disclosure, which would re-traumatize individuals.
Question 3: A recovery support specialist notices a peer becomes suddenly agitated and withdrawn during a group session. A trauma-informed response would be to:
- Ask the peer loudly what is wrong so the group can help
- Remove the peer from the group and process the trauma event in detail
- Calmly check in privately, offer a break, and ensure the peer feels safe (Correct answer)
- Document the behavior and report it to a supervisor immediately
Correct answer: Calmly check in privately, offer a break, and ensure the peer feels safe
A trauma-informed response prioritizes safety and de-escalation by quietly checking in, which avoids public confrontation that could worsen distress.
Question 4: What is 'secondary traumatic stress' (STS) as it relates to recovery support specialists?
- Trauma caused by witnessing a second traumatic event in a peer's life
- Emotional strain resulting from exposure to peers' traumatic stories and experiences (Correct answer)
- A formal diagnosis given to recovery workers after two years of service
- The trauma a peer experiences when their RSS transfers to a different role
Correct answer: Emotional strain resulting from exposure to peers' traumatic stories and experiences
Secondary traumatic stress occurs when helpers absorb the emotional weight of others' trauma, leading to symptoms similar to PTSD in the support worker.
Question 5: Which trauma response pattern is often misidentified as 'non-compliance' or 'resistance' in recovery settings?
- Hypervigilance and avoidance behaviors (Correct answer)
- Active participation in group sessions
- Eagerness to discuss traumatic events
- Consistent attendance at appointments
Correct answer: Hypervigilance and avoidance behaviors
Hypervigilance and avoidance are common trauma responses that can look like resistance or non-engagement but are actually protective survival mechanisms.
Question 6: The concept of 'retraumatization' in a recovery support setting most commonly refers to:
- A peer experiencing a new traumatic event unrelated to their history
- Practices or interactions that unintentionally trigger or worsen previous trauma (Correct answer)
- A clinical therapy technique for revisiting trauma memories
- The natural progression of trauma symptoms over time
Correct answer: Practices or interactions that unintentionally trigger or worsen previous trauma
Retraumatization occurs when environmental triggers, power imbalances, or insensitive interactions recreate the conditions of past trauma, worsening the individual's distress.
Question 7: Which of the following best supports a trauma-informed environment in a peer support setting?
- Maintaining strict rules without explanation to establish clear boundaries
- Informing peers about what to expect, who is present, and reasons for procedures (Correct answer)
- Keeping confidential information about the program structure to reduce anxiety
- Requiring peers to sit together in close proximity to build community
Correct answer: Informing peers about what to expect, who is present, and reasons for procedures
Providing transparency about processes and expectations builds trust and reduces the unpredictability that often triggers trauma responses in survivors.
CRSS Trauma-Informed Care and Practices 1
Which of the following best describes the core principle of trauma-informed care?