CRSS Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best supports a peer with co-occurring disorders who is reluctant to engage in mental health treatment?
- Using motivational interviewing techniques to explore their ambivalence (Correct answer)
- Telling them treatment is mandatory for recovery
- Sharing your personal clinical diagnosis as an example
- Promising treatment will eliminate all their symptoms
Correct answer: Using motivational interviewing techniques to explore their ambivalence
Motivational interviewing helps peers explore and resolve their own ambivalence about treatment without coercion.
Question 2: When withdrawal from alcohol triggers severe anxiety in a peer, this most likely represents:
- A substance-induced anxiety disorder or worsening of a pre-existing anxiety condition (Correct answer)
- A new diagnosis of panic disorder unrelated to alcohol
- Normal behavior that will not recur after detox
- Evidence that the peer never had a true anxiety disorder
Correct answer: A substance-induced anxiety disorder or worsening of a pre-existing anxiety condition
Alcohol withdrawal commonly provokes intense anxiety and can both mimic and exacerbate underlying anxiety disorders.
Question 3: An RSS specialist who has lived experience with co-occurring disorders can ethically share their story when:
- It is relevant, brief, and serves the peer's recovery—not the specialist's own needs (Correct answer)
- The peer specifically asks for a detailed clinical history
- It will convince the peer to follow the specialist's exact recovery path
- The specialist wants to establish authority by showing expertise
Correct answer: It is relevant, brief, and serves the peer's recovery—not the specialist's own needs
Intentional peer self-disclosure is ethical when it is purposeful, time-limited, and centered on the peer's benefit.
Question 4: Which statement about medication for psychiatric conditions in people with substance use disorders is accurate?
- Many psychiatric medications are appropriate and effective even in active recovery (Correct answer)
- All psychiatric medications are contraindicated during substance use disorder treatment
- Psychiatric medications should only be used after five years of sobriety
- Psychiatric medication use indicates lack of commitment to recovery
Correct answer: Many psychiatric medications are appropriate and effective even in active recovery
Evidence supports the use of appropriate psychiatric medications as part of holistic, integrated treatment for co-occurring disorders.
Question 5: A peer with co-occurring borderline personality disorder and alcohol use disorder often shows intense emotional reactions. The RSS specialist should:
- Respond with consistent, calm, non-judgmental engagement and encourage DBT-based services (Correct answer)
- Confront the emotional outbursts as manipulation
- Limit contact with the peer until they are emotionally stable
- Discourage mental health treatment since it may interfere with AA participation
Correct answer: Respond with consistent, calm, non-judgmental engagement and encourage DBT-based services
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is evidence-based for BPD, and steady peer support helps individuals stay engaged with treatment.
Question 6: The GAINS Center is a national resource associated with co-occurring disorders primarily in which setting?
- The criminal justice system (Correct answer)
- Inpatient psychiatric hospitals
- Elementary school counseling
- Corporate employee assistance programs
Correct answer: The criminal justice system
The GAINS Center focuses on improving services for people with co-occurring disorders involved in the criminal justice system.
Question 7: Recovery capital for someone with co-occurring disorders includes which of the following?
- Social support, stable housing, employment, and access to healthcare (Correct answer)
- Length of abstinence only
- Number of treatment episodes completed
- Absence of any psychiatric diagnosis
Correct answer: Social support, stable housing, employment, and access to healthcare
Recovery capital encompasses the full range of internal and external resources that support and sustain long-term recovery.
CRSS Understanding Co-Occurring Disorders 5
Which of the following best supports a peer with co-occurring disorders who is reluctant to engage in mental health treatment?