DSP - Direct Support Professional Crisis Prevention and Intervention Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An individual a DSP supports is showing early warning signs of a crisis, such as pacing and speaking in a louder-than-usual tone. Which of the following is the MOST proactive and effective initial response?
- Immediately implement a physical restraint to ensure safety.
- Ignore the behavior, assuming it will pass on its own.
- Calmly ask the individual if something is bothering them and offer to listen. (Correct answer)
- Tell the individual to stop pacing and lower their voice.
Correct answer: Calmly ask the individual if something is bothering them and offer to listen.
The best initial response is to use de-escalation techniques. Calmly engaging the individual, showing empathy, and offering to listen can help identify the trigger and resolve the issue before it escalates into a full-blown crisis. This approach is person-centered and respects the individual's feelings, viewing the behavior as a form of communication.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) as a crisis prevention strategy?
- To eliminate all challenging behaviors immediately through strict consequences.
- To teach new skills and modify the environment to improve quality of life and make challenging behaviors irrelevant. (Correct answer)
- To rely on as-needed (PRN) medication to manage all instances of agitation.
- To ensure the individual complies with all staff directives without question.
Correct answer: To teach new skills and modify the environment to improve quality of life and make challenging behaviors irrelevant.
Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a proactive, person-centered approach focused on understanding the function or reason behind a behavior. It aims to improve a person's quality of life by teaching alternative communication and coping skills and making environmental changes, which in turn reduces the need for the challenging behavior.
Question 3: A DSP is working with an individual who has a known history of becoming aggressive when they feel crowded or overwhelmed. The DSP is planning a community outing to a local festival. Which of the following demonstrates the BEST proactive crisis prevention strategy?
- Avoiding all community outings to prevent any possibility of a crisis.
- Going to the festival during peak hours to help the individual 'get used to' crowds.
- Bringing emergency medication and restraint equipment to the festival.
- Discussing the potential for crowds with the individual beforehand and planning for a quiet space to take a break if needed. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Discussing the potential for crowds with the individual beforehand and planning for a quiet space to take a break if needed.
Proactive crisis management involves anticipating potential triggers and planning ahead. By discussing the potential stressor (crowds) and co-creating a plan (having a designated quiet space), the DSP empowers the individual and provides them with a coping strategy, making a crisis less likely to occur. This is a key part of person-centered crisis prevention.
Question 4: During a crisis, an individual is yelling and making verbal threats. The DSP's primary focus regarding their own body language should be to appear:
- Intimidating and authoritative to gain control of the situation.
- Disinterested and bored to show the behavior is not effective.
- Calm, neutral, and non-threatening, with open posture. (Correct answer)
- Anxious and concerned to show empathy for the individual's distress.
Correct answer: Calm, neutral, and non-threatening, with open posture.
In a crisis, an individual is more likely to react to non-verbal communication than to words. A calm, neutral, and open posture (e.g., relaxed stance, visible hands) helps to de-escalate the situation by conveying safety and a willingness to help, rather than escalating the conflict by appearing threatening or confrontational.
Question 5: Which of the following is a critical component of post-crisis procedures for a DSP?
- Determining a punishment for the individual to discourage future incidents.
- Avoiding discussion of the incident with the individual to prevent re-traumatization.
- Documenting the incident objectively and participating in a debrief to identify what can be learned. (Correct answer)
- Sharing detailed information about the crisis with all other individuals in the residence.
Correct answer: Documenting the incident objectively and participating in a debrief to identify what can be learned.
After a crisis is resolved and everyone is safe, it is essential to document the event according to policy and participate in a debriefing process. This helps the support team understand triggers, evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, and adjust the individual's support plan to better prevent future crises.
Question 6: An individual is in the middle of a behavioral crisis. When using verbal de-escalation techniques, the DSP should:
- Use complex sentences and logical arguments to reason with the person.
- Promise the individual anything they ask for to stop the behavior.
- Raise their voice to be heard over the individual's yelling.
- Use simple, direct language and allow for silence. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Use simple, direct language and allow for silence.
During a crisis, a person's ability to process complex information is diminished. Effective verbal de-escalation involves using clear, concise, and simple language. Allowing for silence gives the person time to process what is being said and can help to lower the intensity of the situation.
DSP - Direct Support Professional Crisis Prevention and Intervention Questions and Answers 1
An individual a DSP supports is showing early warning signs of a crisis, such as pacing and speaking in a louder-than-usual tone.
Which of the following is the MOST proactive and effective initial response?