Free PSS Advocacy, Empowerment, and Navigating Systems Questions and Answers

Question 1

A peer specialist helps a peer create a list of questions to ask their psychiatrist and then role-plays the appointment with them. This is an example of fostering:

Accepted Answer

Self-advocacy

Answer

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for oneself and make one's own decisions. By helping the peer prepare for their appointment, the specialist is equipping them with the skills and confidence to advocate for their own needs within the healthcare system.

Question 2

The primary goal of empowering a peer is to:

Accepted Answer

Help the peer recognize their own capacity to make choices and direct their life.

Answer

Empowerment in peer support is about fostering a peer's belief in their own ability to make choices and influence their own life and recovery. It's not about the specialist giving them power, but helping them discover the power and resilience they already possess.

Question 3

When helping a peer navigate the social services system, the MOST empowering approach is to:

Accepted Answer

Work alongside the peer, offering support and guidance as they complete tasks.

Answer

The peer support model emphasizes 'doing with,' not 'doing for.' By working alongside the peer to complete applications or make calls, the specialist models the process and builds the peer's skills and confidence to navigate these systems independently in the future.

Question 4

Which action by a peer specialist represents a potential boundary violation while advocating for a peer?

Accepted Answer

Speaking for the peer in a meeting when they are able to speak for themselves.

Answer

Speaking for a peer when they are capable of speaking for themselves disempowers them and crosses a professional boundary. The peer specialist's role is to support the peer in using their own voice, not to replace it, unless the peer has explicitly requested this form of advocacy and is unable to communicate.

Question 5

A peer feels discouraged about finding a job due to past setbacks. A strengths-based approach would involve:

Accepted Answer

Exploring times they have overcome challenges and identifying their skills.

Answer

A strengths-based approach focuses on an individual's inherent strengths and resources rather than their deficits or problems. By exploring past successes, no matter how small, the peer specialist helps the individual recognize their own resilience and capabilities, which builds confidence for future endeavors.

(PSS) Certified Peer Support Specialist Practice Test

(PSS) Certified Peer Support Specialist Practice Test

Free PSS Advocacy, Empowerment, and Navigating Systems Questions and Answers