Crisis Intervention Flashcards

A school social worker is told by a 14-year-old student that her friend is cutting herself to 'feel something' but has denied any suicidal intent. What is the MOST appropriate response?

Answer: Conduct a risk assessment of the friend and notify parents and administration per school protocol

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) still requires clinical risk assessment and notification of appropriate parties per school protocol; the presence of self-harm warrants evaluation even without stated suicidal intent.

Which of the following client statements MOST clearly indicates a potential homicidal threat requiring the social worker to consider the Tarasoff duty to warn?

Answer: 'I am going to kill my neighbor John Smith if he doesn't stop harassing me — I have a gun ready.'

The Tarasoff duty to protect/warn is triggered by a credible, specific threat against an identifiable victim; this statement includes specific intent, identified victim, and access to means.

A client with a history of bipolar disorder presents in crisis with rapid speech, grandiosity, and reports not sleeping for three days. Which crisis intervention approach is MOST indicated?

Answer: Prioritize psychiatric evaluation and medication management consultation

A manic episode is a psychiatric emergency requiring medical/psychiatric evaluation for possible mood stabilization; social work intervention must prioritize connecting the client with appropriate psychiatric care.

When conducting a violence risk assessment, which acronym tool is commonly used to assess key static and dynamic risk factors?

Answer: HCR-20

The HCR-20 (Historical Clinical Risk Management-20) is a structured professional judgment tool widely used to assess violence risk across historical, clinical, and risk management domains.

A social worker receives a call from a client threatening to harm themselves and is refusing to come in or speak to emergency services. After exhausting all de-escalation strategies, the MOST appropriate action is:

Answer: Call 911 and provide the client's address for a welfare check

When imminent risk is present and the client refuses voluntary help, the social worker's duty to protect overrides confidentiality, requiring emergency services to conduct a welfare check.

Which of the following is a key principle distinguishing trauma-informed crisis intervention from traditional crisis intervention?

Answer: Trauma-informed intervention recognizes that crises may reactivate prior trauma and integrates safety, trust, and empowerment

Trauma-informed crisis intervention explicitly recognizes that current crises often trigger prior trauma responses and centers safety, trustworthiness, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity in the intervention.

A social worker is helping a client construct a crisis safety plan. Which element is MOST critical to include according to evidence-based safety planning guidelines?

Answer: Specific warning signs, internal coping strategies, social contacts, and professional crisis resources in sequential order

An effective safety plan (per Stanley-Brown model) includes personalized warning signs, coping strategies, social supports, and professional contacts in a graduated hierarchy the client can follow during crisis.