MFT Crisis Intervention 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A therapist learns their client has made a specific plan to harm a clearly identified third party. Under Tarasoff, the therapist is PRIMARILY obligated to:
- Maintain confidentiality and increase session frequency
- Warn the intended victim and/or notify law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Consult with a supervisor only and document the decision
- Hospitalize the client immediately without any other steps
Correct answer: Warn the intended victim and/or notify law enforcement
Tarasoff established the duty to protect identifiable third parties, which typically includes warning the potential victim and/or notifying authorities.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'psychological debriefing' (e.g., Critical Incident Stress Debriefing)?
- An evidence-based trauma treatment for PTSD conducted over 12 sessions
- A single-session group intervention conducted shortly after a traumatic event (Correct answer)
- A cognitive-behavioral protocol for processing grief in crisis
- A pharmacological management protocol for acute stress disorder
Correct answer: A single-session group intervention conducted shortly after a traumatic event
CISD is a structured single-session group debriefing model designed for emergency responders and others shortly after a critical incident.
Question 3: A client experiencing a manic episode arrives in crisis. Which intervention is LEAST appropriate as a first step?
- Speak in a calm, low-stimulation environment
- Conduct an extended exploratory insight-oriented session (Correct answer)
- Coordinate with a psychiatrist regarding medication evaluation
- Reduce environmental stimulation and provide clear simple statements
Correct answer: Conduct an extended exploratory insight-oriented session
Insight-oriented exploration is contraindicated during acute mania because the client's cognitive capacity for reflection is severely impaired.
Question 4: The concept of 'crisis as opportunity' is BEST associated with which theoretical foundation?
- Structural family therapy
- Caplan's developmental-ecological model of crisis (Correct answer)
- Bowen's differentiation theory
- Minuchin's enactment technique
Correct answer: Caplan's developmental-ecological model of crisis
Gerald Caplan's model holds that crises are turning points where individuals can achieve higher or lower levels of functioning, making them opportunities for growth.
Question 5: A therapist using Psychological First Aid (PFA) after a community disaster should prioritize which of the following?
- Encouraging survivors to process trauma narratives immediately
- Providing safety, calming, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope (Correct answer)
- Administering the PCL-5 to screen for PTSD within 24 hours
- Conducting individual therapy sessions for all affected individuals
Correct answer: Providing safety, calming, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope
PFA's core actions (SAMHSA/WHO) target safety, calming, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope rather than immediate trauma processing.
Question 6: A client calls stating they ingested a bottle of pills 20 minutes ago. The therapist's IMMEDIATE action should be:
- Conduct a thorough biopsychosocial history before calling 911
- Direct the client or dispatch 911 for immediate emergency medical care (Correct answer)
- Attempt to complete a suicide risk assessment before any other step
- Schedule the client for an emergency session within 24 hours
Correct answer: Direct the client or dispatch 911 for immediate emergency medical care
Medical stabilization is the absolute first priority when there is an acute medical emergency from a suicide attempt.
Question 7: In crisis intervention, 'lethality assessment' MOST directly measures:
- The client's long-term personality vulnerabilities
- The probability that a suicidal action will result in death (Correct answer)
- The therapist's countertransference toward suicidal clients
- The legal exposure of the therapist in a malpractice claim
Correct answer: The probability that a suicidal action will result in death
Lethality refers to the medical severity and likelihood of death from the planned or attempted method.
MFT Crisis Intervention 3
A therapist learns their client has made a specific plan to harm a clearly identified third party.
Under Tarasoff, the therapist is PRIMARILY obligated to: