NCMHCE Crisis and Trauma Interventions 2

Question 1

A client calls in a panic stating they just witnessed a fatal car accident and cannot stop shaking. Which immediate intervention best addresses acute stress response?

Accepted Answer

Use grounding techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory method to anchor the client to the present

Answer

Schedule a formal EMDR session for next week

Answer

Begin prolonged exposure therapy immediately over the phone

Answer

Advise the client to avoid thinking about the accident to prevent re-traumatization

Question 2

When conducting a lethality assessment following a client's disclosure of suicidal ideation, which factor most significantly elevates risk?

Accepted Answer

The client has a specific plan, access to means, and has set a date

Answer

The client has a vague wish to be dead but no plan

Answer

The client has a history of depression treated with medication

Answer

The client reports feeling hopeless but has strong family support

Question 3

A survivor of intimate partner violence presents for their first session. Which therapeutic approach is MOST appropriate initially?

Accepted Answer

Establish safety, validate the client's experience, and psychoeducate about trauma responses

Answer

Immediately explore childhood attachment wounds to find root causes

Answer

Challenge cognitive distortions about the abusive relationship

Answer

Conduct a detailed trauma narrative to process the abuse

Question 4

In the Roberts Seven-Stage Crisis Intervention Model, what is the THIRD stage?

Accepted Answer

Identify major problems or crisis precipitants

Answer

Establish rapport and collaborative relationship

Answer

Identify dimensions of the problem

Answer

Explore feelings and emotions

Question 5

A counselor is providing psychological first aid (PFA) after a community disaster. Which of the following is a core action of PFA?

Accepted Answer

Connecting survivors to social supports and available community services

Answer

Conducting formal diagnostic assessments of PTSD

Answer

Encouraging survivors to immediately process and narrate their trauma experience

Answer

Prescribing evidence-based trauma therapies within the first 72 hours

Question 6

A teenager brought to a school counselor after disclosing sexual abuse shows flat affect and denies any distress. The counselor should recognize this presentation as MOST likely reflecting:

Accepted Answer

Emotional numbing and dissociation, common trauma responses

Answer

Malingering and fabrication of the abuse disclosure

Answer

Borderline personality disorder features in a young client

Answer

Successful coping indicating the client does not need services

Question 7

Which ethical obligation applies when a client in crisis refuses hospitalization but the counselor believes they pose an imminent danger to themselves?

Accepted Answer

Initiate an involuntary psychiatric hold in accordance with state law when imminent danger is present

Answer

Respect autonomy completely and document the refusal

Answer

Apply duty-to-warn protocols and notify police about third-party threats

Answer

Consult a supervisor and wait 24 hours before taking action