NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Crisis and Trauma Interventions 5

Question 1

A counselor working in a disaster relief setting observes that a survivor is showing signs of acute stress disorder. According to DSM-5, these symptoms must persist for at least:

Accepted Answer

3 days

Answer

DSM-5 requires that acute stress disorder symptoms be present for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 4 weeks following the traumatic event.

Question 2

When conducting a lethality assessment, which factor MOST increases a client's acute suicide risk?

Accepted Answer

Recent loss combined with a specific plan and access to lethal means

Answer

The combination of a precipitating stressor (recent loss), a specific plan, and access to lethal means significantly elevates acute suicide risk.

Question 3

The Sanctuary Model for trauma-informed organizational change emphasizes which shared value as foundational?

Accepted Answer

Nonviolence as the foundation for creating safety within the treatment environment

Answer

Nonviolence—including physical, emotional, moral, and social nonviolence—is the cornerstone value of the Sanctuary Model's SELF framework.

Question 4

A counselor is treating a veteran with combat-related PTSD who has nightmares. Image Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) would involve:

Accepted Answer

Rescripting the nightmare content while awake and rehearsing the new dream scenario

Answer

IRT asks clients to change the nightmare's content in any way they choose and then mentally rehearse the new, altered dream repeatedly while awake.

Question 5

When working with a client experiencing acute grief following sudden traumatic loss, which approach is MOST appropriate in early sessions?

Accepted Answer

Providing a supportive presence, validating emotions, and assessing for complicated grief risk factors

Answer

Early trauma grief work prioritizes establishing safety, validating the client's experience, and assessing risk before moving to any processing interventions.

NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Practice Test

NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Practice Test

NCMHCE - National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination Crisis and Trauma Interventions 5