Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Flashcards
7 cards from real PSS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crisis Intervention and De-escalation flashcards as text
A peer specialist arrives to support someone in crisis who is pacing rapidly and shouting. What is the FIRST priority?
Answer: Ensure safety for both the person and yourself
Safety assessment for both the peer specialist and the individual is always the first priority before any intervention.
Which communication technique is MOST effective when a person in crisis is speaking very rapidly and in a disorganized way?
Answer: Use slow, calm, and simple language
Using slow, calm, and simple language helps regulate the person's nervous system and models the communication pace you want them to adopt.
A peer specialist notices a person in crisis is becoming increasingly agitated after being told 'no' by a staff member. What is the best next step?
Answer: Explore what the person heard and validate their frustration
Exploring what the person heard and validating their frustration helps de-escalate by showing the person they are understood.
In a peer support context, 'trauma-informed crisis response' means:
Answer: Recognizing that current distress may be rooted in past trauma and responding with sensitivity
Trauma-informed crisis response means understanding that behaviors during a crisis are often survival responses tied to past trauma.
When using the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework, the peer specialist's primary role is to:
Answer: Support the clinician and maintain connection with the individual
Peer specialists support clinicians and maintain human connection with the individual; clinical assessments are performed by licensed professionals.
A person in crisis says, 'Nobody ever listens to me.' The most effective peer response is:
Answer: 'I hear that you've felt unheard. I want to understand what you're going through.'
Acknowledging the person's experience and expressing genuine interest validates their pain and builds the alliance needed for de-escalation.
Which of the following is an example of an UNHELPFUL response during crisis de-escalation?
Answer: Telling the person they are overreacting
Telling someone they are overreacting invalidates their experience and escalates distress rather than reducing it.