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 is supporting someone who is expressing passive suicidal ideation ('I wish I were dead') but denies any plan. The best immediate action is to:
Answer: Acknowledge the pain, ask clarifying questions, and notify a supervisor per protocol
Passive suicidal ideation must be taken seriously — the peer specialist should acknowledge the person's pain, explore further, and follow reporting protocols.
During a psychiatric crisis, a peer specialist should prioritize which of the following?
Answer: Maintaining connection and providing emotional support
Maintaining human connection and emotional support is the core peer specialist function during a psychiatric crisis.
What does 'pacing and leading' mean in crisis de-escalation?
Answer: First matching the person's emotional tone, then gradually shifting to a calmer state
Pacing and leading means first meeting the person where they are emotionally, then gradually guiding them toward a calmer state through your own modeled responses.
Which of the following is a key principle of the ALGEE mental health first aid action plan for crisis response?
Answer: Assess, Listen, Give reassurance, Encourage, Enlist
ALGEE stands for Assess risk, Listen non-judgmentally, Give reassurance, Encourage professional help, and Encourage self-help — a widely used mental health first aid framework.
A person in crisis becomes verbally aggressive toward a peer specialist. The peer specialist should:
Answer: Set a firm limit and, if necessary, remove themselves to safety
Peer specialists should calmly set a limit and prioritize their own safety, removing themselves from the situation if the aggression escalates.
When a peer specialist shares their own lived experience during a crisis moment, the purpose should be to:
Answer: Instill hope and reduce isolation by normalizing recovery
Intentional self-disclosure of lived experience is meant to instill hope and reduce the person's sense of isolation, not to redirect the conversation.
Which environmental modification can help de-escalate a crisis situation?
Answer: Moving to a quieter, less crowded space
Moving to a quieter, less stimulating environment reduces sensory overload and helps the person regulate their nervous system.