PSS Crisis Intervention and De-escalation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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:
- Dismiss it as venting and change the subject
- Acknowledge the pain, ask clarifying questions, and notify a supervisor per protocol (Correct answer)
- Call emergency services without telling the person
- Ask the person to sign a no-suicide contract
Correct 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.
Question 2: During a psychiatric crisis, a peer specialist should prioritize which of the following?
- Diagnosing the type of crisis
- Maintaining connection and providing emotional support (Correct answer)
- Conducting a formal mental status exam
- Removing all other people from the area immediately
Correct answer: Maintaining connection and providing emotional support
Maintaining human connection and emotional support is the core peer specialist function during a psychiatric crisis.
Question 3: What does 'pacing and leading' mean in crisis de-escalation?
- Walking alongside the person to calm them down physically
- First matching the person's emotional tone, then gradually shifting to a calmer state (Correct answer)
- Setting the agenda for the conversation before the person speaks
- Taking the lead in all decisions to reduce the person's burden
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which of the following is a key principle of the ALGEE mental health first aid action plan for crisis response?
- Assess, Listen, Give reassurance, Encourage, Enlist (Correct answer)
- Assess, Label, Generate options, Execute, Evaluate
- Alert, Locate, Guide, Engage, Empower
- Acknowledge, Listen, Generate plans, Escalate, End
Correct 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.
Question 5: A person in crisis becomes verbally aggressive toward a peer specialist. The peer specialist should:
- Match their aggression to assert authority
- Set a firm limit and, if necessary, remove themselves to safety (Correct answer)
- Ignore the behavior and continue the conversation as normal
- Physically restrain the individual to prevent harm
Correct 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.
Question 6: When a peer specialist shares their own lived experience during a crisis moment, the purpose should be to:
- Shift focus away from the person in crisis
- Instill hope and reduce isolation by normalizing recovery (Correct answer)
- Prove that the person's problem is solvable
- Fill silence while deciding on next steps
Correct 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.
Question 7: Which environmental modification can help de-escalate a crisis situation?
- Increasing lighting and noise to stimulate the person
- Moving to a quieter, less crowded space (Correct answer)
- Ensuring other staff are visibly present to show authority
- Limiting the person's movement to keep them contained
Correct 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.
PSS Crisis Intervention and De-escalation 3
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: