RP Emergency Response Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client discloses they have a specific plan to harm a family member tonight. What is the psychotherapist's FIRST priority?
- Contact the intended victim and law enforcement (Correct answer)
- Explore the client's feelings about the plan
- Terminate the session immediately
- Consult with a supervisor before acting
Correct answer: Contact the intended victim and law enforcement
When a client poses an imminent threat to an identifiable third party, the Tarasoff duty to warn requires notifying the intended victim and law enforcement as the immediate first step.
Question 2: During a telehealth session, a client becomes unresponsive on camera. Which action should the therapist take FIRST?
- Call 911 and provide the client's address (Correct answer)
- End the session and document the incident
- Contact the client's emergency contact person
- Wait several minutes to see if the client responds
Correct answer: Call 911 and provide the client's address
Calling 911 with the client's address is the most time-sensitive action that can dispatch emergency services to the client's location immediately.
Question 3: A client who has been stable for months calls the crisis line stating they ingested an unknown number of pills. What is the most appropriate response?
- Encourage the client to call Poison Control and 911 immediately (Correct answer)
- Assess their mood over the past week before escalating
- Schedule an emergency session the next morning
- Remind the client of their coping skills developed in therapy
Correct answer: Encourage the client to call Poison Control and 911 immediately
A potential overdose is a medical emergency requiring Poison Control and emergency services before any therapeutic intervention.
Question 4: A client in a session reveals they have been stockpiling medications 'just in case.' According to best practice, the therapist should:
- Conduct a thorough lethality assessment and develop a safety plan (Correct answer)
- Immediately hospitalize the client
- Ignore it unless the client states explicit intent
- Refer the client to a psychiatrist without further discussion
Correct answer: Conduct a thorough lethality assessment and develop a safety plan
Stockpiling medications indicates means access and warrants a formal lethality assessment and collaborative safety planning as the standard clinical response.
Question 5: Which document should a therapist complete IMMEDIATELY following any emergency intervention with a client?
- A detailed clinical note documenting the incident, decisions, and rationale (Correct answer)
- A billing adjustment for extended session time
- A referral letter to a psychiatrist
- An incident report filed with the professional licensing board
Correct answer: A detailed clinical note documenting the incident, decisions, and rationale
Contemporaneous documentation of emergency situations protects the client, the clinician, and demonstrates that appropriate standard-of-care decisions were made.
Question 6: A client refuses to provide an emergency contact person due to privacy concerns. How should the therapist handle this?
- Respect the refusal, document it, and explore safety planning alternatives (Correct answer)
- Require an emergency contact as a condition of treatment
- Immediately terminate services citing liability
- List a family member without the client's consent
Correct answer: Respect the refusal, document it, and explore safety planning alternatives
Clients have autonomy over their personal information; the therapist should document the refusal and work collaboratively on other crisis safety planning alternatives.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'safety plan' in the context of suicide risk management?
- A collaborative, step-by-step personalized plan the client follows when crisis urges escalate (Correct answer)
- A legal contract signed by the client promising not to harm themselves
- A hospitalization agreement activated at the first sign of ideation
- A list of therapist phone numbers provided to the client
Correct answer: A collaborative, step-by-step personalized plan the client follows when crisis urges escalate
A safety plan is an individualized, collaboratively developed document outlining warning signs, coping strategies, support contacts, and emergency steps in escalating order.
RP Emergency Response Procedures 2
A client discloses they have a specific plan to harm a family member tonight.
What is the psychotherapist's FIRST priority?