Risk Assessment & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real SAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Assessment & Management flashcards as text
The 'duty to warn' obligation, stemming from Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California, requires a counselor to:
Answer: Warn an identifiable potential victim when a client poses a credible threat
Tarasoff established that mental health professionals must take reasonable steps to protect an identifiable third party from a credible, serious threat made by a client.
When conducting a suicide risk assessment, which of the following acronyms is used to evaluate key warning indicators?
Answer: SLAP (Specificity, Lethality, Availability, Proximity)
SLAP (Specificity of plan, Lethality of method, Availability of means, Proximity of help) is a clinical framework used to evaluate the seriousness of a suicidal plan.
A student with a history of self-cutting presents with fresh wounds but denies suicidal intent. How should the SAC respond?
Answer: Assess for suicidal ideation anyway, as self-harm and suicidality often co-occur
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior frequently co-occur, so a thorough risk assessment for suicidality is warranted even when the student denies suicidal intent.
Under FERPA, which circumstance permits sharing student education records with a third party WITHOUT prior written consent?
Answer: A health or safety emergency posing a significant threat
FERPA's health and safety exception allows disclosure of education records without consent when necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or others during an emergency.
A risk management plan for a student with chronic suicidal ideation should be reviewed and updated:
Answer: At regular intervals and after any significant change in the student's circumstances
Risk management plans must be living documents, reviewed regularly and updated after any significant stressor, relapse, or change in protective factors.
Which of the following behaviors in a student's social media posts would MOST warrant a risk assessment by the SAC?
Answer: Sharing photos of self-inflicted injuries with captions expressing hopelessness
Photographs of self-harm paired with expressions of hopelessness constitute direct warning signs requiring immediate clinical follow-up and risk assessment.
Which approach to risk communication with a student in distress is MOST consistent with trauma-informed best practice?
Answer: Engaging with empathy and building rapport before introducing formal assessment questions
Trauma-informed practice prioritizes psychological safety through empathy and rapport-building before introducing structured assessment questions, which increases honest disclosure.