Crisis Intervention & Mental Health Flashcards

During a school lockdown, a student with autism spectrum disorder becomes severely dysregulated due to sensory overload and begins self-injurious behavior. The social worker's BEST immediate approach is to:

Answer: Move the student to a quieter space if safe, use low-stimulation calming strategies, and engage familiar support person

Students with ASD in crisis benefit from reduced sensory input, consistent familiar support, and individualized de-escalation strategies rather than restraint or verbal processing.

Which trauma-informed principle is violated when a school disciplinary process punishes a student without first considering whether the behavior may be trauma-related?

Answer: Recognition that behavior may be a trauma response

Trauma-informed practice requires recognizing that challenging behaviors may be manifestations of trauma rather than willful misconduct.

A social worker is conducting a mental health screening after a school shooting. A student scores high on a PTSD screening measure but adamantly refuses services. The social worker should:

Answer: Respect the refusal, provide psychoeducation about trauma, leave door open for future contact, and notify parents per school policy

Honoring student autonomy while maintaining connection, providing education, and involving family reflects trauma-informed ethical practice for youth who decline services.

The concept of 'means restriction' in suicide prevention refers to:

Answer: Reducing a student's access to lethal methods such as firearms or medications

Means restriction involves reducing access to lethal methods and is one of the most evidence-based strategies in suicide prevention.

A school social worker is part of a crisis response team activated after a student's death by suicide. Which of the following is a KEY principle of school-based postvention?

Answer: Provide support to grieving students while avoiding contagion-risk behaviors such as memorialization at school

Effective postvention supports students in grief while avoiding practices like prominent memorialization that can romanticize suicide and increase contagion risk.

A student presents with sudden onset of mutism, dissociation, and an inability to recall a traumatic incident that occurred two hours ago. This is MOST consistent with:

Answer: Acute Stress Disorder with dissociative features

Acute Stress Disorder can include dissociative symptoms such as amnesia and mutism occurring within hours of a traumatic event.

A school social worker receives information from a student's therapist outside of school indicating the student has a specific plan to harm a classmate. HIPAA and FERPA considerations aside, the social worker's FIRST obligation is to:

Answer: Assess the threat's credibility and take steps to protect the potential victim, including notifying administrators

Duty to protect the identified potential victim supersedes confidentiality when there is credible risk of harm; the social worker must act immediately to assess and protect.