CAADE Crisis Intervention 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A counselor is working with a client from a Southeast Asian background who is in crisis. The client avoids eye contact and is reluctant to discuss suicidal thoughts. The counselor should FIRST:
- Conclude the client is not at risk because they deny ideation
- Recognize cultural factors may influence disclosure and use culturally sensitive inquiry (Correct answer)
- Document that the client is uncooperative with the assessment
- Postpone the crisis assessment to a future session
Correct answer: Recognize cultural factors may influence disclosure and use culturally sensitive inquiry
Cultural backgrounds significantly influence how individuals express distress and discuss mental health, requiring counselors to adapt their assessment approach accordingly.
Question 2: When a crisis involves domestic violence and the client is also struggling with substance abuse, the counselor should understand that:
- Substance use is the primary cause of the domestic violence and must be treated first
- Both issues are interrelated and require an integrated, trauma-informed approach (Correct answer)
- Domestic violence concerns should be reported to police before addressing substance use
- Substance abuse treatment should be withheld until the client leaves the abusive relationship
Correct answer: Both issues are interrelated and require an integrated, trauma-informed approach
Substance abuse and domestic violence frequently co-occur and are interrelated; an integrated, trauma-informed approach addresses both simultaneously without requiring sequential treatment.
Question 3: Which of the following is an example of an 'eco-systemic' stressor that can precipitate a crisis in a client with substance use disorder?
- The client's personal belief that they cannot recover
- Loss of housing, employment, or community support systems (Correct answer)
- The neurobiological effects of prolonged substance use
- A traumatic childhood experience resurfacing in therapy
Correct answer: Loss of housing, employment, or community support systems
Eco-systemic stressors are environmental and social factors such as housing loss, unemployment, and loss of social networks that destabilize a person's external support system.
Question 4: A client discloses they have been sexually assaulted and subsequently relapsed on alcohol. The counselor's priority focus should be on:
- Challenging the client about using assault as an excuse for relapse
- Addressing trauma disclosure with sensitivity while conducting a comprehensive safety assessment (Correct answer)
- Immediately reporting the assault to law enforcement on the client's behalf
- Focusing exclusively on relapse prevention strategies
Correct answer: Addressing trauma disclosure with sensitivity while conducting a comprehensive safety assessment
Trauma disclosure requires a sensitive, non-judgmental response combined with a thorough safety assessment addressing risk from both the trauma and the relapse.
Question 5: In crisis intervention follow-up, why is the 24-48 hour post-crisis contact considered best practice?
- It is required by California law for all crisis contacts
- It assesses safety, reinforces coping, and bridges to continued care (Correct answer)
- It allows the counselor to document the crisis incident accurately
- It gives the client an opportunity to complete satisfaction surveys
Correct answer: It assesses safety, reinforces coping, and bridges to continued care
Follow-up contact within 24-48 hours ensures the client remains safe, reinforces crisis coping strategies, and helps connect them to ongoing treatment resources.
Question 6: Which of the following statements BEST reflects an ethical use of self-disclosure during crisis intervention?
- Sharing personal recovery stories to inspire the client
- Using brief, purposeful disclosure to normalize the client's experience and build rapport (Correct answer)
- Disclosing personal trauma history to demonstrate empathy
- Avoiding all self-disclosure to maintain strict professional boundaries
Correct answer: Using brief, purposeful disclosure to normalize the client's experience and build rapport
Judicious self-disclosure in crisis work is brief, purposeful, and focused on the client's benefit — not the counselor's processing of personal experiences.
Question 7: A client in early recovery who has experienced multiple crises may benefit most from which long-term strategy after the acute crisis resolves?
- Hospitalization after every crisis episode
- Development of a comprehensive relapse prevention and crisis response plan (Correct answer)
- Increasing the frequency of random drug testing
- Transfer to a different counselor to establish a fresh therapeutic relationship
Correct answer: Development of a comprehensive relapse prevention and crisis response plan
A comprehensive relapse prevention and crisis response plan equips the client with proactive tools and a structured response protocol for future high-risk situations.
CAADE Crisis Intervention 5
A counselor is working with a client from a Southeast Asian background who is in crisis.
The client avoids eye contact and is reluctant to discuss suicidal thoughts.
The counselor should FIRST: