PSS - Certified Peer Support Specialist Ethical and Professional Responsibilities Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) is working with a peer who discloses that they are having thoughts of harming themselves. The peer insists that the CPSS keep this information confidential. Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the CPSS to take?
- Maintain confidentiality as requested by the peer to preserve the trust in the relationship.
- Immediately inform their supervisor and follow organizational policies regarding safety concerns. (Correct answer)
- Contact the peer's family to inform them of the situation without telling the peer.
- Advise the peer to go to the emergency room but take no further action if they refuse.
Correct answer: Immediately inform their supervisor and follow organizational policies regarding safety concerns.
The primary ethical responsibility of a Peer Support Specialist is to ensure the safety of the peer. While confidentiality is a cornerstone of the peer relationship, it has limits, especially when there is a risk of harm to self or others. The correct action is to break confidentiality and report the situation to a supervisor to ensure the peer receives the appropriate level of care.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of maintaining professional boundaries in peer support?
- Sharing personal contact information to be available to the peer 24/7.
- Accepting a significant monetary gift from a peer as a token of gratitude.
- Avoiding dual relationships, such as providing services to a close friend or family member. (Correct answer)
- Sharing intimate details of one's own recovery journey that are not relevant to the peer's goals.
Correct answer: Avoiding dual relationships, such as providing services to a close friend or family member.
Maintaining professional boundaries is crucial for an effective and ethical peer support relationship. This includes avoiding dual relationships, which can compromise objectivity and create conflicts of interest. Providing services to close friends or family members is a primary example of a dual relationship that should be avoided.
Question 3: A peer you are supporting invites you to their birthday party. You have built a strong rapport, and they consider you a friend. What is the most ethical response?
- Attend the party to show support and strengthen your relationship.
- Accept the invitation but only stay for a short period.
- Decline the invitation but send a gift to show you care.
- Politely decline, explaining the importance of maintaining a professional support relationship. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Politely decline, explaining the importance of maintaining a professional support relationship.
Attending social events can blur the professional boundaries essential to the peer support relationship. The most ethical response is to politely decline while reinforcing the nature of the professional relationship. This protects the integrity of the support provided and avoids potential dual relationships.
Question 4: A Certified Peer Support Specialist must not engage in any form of discrimination. This ethical mandate includes refraining from discrimination based on which of the following?
- Recovery pathway, marital status, and political belief. (Correct answer)
- Shared interests, personality type, and communication style.
- Level of engagement, willingness to share, and progress in recovery.
- Personal preferences for meeting times and locations.
Correct answer: Recovery pathway, marital status, and political belief.
Peer Support Specialists are ethically bound to treat all individuals with dignity and respect, without discrimination. This includes a wide range of characteristics such as ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, marital status, political belief, disability, and chosen recovery pathway.
Question 5: During a support session, a peer asks for your advice on whether they should stop taking a prescribed medication. As a Certified Peer Support Specialist, what is the proper course of action?
- Share your own experience with medication and advise them based on what worked for you.
- Encourage them to discuss any medication changes with their prescribing doctor or clinical provider. (Correct answer)
- Research the medication online and provide them with the information you find.
- Agree with their desire to stop medication to empower their self-determination.
Correct answer: Encourage them to discuss any medication changes with their prescribing doctor or clinical provider.
Peer Support Specialists must work within their scope of practice. Providing medical advice, including advice about medication, is outside this scope. The ethical and professional responsibility is to refer the peer to a qualified healthcare professional for medical decisions.
Question 6: The core function of using self-disclosure in peer support is to:
- Demonstrate that your recovery journey was more difficult than the peer's.
- Shift the focus of the conversation to your own experiences and feelings.
- Inspire hope and reduce feelings of isolation by sharing relevant lived experiences. (Correct answer)
- Provide direct advice and solutions based on what worked for you.
Correct answer: Inspire hope and reduce feelings of isolation by sharing relevant lived experiences.
Self-disclosure is a key tool in peer support, but it must be used ethically and purposefully. Its primary function is to share one's own recovery story and lived experience in a way that is relevant to the peer's needs, inspiring hope, and fostering a sense of connection and understanding.
PSS - Certified Peer Support Specialist Ethical and Professional Responsibilities Questions and Answers 1
A Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) is working with a peer who discloses that they are having thoughts of harming themselves.
The peer insists that the CPSS keep this information confidential.
Which of the following is the most appropriate action for the CPSS to take?