Crisis Intervention Flashcards
7 cards from real SSW practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Crisis Intervention flashcards as text
Which ethical principle is MOST directly at stake when a school social worker must decide whether to break confidentiality during a student crisis?
Answer: Autonomy versus duty to protect
The tension between honoring student autonomy/confidentiality and the duty to protect from harm is the central ethical conflict in crisis situations.
A school community experiences a sudden traumatic event. When is it appropriate to return to normal school routines after a crisis?
Answer: Gradually, as structure and routine support healing and resilience
Returning to structured routine gradually is therapeutic because predictability and normalcy support resilience and recovery.
A school social worker notices that a student's crisis behavior escalates every Monday morning. A systems-level analysis would prompt the worker to examine:
Answer: Weekend family environment and transitions as potential stressors
A systems lens directs attention to environmental contexts—weekend family dynamics may create the conditions that produce Monday crises.
Which intervention is MOST consistent with a strengths-based approach during crisis intervention?
Answer: Asking the student, 'What has helped you get through hard times before?'
Asking about past coping successes identifies existing strengths and builds self-efficacy, which is central to strengths-based practice.
A school social worker is working with an English Language Learner (ELL) student during a mental health crisis. A culturally responsive practice would include:
Answer: Using a trained interpreter and acknowledging cultural expressions of distress
Using a trained interpreter and recognizing that distress is expressed differently across cultures ensures accurate assessment and respectful intervention.
After a crisis intervention, which action is MOST important for the school social worker to take regarding self-care?
Answer: Debrief with a supervisor or trusted colleague to process vicarious stress
Debriefing with a supervisor or colleague after intense crisis work reduces vicarious trauma and supports the worker's ongoing effectiveness.
The 'fight, flight, or freeze' response observed in students during a crisis is controlled primarily by which part of the brain?
Answer: Amygdala
The amygdala triggers the stress response, activating fight, flight, or freeze reactions when a threat is perceived.