Advocacy
A peer you work with wants to appeal a denial of Medicaid services but feels too overwhelmed to read the paperwork. What is the most effective advocacy response?
A. Read the documents for them and summarize the decision.
B. Call Medicaid yourself and resolve the issue.
C. Support the peer in breaking down the appeal process into manageable steps.
D. Refer them to a case manager because it’s too complex.
C
Explanation: Advocacy empowers, not replaces.
A peer discloses they are thinking about harming someone specific. What should you do first?
A. Keep confidentiality.
B. Immediately report to authorities.
C. Assess the immediacy of risk and follow mandated reporting protocol.
D. Tell the peer to calm down.
C
Explanation: Ethics balance confidentiality with duty to warn.
A guest insists education is pointless because of past failures. Which response best applies motivational interviewing?
A. Argue with them about the value of education.
B. Reflect their feelings and ask about exceptions when they’ve succeeded.
C. Tell them they’re wrong.
D. Change the subject.
B
Explanation: Reflective listening and eliciting strengths aligns
A guest tells you they want to stop taking their psychiatric medication immediately because they “feel fine now.” You know sudden withdrawal can cause harm. What is your most recovery-oriented response?
a) Explain the medical risks and urge them to continue taking the medication.
b) Tell them you can’t discuss medication and suggest they bring it up with their prescriber.
c) Validate their feelings of wanting control, explore their reasons, and support them in preparing to discuss safe options with their provider.
d) Remind them that stopping medication is a common relapse trigger and share your own story of relapse.
C
This balances validation and empowerment with safety, encouraging collaboration with providers instead of dismissing or dictating.
A CRSS professional realizes they made a mistake in a session that may have misled a client. What is the most ethical next step?
A. Ignore it to avoid damaging the client’s trust.
B. Admit the error and clarify accurate information.
C. Wait until the client notices and asks for clarification.
D. Tell the supervisor but not the client to avoid confusion.
B
Transparency builds trust and models accountability.
A peer says their psychiatrist never listens to their concerns about medication side effects. Which response shows advocacy best?
A. Suggest they stop taking the medication until the doctor listens.
B. Coach the peer on ways to communicate their concerns clearly and assertively.
C. Offer to attend the appointment and speak on their behalf.
D. Encourage them to just accept the medication plan.
B
Explanation: Advocacy means teaching assertive communication skills rather than rescuing or promoting unsafe behavior.
Which situation represents a boundary crossing?
A. Sharing your own recovery story to provide hope.
B. Accepting a small personal gift from a peer.
C. Attending a peer’s graduation ceremony with family.
D. Using supervision to discuss your own triggers.
B
Explanation: Accepting gifts compromises professional boundaries, even if intentions are good.
Which is a key mentoring skill?
A. Fixing problems for peers.
B. Creating dependency so they feel supported.
C. Modeling recovery and guiding self-discovery.
D. Providing direct clinical therapy.
C
Explanation: Mentoring is about modeling and guiding, not controlling.
During a WRAP group, a participant says, “I don’t see the point in these plans, my life never goes the way I want.” How do you best facilitate recovery support?
a) Tell them WRAP has been proven to work for many people.
b) Acknowledge their discouragement, invite them to share a small past success, and link it to how WRAP can highlight their resilience.
c) Redirect to another participant who is more engaged.
d) Encourage them to keep trying even if they don’t believe it works.
B
It requires reframing, validating, and empowering—core critical thinking in recovery support.
The SAMHSA recovery dimensions highlight four key areas: Health, Home, Purpose, and Community. A CRSS helping a client build daily structure and employment skills is primarily supporting which dimension?
A. Health
B. Purpose
C. Community
D. Home
B
Purpose focuses on meaningful daily activities such as work, school, or volunteering.
Which action best represents systems-level advocacy?
A. Helping a peer appeal a denial of disability benefits.
B. Writing a letter to legislators about barriers to mental health care.
C. Reminding a peer about their next appointment.
D. Talking to a supervisor about a peer’s treatment plan.
B
Explanation: Systems-level advocacy challenges laws, policies, and resource structures.
A peer reveals that another staff member mocked their mental health in a private conversation. What should you do?
A. Tell the peer to ignore it.
B. Report the concern to your supervisor following agency policy.
C. Confront the staff member yourself.
D. Comfort the peer but take no further action.
B
Explanation: Ethical responsibility includes protecting peers from harm and following proper channels.
Which teaching style aligns with adult learning principles?
A. Providing long lectures with technical terms.
B. Engaging peers in problem-solving based on lived experience.
C. Giving them handouts without discussion.
D. Talking at them without interaction.
B
Explanation: Adult learning is collaborative and experience-based.
Which best demonstrates holistic wellness support?
A. Focusing only on medication adherence.
B. Exploring physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness goals.
C. Telling peers to just “stay positive.”
D. Referring only to therapy.
B
Explanation: Recovery is multidimensional.
A CRSS helps a client reconnect with supportive cultural practices and traditions. Which SAMHSA recovery principle does this best demonstrate?
A. Recovery is person-driven
B. Recovery is holistic
C. Recovery is culturally based and influenced
D. Recovery is peer-supported
C
Emphasizes cultural identity as a foundation for recovery.
When is it most appropriate to take on an advocacy role rather than encouraging peer self-advocacy?
A. When the peer feels nervous.
B. When the peer’s rights are being violated, and immediate intervention is needed.
C. When the peer doesn’t want to make phone calls.
D. When the peer disagrees with their family.
B
Explanation: Advocacy involves stepping in if harm or rights violations occur.
Which best reflects ethical self-awareness?
A. Refusing all self-disclosure.
B. Only sharing when asked by a peer.
C. Using supervision to explore your emotional reactions to peers.
D. Avoiding difficult peers.
B
Explanation: Ethical practice requires reflection and supervision, not avoidance.
A guest asks you to explain WRAP. Which is the best response?
A. Give them a generic plan.
B. Explain WRAP as a peer-developed tool for self-management and invite them to build their own plan.
C. Tell them you don’t know.
D. Provide your personal WRAP to copy.
B
Explanation: WRAP must be peer-owned, not imposed.
Which dimension of SAMHSA’s recovery model does helping a guest secure housing address?
A. Purpose.
B. Community.
C. Health.
D. Home.
D
Explanation: Housing stability aligns.
When applying SAMHSA’s recovery model, why is “self-direction” a core component?
A. It ensures clients always make the safest choices.
B. It prevents staff from making mistakes.
C. It allows clients to define their own goals and pathways.
D. It creates a standardized treatment plan.
C
Recovery must be person-driven, even if choices include risk.
A peer is denied access to a recovery group because of their criminal record. What is the strongest advocacy action?
A. Find a different group and move on.
B. Challenge the exclusion with the facilitator, citing recovery principles and fairness.
C. Tell the peer it’s discrimination and call a lawyer.
D. Vent about it to coworkers.
B
Explanation: Effective advocacy addresses unjust barriers directly rather than avoiding or escalating unnecessarily.
Which is a subtle sign of burnout that may compromise ethics?
A. Feeling energized after work.
B. Becoming emotionally detached and cynical toward peers.
C. Wanting more training.
D. Asking for feedback.
B
Explanation: Cynicism is a red flag for burnout, which threatens ethical practice.
Which mentoring moment best supports resilience?
A. Pointing out every mistake.
B. Comparing their struggles to others.
C. Avoiding difficult conversations.
D. Highlighting strengths peers have used to overcome past challenges.
D
Explanation: Building resilience centers strengths, not weaknesses.
A guest with PTSD avoids medical appointments because the waiting rooms trigger anxiety. Which response demonstrates trauma-informed recovery support?
a) Suggest they bring headphones or reading material to distract themselves.
b) Ask what part of the experience is most difficult and collaborate on strategies, including bringing a support person or scheduling during less busy times.
c) Tell them avoidance will make the anxiety worse in the long run.
d) Encourage them to practice deep breathing before appointments.
B
Goes beyond surface coping by addressing systemic barriers and collaborative solutions.