Foundations
What is the difference between a primary and a back-up strategy?
Primary is your planned response; Back-up is used when Primary fails or becomes unsafe.
True or False: Your mood has no impact on client behavior.
False. Your mood and attitude directly influence client interactions.
What are the 5 phases of the Assault Cycle?
Trigger, Escalation, Crisis, Recovery, Depression.
A staff member stands close and yells “Calm down!” at a client. Reasonable?
No. Yelling escalates the situation and violates Pro-ACT principles.
What’s one thing every incident report should include?
Objective facts: what happened, when, where, and who was involved.
What are three basic client needs we must always meet?
Safety, Dignity, and the Opportunity to Learn.
Give one example of how bias might affect how you respond to a client.
You may overreact to a behavior based on past experiences or personal discomfort.
During what phase should de-escalation strategies be used?
Escalation phase.
You step between two clients arguing loudly. Reasonable?
Possibly reasonable if it prevents escalation, but should be done cautiously.
Why is debriefing important for staff and clients?
It supports learning, recovery, and prevents future incidents.
Define the term “dangerous behavior.”
Behavior that threatens immediate physical harm to self or others.
What does it mean to “check in” with yourself before a shift?
Assess your mindset, energy, and emotional state before interacting with clients.
When is it appropriate to use physical intervention?
Only when there is imminent danger and other options have failed or are unsafe.
You ignore a client’s verbal outburst during transition time. Reasonable?
Yes, if it's not dangerous and you're choosing not to reinforce the behavior.
What is the goal of a self-assessment?
To reflect on your behavior and improve your future responses.
What is one example of an irritating behavior that does not require a crisis response?
Examples: whining, refusing to follow directions, yelling from across the room.
Name two ways to model professionalism during a difficult moment.
Stay calm, use respectful language, maintain safe posture and tone.
What is the purpose of evasion?
To maintain safety by creating space and avoiding physical contact.
You use light physical touch to redirect a student who’s frozen. Reasonable?
Only if it's part of the client's plan and you're trained to do so safely.
Name one reflection question you can ask yourself after a stressful event.
“What did I do well?” or “What can I improve next time?”
Describe the purpose of the Pro-ACT curriculum in one sentence.
To support safe, respectful, and effective behavior intervention using proactive and least restrictive strategies.
Share a time when your own attitude either helped or hurt a situation
(Open-ended; participants reflect and share.)
Role-play this: A client starts shouting and pacing quickly. What do you do?
Demonstrate calm voice, non-threatening posture, allow space, redirect if safe.
Scenario-based group challenge: Decide on the most reasonable response and justify your reasoning.
Likely not—grabbing tightly may not be safe or proportionate. Evasion may be better.
Group writing challenge: Improve this poorly written incident report sentence.
“Client became agitated and threw classroom materials across the room.”