CERTIFIED RECOVERY
SUPPORT SPECIALIST
CRSS PRACTICE EXAM
Question 1: A person tells a CRSS they intend to seriously harm themselves tonight and have the means available. What is the CRSS's BEST immediate action?
Choices:
1) Promise to keep the disclosure con�dential so trust is preserved 2) Follow crisis and emergency procedures to obtain immediate help and involve appropriate supports 3) Wait until the next scheduled supervision session 4) Ask the person to write a wellness goal and revisit the concern tomorrow Correct Answer: Follow crisis and emergency procedures to obtain immediate help and involve appropriate supports Explanation: A credible immediate safety threat requires prompt action under crisis and emergency procedures. Con�dentiality has limits when safety is at serious risk, and the CRSS should use the organization's emergency protocol rather than delay.Page 1
Question 2: A person receiving services says their treatment team keeps discussing symptom goals while ignoring their stated goal of �nding stable housing. What is the CRSS's BEST response?
Choices:
1) Tell the team that housing must become the primary clinical goal 2) Help the person prepare to express the housing priority and o�er to support them in the meeting if they want 3) Contact a housing agency and enroll the person without waiting for consent 4) Advise the person to postpone housing until the treatment team agrees they are ready Correct Answer: Help the person prepare to express the housing priority and o�er to support them in the meeting if they want Explanation: Advocacy in peer support centers self-determination. The CRSS should help the person communicate their own priority and provide support with consent rather than taking control of the decision.Question 3: Which self-care plan is MOST consistent with e�ective peer practice?
Choices:
1) Wait until a crisis occurs before using any support 2) Use ongoing routines such as supervision, rest, recovery supports, boundaries, and activities that sustain wellness 3) Rely on participants for emotional support after di�cult shifts 4) Avoid time o� because helping others should always come �rst Correct Answer: Use ongoing routines such as supervision, rest, recovery supports, boundaries, and activities that sustain wellness Explanation: Self-care is an ongoing professional practice, not only a crisis response.Sustainable routines and supervision help the CRSS maintain wellness and e�ectiveness.Page 2
Question 4: A person says, 'My goal is to get my life together.' What is the BEST coaching response?
Choices:
1) That goal is too vague, so I will choose a better one for you 2) What would getting your life together look like for you, and what is one speci�c step you would like to work on �rst?3) You should start with employment because that is the most important domain 4) Write down every possible problem before choosing any goal Correct Answer: What would getting your life together look like for you, and what is one speci�c step you would like to work on �rst?Explanation: Person-driven goal setting begins by clarifying what the person's own words mean and identifying a speci�c achievable step. The CRSS helps make goals concrete without replacing the person's priorities.
Question 5: Which statement BEST describes harm reduction?
Choices:
1) Services are provided only after a person commits to abstinence 2) Practical strategies are used to reduce negative consequences while respecting the person's current goals and choices 3) The worker ignores risks so the person does not feel judged 4) The goal is to replace all treatment with peer support Correct Answer: Practical strategies are used to reduce negative consequences while respecting the person's current goals and choices Explanation: Harm reduction uses practical, person-centered strategies to reduce health and social harms. It can support people at di�erent stages of change and does not require abstinence as a precondition for support.Page 3