CALMHSA MEDI-CAL PEER SUPPORT STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔A person receiving support feels isolated and without purpose, they tell the Peer
Support Specialist. The Peer Support Specialist should... - ✔✔Get the person involved
in personally meaningful activities where they really feel like they matter
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting a person who described a recent argument.
The person described how hard it is to communicate angry feelings, and how in the past
he had lost jobs because of his anger, and once even punched a wall. The Peer
Support Specialist said that he had struggled with anger as well, and praised the person
for handling the argument calmly. What kind of approach did the Peer Support
Specialist use? - ✔✔The Peer Support Specialist listened, disclosed their experience
and pointed out the person's recovery.
✔✔What does it mean to "person-centered?" - ✔✔the program is focused on the person
being supported
✔✔The Motivational Interviewing OARS tools help build trust, as well as encourage
change. The OARS acronym stands for: - ✔✔Open-ended questions, Affirmations,
Reflections/ Reflective listening, Summaries
✔✔Choose the example of an open-ended question. - ✔✔What are some of the
benefits of disclosing?
✔✔An example of an Affirmation when talking to someone is: - ✔✔"From everything
you've shared with me, it's easy to see how resilient and courageous you are."
✔✔Reflections/ Reflective Listening ... - ✔✔Tests to see if I understand what the person
means
✔✔Identify the questions which are examples of the Motivational Interviewing tool
"Elicit" (of "Elicit- Provide-Elicit") - ✔✔"Would you like to know about . . . ?"
✔✔In motivational interviewing, the tool "Provide", of "Elicit- Provide-Elicit" means to: -
✔✔Present information clearly and in manageable amounts.
✔✔Whole health goals... - ✔✔Consider the needs of the whole person
✔✔"Activation" of whole health goals means... - ✔✔A person creates and follows
through on a plan to develop new healthy habits to achieve goals related to their well-
being
, ✔✔"Self-management" of whole health goals means people... - ✔✔Work towards their
own goals, using tools such as self-help support groups, goal-setting plans, and other
supports
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting someone who confides that they are sick
and tired of going in and out of the hospital. The Peer Support Specialist can... -
✔✔Explore options with the person, including discussing possible barriers to their goal
of staying out of the hospital
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting someone who says that they have been to
rehab three times already, and it hasn't worked, and they are fed up. The Peer Support
Specialist can... - ✔✔Disclose the ups and downs of their own recovery journey, and
emphasize that there are many ways to recover.
✔✔Cultural humility involves... - ✔✔Entering a relationship with another person with the
intention of honoring their beliefs, customs, and values.
✔✔An example of "person-first" language is... - ✔✔Person with a disability
✔✔Structural racism... - ✔✔Impacts health and recovery outcomes for people of color
✔✔Trauma, health disparities and social inequity tend to... - ✔✔Make behavioral health
conditions worse
✔✔A consumer explains that it is taboo for someone to share their struggles with family
members in their culture. How could the Peer Support Specialist support the consumer?
- ✔✔Roleplay or act out with the consumer ways the consumer can raise the topic with
loved ones, if they choose to do so.
✔✔In the process of conducting outreach activities in a specific community, the Family
Peer Support Specialist learns that there are many families that could benefit from
services, but who are not accessing them due to cultural and spiritual beliefs. Which of
the following is one way a Family Peer Support Specialist can work to better support
families? - ✔✔Increase cultural competence by participating in neighborhood activities
(health fairs, celebrations, etc), getting to know families, and networking with community
leaders
✔✔Trauma is... - ✔✔Extreme stress brought on by shocking or unexpected
circumstances or events that overwhelm a person's ability to cope
✔✔A trauma-informed environment is... - ✔✔A welcoming non-judgmental environment
where people can consider new coping strategies
✔✔Which of the following is trauma-informed? - ✔✔What happened to you?
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔A person receiving support feels isolated and without purpose, they tell the Peer
Support Specialist. The Peer Support Specialist should... - ✔✔Get the person involved
in personally meaningful activities where they really feel like they matter
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting a person who described a recent argument.
The person described how hard it is to communicate angry feelings, and how in the past
he had lost jobs because of his anger, and once even punched a wall. The Peer
Support Specialist said that he had struggled with anger as well, and praised the person
for handling the argument calmly. What kind of approach did the Peer Support
Specialist use? - ✔✔The Peer Support Specialist listened, disclosed their experience
and pointed out the person's recovery.
✔✔What does it mean to "person-centered?" - ✔✔the program is focused on the person
being supported
✔✔The Motivational Interviewing OARS tools help build trust, as well as encourage
change. The OARS acronym stands for: - ✔✔Open-ended questions, Affirmations,
Reflections/ Reflective listening, Summaries
✔✔Choose the example of an open-ended question. - ✔✔What are some of the
benefits of disclosing?
✔✔An example of an Affirmation when talking to someone is: - ✔✔"From everything
you've shared with me, it's easy to see how resilient and courageous you are."
✔✔Reflections/ Reflective Listening ... - ✔✔Tests to see if I understand what the person
means
✔✔Identify the questions which are examples of the Motivational Interviewing tool
"Elicit" (of "Elicit- Provide-Elicit") - ✔✔"Would you like to know about . . . ?"
✔✔In motivational interviewing, the tool "Provide", of "Elicit- Provide-Elicit" means to: -
✔✔Present information clearly and in manageable amounts.
✔✔Whole health goals... - ✔✔Consider the needs of the whole person
✔✔"Activation" of whole health goals means... - ✔✔A person creates and follows
through on a plan to develop new healthy habits to achieve goals related to their well-
being
, ✔✔"Self-management" of whole health goals means people... - ✔✔Work towards their
own goals, using tools such as self-help support groups, goal-setting plans, and other
supports
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting someone who confides that they are sick
and tired of going in and out of the hospital. The Peer Support Specialist can... -
✔✔Explore options with the person, including discussing possible barriers to their goal
of staying out of the hospital
✔✔A Peer Support Specialist is supporting someone who says that they have been to
rehab three times already, and it hasn't worked, and they are fed up. The Peer Support
Specialist can... - ✔✔Disclose the ups and downs of their own recovery journey, and
emphasize that there are many ways to recover.
✔✔Cultural humility involves... - ✔✔Entering a relationship with another person with the
intention of honoring their beliefs, customs, and values.
✔✔An example of "person-first" language is... - ✔✔Person with a disability
✔✔Structural racism... - ✔✔Impacts health and recovery outcomes for people of color
✔✔Trauma, health disparities and social inequity tend to... - ✔✔Make behavioral health
conditions worse
✔✔A consumer explains that it is taboo for someone to share their struggles with family
members in their culture. How could the Peer Support Specialist support the consumer?
- ✔✔Roleplay or act out with the consumer ways the consumer can raise the topic with
loved ones, if they choose to do so.
✔✔In the process of conducting outreach activities in a specific community, the Family
Peer Support Specialist learns that there are many families that could benefit from
services, but who are not accessing them due to cultural and spiritual beliefs. Which of
the following is one way a Family Peer Support Specialist can work to better support
families? - ✔✔Increase cultural competence by participating in neighborhood activities
(health fairs, celebrations, etc), getting to know families, and networking with community
leaders
✔✔Trauma is... - ✔✔Extreme stress brought on by shocking or unexpected
circumstances or events that overwhelm a person's ability to cope
✔✔A trauma-informed environment is... - ✔✔A welcoming non-judgmental environment
where people can consider new coping strategies
✔✔Which of the following is trauma-informed? - ✔✔What happened to you?
