IC&RC PR Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: B

"Some groups see it that way, so you might keep your medication private there.": Practical-sounding, but it accepts the stigma instead of affirming the person's pathway.

"Medication-supported recovery is a valid pathway; let's find groups that welcome it.": Correct. Medication-supported recovery is real recovery; the peer affirms it and helps the person find supportive mutual aid.

"Ask your prescriber about tapering so you can take part fully.": Medication advice is outside the peer role, and it treats the medication as the problem.

"Every group has its own traditions, so their view is valid for them.": Neutral-sounding, but it leaves the person with the stigmatizing message unanswered.

Medication-supported recovery is a recognized pathway; never treat it as "not real recovery".

Answer: A

Respect the person's self-label and use person-first language in the peer's own speech.: Correct. The person may describe themself as they choose; the peer respects that and models person-first language in their own speech and notes.

Gently suggest the person say "person in recovery" instead, to reduce internalized stigma.: Correcting the person's chosen self-description is not the peer's role, even when it is gently done.

Begin using "addict" in notes and conversation, since that is how the person identifies.: The peer's own language and records should stay person-first.

Explain that the word fuels stigma and ask the person to stop using it about themself.: Lectures the person about their own identity.

Person-centered language applies to what the peer says and writes; the person's own self-description is theirs to choose.

Answer: A

Ask what outcome the person wants and explore how each approach might get there.: Correct. Understanding the person's goal comes first; exploring options together respects self-determination and still gives the honest input the person asked for.

Say honestly that the plan will likely fail and suggest a written request instead.: Honest input is appropriate, but giving a verdict and a solution before learning the person's goal is the right idea in the wrong order.

Support the plan as stated, because the decision belongs to the person.: The choice is the person's, but they asked for input; silent agreement withholds the support requested.

Offer to contact the landlord first so that a confrontation is not needed.: Taking over the contact removes the person's role in their own advocacy.

Before advising, ask what the person wants to achieve; then explore options together and let the person decide.

Answer: D

connect the person to the 988 Lifeline on a three-way call.: 988 is the right resource for suicidal crisis, but a person who has already taken an overdose is in imminent danger and needs emergency services.

ask what pills were taken and how many before deciding what to do.: Gathering details before getting help delays a response to imminent danger.

notify the supervisor and document the call.: Both are required, but only after emergency help is on the way.

call emergency services while keeping the person on the line.: Correct. An overdose already taken is imminent danger: the peer calls emergency services and stays connected, then informs the supervisor.

Imminent danger means emergency services first and staying with the person; 988 is for crisis without an emergency in progress.

Answer: C

Confirm attendance only, since that is not clinical information: Confirming attendance discloses that he receives services, which requires his consent.

Share general progress, since the mother is supportive: A supportive caller does not replace the person's written consent.

Neither confirm nor deny he is served; offer family resources: Correct. Without written consent the peer cannot acknowledge the relationship; offering general family resources still responds to the mother's concern.

Say he is doing well but that details require his consent: Saying he is doing well already confirms he is served and shares progress.

Without written consent, even the fact that a person receives services is confidential.

Answer: D

"I promise. Whatever you share stays between us.": The peer cannot promise this: suspected harm to a child is a limit of confidentiality.

"I can't promise anything, so maybe don't tell me.": Honest about limits, but it shuts the person out and may leave a child at risk.

"Tell me first, and then we'll decide together who needs to know.": This sounds collaborative but hides that the peer may be required to report, so consent is not truly informed.

"Most things stay private, but I must report if a child is unsafe.": Correct. Explaining the limits of confidentiality before the disclosure is honest and lets the person choose what to share while keeping the duty to report.

State the limits of confidentiality (danger to self or others, suspected abuse) before a disclosure; never promise unconditional secrecy.

Answer: A

Ask directly whether they are thinking of suicide.: Correct. A statement about being a burden is a warning sign; asking directly and calmly is the first step and does not plant the idea. The answer decides what help is needed next.

Give the 988 number and encourage a call tonight.: Linking to 988 is appropriate, but doing it before asking skips finding out how immediate the risk is (right action, wrong order).

Remind the person how much they matter to the group.: Reassurance can feel caring but it moves past the warning sign without exploring it.

Tell the supervisor once the check-in has ended.: The supervisor should be informed, but waiting until later leaves the risk unexplored while the person is present.

When a warning sign appears, ask directly about suicide first; the answer then guides linking to 988, emergency help and the supervisor.

Answer: D

Peer staff design all activities based on their lived experience.: Lived experience matters, but staff-only design still leaves participants as recipients.

Staff select as leaders the participants with the longest recovery.: Staff choosing leaders keeps authority with staff, and length of recovery is not a fair test.

Clinicians review activities to be sure they are evidence-based.: Clinical oversight is an authority-led model, not empowerment.

Participants help plan and lead the activities they attend.: Correct. Empowerment means the people served share in decisions and leadership.

In recovery communities, empowerment means participants help shape and lead the work.

Answer: C

Call the clinic manager with the person present, so they see how it is done.: Modeling sounds supportive, but the peer still takes over a call the person can make.

File a written complaint on the person's behalf and give them a copy.: Individual advocacy is acceptable, but it is not BEST when the person can speak for themselves.

Help the person plan what to say, and offer to be present for the call.: Correct. The peer builds the person's self-advocacy skills and offers support without taking over.

Suggest the person ask the clinic for a fixed weekly appointment time.: This is a reasonable idea, but the peer supplies the solution instead of building the person's own skill to raise it.

When a person can speak for themselves, the peer coaches and supports self-advocacy rather than advocating for them.

Answer: A

Briefly share the recurrence and what helped, then turn back to the person.: Correct. A short, honest answer offers hope that recurrence is not failure, and the focus returns to the person.

Say the peer's history isn't the focus and ask about the person's own experience.: Keeping the focus on the person is good, but dodging a direct, relevant question loses the hope and mutuality an honest answer offers.

Share the recurrence and the full story of what led up to it.: The full story shifts the conversation to the peer; brevity serves the person better.

Say yes, then explain the peer's view of why people go back to using.: An honest yes is right, but turning it into the peer's theory becomes a lecture instead of a return to the person.

When a person asks about the peer's experience, a brief, honest, purposeful answer that returns to the person is BEST.

Answer: C

notice how their current use affects things they care about.: Raising awareness fits precontemplation.

weigh what they would gain and lose by making a change.: Exploring pros and cons fits contemplation, where ambivalence is the main task.

build a specific plan for the change, with a start date.: Correct. In preparation the person intends to act soon, so the support is concrete planning.

identify ways to keep their new habits going over time.: Sustaining change and preventing recurrence fits maintenance.

Match the support to the stage: raise awareness, explore ambivalence, plan, act, then sustain. Options here follow that order.

Answer: D

Describe in detail how the peer stopped drinking so the person has a clear model.: Self-disclosure that shifts the focus to the peer and implies the peer's pathway is the one to follow.

Recommend the approach that has worked for most people the peer has supported.: Advice-giving: it overrides the person's own reasons and ideas just as they began to voice them.

Explain that peers do not give opinions and move on to the next topic.: Shuts down the conversation at a point of change talk; the person's question deserves engagement.

Reflect the reasons the person listed and ask which matter most to them.: Correct. The person is already voicing change talk; reflecting it and asking which reasons matter most keeps the decision theirs (evocation and autonomy).

When a person is voicing reasons for change, reflect and build on them instead of replacing them with the peer's plan.

Answer: C

Ask to be reassigned to tasks that fit the peer's own recovery pathway.: Avoids the feeling instead of examining it; may be needed later, but not first.

Keep the feelings private so they do not affect the people served.: Unexamined bias tends to leak into the work; suppression is not self-awareness.

Reflect on the reaction and discuss it with a supervisor.: Correct — self-awareness of beliefs about harm reduction starts with reflection and supervision.

Share the peer's abstinence story with participants to balance the message.: Self-disclosure that serves the peer's beliefs, not the person, and imposes a pathway.

Peers examine their own beliefs about harm reduction and use supervision so personal pathways do not shape the support they give.

Answer: C

Hold off on naloxone, because alcohol was involved.: Naloxone is safe without opioids and should be given whenever opioids may be involved.

Give naloxone only after confirming that the pills actually contained an opioid.: Delays a safe, possibly life-saving step; the content cannot be confirmed in time.

Call emergency services and give naloxone, since opioids may be involved.: Correct — unknown pills may contain opioids; naloxone is safe if none are present, and emergency help is needed.

Give naloxone and leave once the person starts breathing normally again.: Naloxone can wear off before the opioid; the peer stays with the person until help arrives.

Naloxone reverses opioids only but is safe to give whenever opioids might be involved; call emergency services and stay.

Answer: A

Recruit people who currently use drugs to help shape and lead the design.: Correct — harm reduction services are shaped and led by the people they serve, including people with living experience of drug use.

Ask the medical director to set priorities based on local overdose data.: Authority-led; data inform the work, but the people most affected should lead it.

Survey staff members about which services they find most effective.: Centers staff views rather than the people who use the services.

Invite people in long-term recovery to serve as the voice of participants.: Lived experience helps, but people in long-term abstinence cannot stand in for the current participants who use drugs; not the BEST.

Harm reduction programs are designed and led by people with lived and living experience of drug use, not mainly by authorities or staff.