I would agree with the need to ask this question as we need to know who is around her. This helps us to gauge how safe the client is, who she can turn to when needed, and whether or not she has a support system in place. We know that having a positive support system makes for better outcomes for people who are in crisis whether or not they have an underlying mental health condition. However, if the people around them are negative, dangerous, or unsupportive you will not see a lot of positive outcomes. This is a question I ask at every intake I do in therapy with my clients. This also helps me to gauge what resources I need to provide to them. What other questions other than the ones you have already stated might you ask to get as much information as you can in the limited amount of time you have with a client?