Program Description
This self-paced training program on Suicide Assessment, Management, and Prevention is presented by Dr. Robert Cramer. Drawing on competency and skill-based learning modalities, this course targets multidisciplinary health professionals who work in suicide assessment, management, and prevention. The competencies are derived from contemporary theory, research and expert guidelines concerning suicide prevention. The course utilizes a variety of learning strategies including, but not limited to, journal article readings, guided lecture, self-assessment and self-reflection tools, and case examples for the learner to practice many competencies.
Mental health and public health efforts in suicide prevention have moved toward mastery of specific competencies. A body of medical and psychological literature (e.g., American Association of Suicidology, 2010; Hung, Binder, Fordwood, Hall, Cramer, & McNiel, 2012; Joiner, 2005; Kleespies, Hough, & Romeo, 2009; Liebling-Boccio & Jennings, 2013; Rudd, Cuckrowicz, & Bryan, 2008; Sullivan & Bongar, 2009) has articulated specific suicide-related competencies, streamlined into a framework of the following 10 specific competencies:
- Recognizing attitudes and reactions toward suicide when with a client
- Developing and maintaining a collaborative, empathic stand toward the client
- Eliciting evidence-based risk and protective factors
- Focusing on the current plan and intent of suicidal ideation
- Determining chronic and imminent risk levels
- Collaboratively enacting an evidence-based treatment plan
- Involving appropriate social support
- Documenting risk, plan and clinical reasoning
- Knowing the law concerning suicide
- Engaging in debriefing and self-care
Participants discuss suicide prevention knowledge, improved suicide prevention-related attitudes, enhanced self-perceived competency, and improved objectively-rated performance (Cramer, Bryson, Eichorst, Keyes, & Ridge, in press; Cramer, Bryson, Stroud, & Ridge, in press). This course also addresses three primary additions in order to enhance the potential impact: (1) evidence-based public health approaches to suicide prevention are covered as an additional general core competency, (2) a sample high-risk setting (i.e., corrections) is addressed in terms of identification of setting-specific competencies that may augment the general core competencies, and (3) a sample high-risk population (i.e., lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB] persons) is addressed to provide the learner an example of population-specific tailoring of some general core competencies.
The fee for this training program is $500 and includes all materials and worksheets. Participants should expect to commit approximately 20 CE hours to complete this training program. Throughout the training program, there are quizzes that must be passed with a 70% in order to advance in the course. Once the course is completed participants will complete a course evaluation and then will be able to print their certificate of completion.
Intended Audience
As an intentionally inter-professional training approach, this course draws on inter-professional perspectives from nursing, psychiatry, psychology, social work, public health, and related disciplines. As such, it is appropriate for in-training or established health professionals who interface with suicide assessment, intervention or prevention. Health professions management may also benefit from the knowledge and competencies in order to implement and oversee current best practices concerning suicide prevention. Specific modules are included to illustrate setting- and population-specific considerations in suicide prevention by corrections and sexual orientation-minority persons, respectively. Therefore, the training program also targets professionals working in correctional/forensic settings, as well as with multi-cultural populations. This training program is for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level clinicians.