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.
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.
About Dr. Robert Cramer
Robert J. Cramer obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology (forensic emphasis) from the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL, USA). His training also includes completion of an American Psychological Association accredited pre-doctoral internship at the University of California San Francisco Department of Psychiatry (San Francisco, CA, USA). He currently holds the position of Associate Professor in the School of Community and Environmental Health at Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA, USA), as well as affiliate faculty status with the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology. Funded by agencies including the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, Veteran’s Affairs Medical System, and American Psychological Foundation, Dr. Cramer has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on suicide, interpersonal violence, trial consulting and related issues. His suicide risk modeling and competency-based training work has appeared in prestigious interdisciplinary, clinical and public health outlets such as Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, Journal of Clinical Psychology, and AIDS Care. Internationally recognized for his work in suicide and interpersonal violence, Dr. Cramer has served as a visiting teaching and research fellow with the University of South Australia (Adelaide, Australia), Schola Empirica (formerly Prague Centre for Public Policy; Prague, Czech Republic), Griffith University Criminology Institute (Brisbane, Australia), and University of Central Lancashire (Preston, United Kingdom). In doing so, he regularly provides lectures and training on issues of suicide assessment and prevention, hate crimes and other related topics. His international work also includes funded research (National Science Foundation), co-editorship of the Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research (including a 2015 special issue on suicide and self-injury), and a recent award of the status of Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Central Lancashire Department of Psychology. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach to his work, he has provided consultation and training in suicide assessment and prevention to professionals in nursing, psychiatry, social work, law, public health and psychology, among others.
This course is a competency based online training in suicide assessment, management, and prevention for in-training and established health professionals.
Introduction
Participants will learn and overview and primer in suicide nomenclature.
Competencies
Participants will learn about the competencies derived of contemporary theory, research and expert guidelines concerning suicide prevention
Domain
Participants will learn domain specific competencies about correctional institutions
Population
Participants will learn about population specific adaptation; lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons
“Dr. Cramer is such a great teacher; engaging, interesting, and knowledgeable! Thank you for this excellent training.”
“This was another great course by CONCEPT! A well organized presentation of relevant information. Thank you!”
“The topic of suicide has become more relevant and widely talked about. This course is excellent with numerous readings and materials. A well done training”
Continuing Education Credit
This Distance Learning Course is a Home Study Training Program. To earn CEs you are required to complete all course materials, quizzes, and the evaluation. No partial credit is available. A score of 70% is required to proceed; you will be able to re-take any quiz on which you score less than 70%. Participants will earn 20 CE hours upon completion of these requirements. Each participant will be able to download and print the CE certificate upon completion of the final evaluation.
Board Approvals: APA, ASWB, CPA, NBCC. Click here for state and other regional board approvals.
Your satisfaction with our programs, products and services is important to us; however, because these are immediately made available to you upon registration and payment, we do not issue refunds. Should you find that a particular program, product or service is not the right fit for you, we will assist you in crediting your registration towards another one of our offerings that might better suit you.
