In this session, participants will learn how to conduct a suicide assessment of a client’s (or patient’s) risk of suicide. Clinical recommendations will be made on suicide risk assessment and therapist self-care.
The presenter will guide participants through the suicide risk assessment process using the Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) (See the Resources section for details). Topics to be covered comprise information-gathering from a client or patient actively at risk of suicide. Clinical recommendations will be made on how to develop a therapeutic rapport and alliance, as well as how to document a suicide risk using the C-SSRS. The suicide risk assessment process will be presented, along with various risk components:
- How to identify risks, warning signs, and protective factors in suicide.
- Factors contributing to risk.
- Correlations between mental health issues and suicide that may need identification during the suicide risk assessment:
- Substance use disorders and suicide,
- Anxiety disorders and suicide,
- Trauma and suicide,
- Traumatic brain injury and suicide, and
- Cognitive processing and suicide
- Mood disorders and their role in suicide.
- At-risk/vulnerable populations (e.g., low socio-economic class, lack of education, lack of access to resources, job loss, social isolation) and resources for will be provided.
- How to recognize risk and protective factors among various ethnic and racial groups (e.g. Caucasians, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic/Latinos).
- Protective factors.
- Therapist self-care while working with survivors in the aftermath of a completed suicide.