Presented Live by Benjamin E. Caldwell, Psy.D.
Suicide is among the “deaths of despair” expected to continue increasing dramatically in the next few years in the US. Mental health professionals are frequently called upon to identify those at highest risk and intervene appropriately. Recent research findings have significantly changed modern practices in suicide prevention, assessment, and intervention. In this course, we review that current research and identify key changes to make in clinical practice to more effectively prevent suicide. We discuss current screening tools, and examine recent findings that urge against the use of those tools. We distinguish suicidality from parasuicidal gestures and non-suicidal self-injury. And we review how suicide uniquely impacts specific populations, including military/veteran and the LGBTQIA community.
About The Presenter
Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD is the Education Director for SimplePractice Learning. He is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and serves as adjunct faculty for California State University Northridge. He has taught at the graduate level for more than 15 years, primarily in Law and Ethics, and has written and trained extensively on ethical applications in mental health care. In addition to serving a three-year term on the AAMFT Ethics Committee, Dr. Caldwell served as the Chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee for AAMFT-California for 10 years. He served as Editor for the Users Guide to the 2015 AAMFT Code of Ethics and is the author of several books, including Saving Psychotherapy and Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs.
Basics of California Law is used at graduate programs around California and addresses therapists’ legal responsibilities and clinical options with high-risk clients. Dr. Caldwell authored the entry on “No Harm Contracts” in the Encyclopedia of Family Therapy. Since 2013, Dr. Caldwell has served as a consultant to the Self-Injury Institute in Los Angeles, assisting with research and supervision surrounding risk assessment and intervention, ethical compliance, and evidence-based practice in the family-based treatment of self-injury.
Program Goals
Participants will improve and modernize their understanding of suicide prevention, assessment, and intervention techniques, better enabling them to work effectively with high-risk clients.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to
- Describe three current research findings surrounding suicide
- Identify at least three risk factors and three preventive factors for suicide based on current research
- Describe at least three special considerations when addressing suicidality in military and veteran populations
- Effectively distinguish between suicidal gestures, parasuicidal gestures, and non-suicidal self-injury
- Develop a safety plan with a client who presents some risk for suicide
Time Line
1. Current research (90 min)
a. Changes in suicide over time in the US
b. Risk and protective factors
2. Prevention (30 min)
3. Assessment (60 min)
a. Distinguishing suicide from parasuicide and NSSI
b. The problem with screening
c. Assessment instruments
4. Intervention (90 min)
a. Safety planning
b. Hospitalization
5. Special populations (75 min)
a. Military
b. LGBTQIA+
c. High-risk professional groups
d. Other high-risk populations
6. Resources (15 min)
his event is online.
Registration includes 6 CEUs for your suicide prevention training renewal.
BBS CEU Requirement Information
The following information is to help you determine your own actions. It is not directly from the BBS, and any requirements should be checked with the BBS.
In some cases this class will qualify for the law and ethics requirement. You can apply a suicide prevention training class to your law and ethics requirement if the class is NOT similar to the one you are applying to your suicide prevention training requirement. If you take 2 suicide prevention training classes and they are similar in content, you cannot apply them to both the ethics and suicide prevention requirements, but only to the suicide prevention requirement.
Click the link below for FAQ from the BBS.
Suicide Prevention Training Requirement
TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSW, LMFT, LPCC
SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider (CEPA 052466). This course meets the qualifications of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs. SCV-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
Event Policy Information
