Suicide in Children and Adolescents: Bridging Evidence-Based Strategies and Clinical Practice

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been increasing among children and adolescents in the United States over the past decade, and social workers are routinely faced with the challenge of assessing and managing this risk. This workshop will increase participants’ competencies for understanding, assessing and managing suicide risk in children and adolescents utilizing evidence-based strategies that are applicable in real-world clinical practice settings. Participants will learn about and gain hands-on experience with a flexible, evidence-based tool for suicide assessment, the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and an evidence-based strategy for suicide risk management, the Safety Planning Intervention (SPI). Participants will also:

– Review current research related to suicidal thoughts and behavior in youth, including examination of risk and protective factors in the context of an individual’s cultural background and diverse identities.
– Increase professional self-awareness and explore vicarious traumatization as it pertains to working with high risk youth and families.
– Discuss strategies for assessing and responding to suicide risk in a developmentally appropriate manner, as well as ways to address common concerns regarding suicide assessment for youth.
– Identify developmentally appropriate adaptations of this intervention, and considerations for application across clinical settings.

VIRTUAL SEMINAR | June 24, 2021, 1 – 4:15 p.m. ET
Instructor: Jill Donelan, Psy.D.
CEs: 3 CEs for social workers are available for $5 fee
Level: Intermediate