Course description

The US suicide rate has increased 30% since 2005. Suicide is now the 10th-leading cause of death in the US. Mental health professionals are frequently called upon for suicide risk assessment and intervention training and research suggests we could be much better at each of those tasks. 

In this continuing education course, we review the current research on suicide prevention, assessment, and intervention. We discuss current screening tools, and examine recent findings that urge against the use of those tools. Participants will come away better prepared to help clients get through their darkest hours safely.

6 hours CE. Recorded Video Format (non-interactive)

California: This course is designed to meet California BOP and BBS requirements for 6 hours of suicide prevention training for licensure or renewal.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Describe three current research findings surrounding suicide

  • Identify at least four risk factors for suicide based on current research

  • Identify at least four preventive factors for suicide based on current research

  • Utilize one or more current assessment tools with clients who may present risk for suicide

  • Develop a safety plan with a client who presents some risk for suicide

Course Outline

1. Background

2. Current research

3. Prevention strategies

4. Assessment strategies

5. Intervention strategies

6. Tools and resources

Included Resources

  • Useful Links
  • SAMHSA: Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment (TIP 50)

Reviews

Great course!

Wendy Russell

Wonderful, in-depth information on suicide prevention, assessment and intervention.

Wonderful, in-depth information on suicide prevention, assessment and intervention.

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Exceptionally well organized presentation. Very easy to follow!

Bren Chasse

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The best course on suicide I have done

cathy house

Excellent and relevant. 5 stars!

Excellent and relevant. 5 stars!

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This is the course I have been looking for!

Andrew Mueller

For years I’ve been looking for a good course on best practices for dealing with suicidality, and this is that course. It’s very well organized and very well presented, and the material is the up-to-date and practical information I’ve been search...

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For years I’ve been looking for a good course on best practices for dealing with suicidality, and this is that course. It’s very well organized and very well presented, and the material is the up-to-date and practical information I’ve been searching for for dealing with this difficult issue.

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Worth the money

Elizabeth Brock

This guy did his research on giving us the latest information on stats and what it means and assessment instruments and intervention. Comprehensive and well worth it.

This guy did his research on giving us the latest information on stats and what it means and assessment instruments and intervention. Comprehensive and well worth it.

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Instructor

Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD, LMFT

Benjamin Caldwell, PsyD is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#42723). He currently serves as adjunct faculty for California State University Northridge in Los Angeles. 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, Chair of the workgroup that developed Best Practices in the Online Practice of Couple and Family Therapy, and 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 (spoiler alert: do a Safety Plan instead). 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.

Additional Information

Format and Length:

Recorded video format (non-interactive). Total running time 6 hours, 9 minutes.

Progress is saved after each lesson section so you can complete the course in multiple sittings. Please note that if you leave the course in the middle of a video, quiz, or survey section you may be required to start that section from the beginning.

Topic Area:

Clinical Practice; Research

NAADAC Counselor Skill Group 2: Clinical Assessment

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Completion Requirements:

To obtain your CE certificate, you must progress through all course segments, complete a satisfaction survey, and obtain a score of 80% or higher on a course completion quiz. Learners are expected to complete the quiz within a reasonable number of attempts, and may be blocked from completing the course and receiving their certificate if unable to do so.

Completion Quiz and Course Evaluation:

After watching course videos, the course completion quiz will be available to complete, followed by the course evaluation.

Who Should Attend:

Psychologists, counselors, masters or doctoral level clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, and substance abuse counselors. 

Publication and Review Dates:

Course Published: July 07, 2019 

Financial Support Statement:

SimplePractice pays course presenters for their teaching. There is no other financial support for this course.

Conflict of Interest Statement:

The presenter serves as Chair of the SimplePractice Learning Curriculum Committee and Education Director for SimplePractice Learning. In accordance with our policy, he was recused from committee discussion and decision-making regarding this course. Content decisions are made at the committee level. There is no outside commercial support for this course.

Refund Policy:

Click here to see our policies on attendance, refunds, grievances, and accessibility, and other frequently asked questions. Click here to contact us or submit a grievance.

Contact Information:

For any inquiries related to subject matter guidance, correction, grading, comments, or problem resolution please contact us.

System Requirements:

Please ensure your device meets our system requirements.

Continuing Education Approvals:

SimplePractice is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course provides 6 hours of continuing education (6 CE credits) for psychologists.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6961. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. SimplePractice is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

SimplePractice, #1749, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Simple Practice maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 07/06/2021 – 07/06/2024. Social workers participating in this course will receive 6 continuing education credits in the Clinical topic area.

SimplePractice is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and LEPs (CAMFT CEPA provider #145276). SimplePractice maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 6 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SimplePractice is approved as a Rule/Statute Approved Provider of Continuing Education by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy, and Mental Health Counseling. Note that we do not automatically report CE completion to CE Broker at this time, so certificates of completion must be manually uploaded. Click here for more information.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0582. 

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0030.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0091.

SimplePractice LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0206.

This course has been approved by SimplePractice, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 6 Hours CE. NAADAC Provider #186410. SimplePractice is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Click here to view our complete CE approval information.