Sally Spencer-Thomas – Suicide Assessment and Intervention: Assess Suicidal Ideation and Effectively Intervene in Crisis Situations with Confidence, Composure and Sensitivity

Outline

Suicide: Who, When, How and Where

• Addiction recovery
• Trauma-informed care
• Populations with multiple risk factors
• Suicide attempt survivors – learning from their experience
• Upstream clinical practices: reaching people before the point of crisis

Elicit Key Information from Suicidal Clients: Assessment and Level of Risk

• Implicit and explicit expressions of suicidal thoughts
• Communicating caring: Language to impart compassion and avoid stigma
• Suicide risk assessment
  • SAFE-T
  • PATH WARM
  • Ideation, plan, means, intent
  • Level of risk

Formulate Treatment Plans that Help Clients Regulate Emotions and Make Them Feel Valued and Connected

• Collaborative safety planning (or “Why Suicide Contracting is Dead”)
• Proactive approaches to decrease the likelihood of suicidal despair
• Multi-system approaches – support systems
• Evidence-based treatments:
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
    • Cognitive restructuring strategies
    • Emotional regulation exercises
    • Behavioral Activation
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy
    • How to organize a skills training group
    • Tips for phone coaching
  • Relapse prevention plans
  • Reduce access to lethal means
  • Working with specific populations: veterans, the elderly

Confidently Handle Crisis Situations

• Conduct a behavioral chain analysis
• Validating reasons for suicide
• Identify reasons for living
• Use distress tolerance and CBT skills to manage a crisis
• When and how to hospitalize

Suicide Grief Support and Innovative Suicide-Specific Care

• Implement Suicide Grief Support
  • Understand the unique nature of suicide grief
  • Peer-based support: Connect clients to other survivors of loss
  • Access and Reclaim compassion
    • Somatic resourcing
    • Remembered resources
    • Assess clients self-talk

ReInvest in a Life Worth Living: Rekindle the Desires of the Heart

• The PIE of life – brainstorm possibilities of growth
• Cultivate social connection and re-engagement
  • Support and grief groups
  • Toxic people
  • Working with families impacted by loss
• Choice and perspective
• Foster gratitude and a spirit of contentment after loss
• Measurements of Post-Traumatic Growth

Please Note: PESI is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organizations.