Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes, PhD, LMHC

~ The student will learn about:

~ How to estimate suicide risk

~ Factors altering risk of suicide and attempted suicide

~ Additional considerations in specific treatment settings

~ Strategies for enhancing motivation and promoting treatment engagement

~ Education points for the client and family

~ Risk management and documentation issues

~ All clients perceive events uniquely

~ All clients participate in care that is respectful and non-judgmental

~ Reflection and empathy is most effective

~ Ego strength is variable among individuals and is influenced by past experiences and social support

~ All clients and families are actively involved in collaboration and decision-making

~ Stress is a normal part of existence and can foster self-development and growth

~ All clients are capable of assuming personal responsibility

~ All clients grow and change in an environment of acceptance, trust and empathic understanding

~ Sustained change occurs when clients feel ready & supported

~ People have a need for self-mastery and control

~ Crises can be construed as danger or opportunity for growth

~ Crisis intervention is an active process that focuses on the immediate problem

~ Crisis intervention is time-limited

~ Client advocacy is essential

~ The focus is always on increasing the client’s level of social, occupational, cognitive and behavioral functioning

10 Step Trauma Management Protocol

• Assess for danger/safety for self and others, this means for the victim, counselor, and others who may have been affected by the trauma.

• Consider the physical, emotional and perceptual mechanisms of injury.

• Victim's level of responsiveness should be evaluated.

• Address medical needs

• Identify signs of traumatic stress.

• Connect with the individual by building rapport.

• Build rapport by allowing the client/person to tell their story.

• Provide support through active and empathetic listening

• Normalize, validate, and educate the individuals emotions, stress and adaptive coping styles.

• Bring the person to the present, describe future events, and provide referrals as needed. (Lerner & Shelton)

SAFER-R Model

~ Stabilize

~ Acknowledge

~ Facilitate understanding

~ Encourage adaptive coping

~ Restore functioning

~ Refer

Prevention

~ Prevention is always the best

~ Levels

~ Primary

~ Secondary

~ Tertiary

Suicide Assessment

~ Obtain information about the patient's psychiatric and other medical history and current mental state.

~ Identify specific psychiatric signs and symptoms

~ Assess past suicidal behavior, including intent of self-injurious acts

~ Review past treatment history and treatment relationships

~ Identify family history of suicide, mental illness, and dysfunction

~ Address the patient's immediate safety and determine the most appropriate setting for treatment.

~ Develop a biopsychosocial differential diagnosis to further guide planning of treatment.

~ Remember that suicide assessment scales lack the predictive validity necessary for use in routine clinical practice.

~ Identify specific factors and features that may generally increase or decrease risk for suicide or other suicidal behaviors and that may serve as modifiable targets.

~ Social support network

~ Cultural/religious beliefs, particularly as they relate to death/suicide

~ Nature, frequency, depth, timing and persistence of suicidal ideation

~ If ideation is present, request more detail about plans

~ Identify