The What and How of Suicide Risk Prevention and Assessment Across the Lifespan for System Involved Youth

Ashley Maliken, PhD

Training Description

This training is designed to meet the licensing requirements for 6 hours of training on managing suicide/high risk behavior and will help providers who support system involved youth have the best, research-informed skills for assessment, strategies, and prevention for suicide. We will review epidemiological data on suicide and related behaviors and review the literature on predictors of suicidal behaviors that informs evidence-based risk assessment. An overview of evidence-based risk assessment and best practice procedures will be provided, followed by opportunities to practice applying components of safety planning to enhance the skills of those who support system involved youth. Video vignettes and role plays will be used throughout to enhance learning and competency applying skills taught. 

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to identify 5 risk and 5 protective factors of suicide in system involved youth.

• Participants will be able to identify 3 components integral to an evidence-based risk assessment for system involved youth.

• Participants will be able to identify 3 components integral to an evidence-informed safety plan to support system involved youth. 

Agenda 

9:00 – 9:30am: What to Assess

- Introductions

- Learning objectives

- Review SBAQ (provided in advance)

Discussion of audience experience with suicide/self-harm, identify areas of discomfort

9:30 – 10:15am

- Background on suicide prevalence, other epidemiological data

o definitions

o International, national, and regional data

o COVID-19 impact on suicide rates and ER visits

o Impact of lethal means

10:15 – 10:45am

- Begin discussion of risk and protective factors

o How to define risk and risk factors

o  Understanding research

10:45 – 11:00am: break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

11:00am – 12:00pm

- Categories of risk factors

- review protective factors

- Risk/protective factors across the lifespan

- Provide framework for assessing individual risk

12:00 – 12:30: Break for lunch (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

12:30 – 4:00pm: HOW are we using our assessments

12:30 – 1:00pm:

- Lethal means counseling

o Gun safety counseling and handouts

o CA specific considerations

o Exercise on challenging myths

1:00 – 1:45pm

- Review evidence-based risk assessment approaches and summarize common elements

o CAMS

o LRAMP

o SAFE-T

1:45pm– 2:30: Safety planning

- Safety planning examples

- Evidence for safety plans

2:30 – 2:45pm:

- How are we using our assessments? To create safety plan

- role play safety plan creation

2:45 – 3:00pm: Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

3:00 – 3:15pm

- General communication strategies for safety planning

- Helpful/harmful attitudes

- Strategies to increase effectiveness and engagement

- Involving collaterals

3:15 – 4:00pm

- Tackling resistance

- Breaking confidentiality

- Handling ongoing assessment of SI

- General guidelines for treating suicidal patients

- Wrap up, Q&A

Meet Our Trainer

Ashley Maliken is a licensed clinical psychologist with an expertise in providing evidence-based treatments to adolescents, young adults and their families. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and is DBT-LBC certified. Dr. Maliken earned her doctorate from the University of Washington, where she also completed an adolescent health fellowship in leadership and education through an interdisciplinary program sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Her postdoctoral research centered on helping SIY utilize DBT skills to navigate interpersonal challenges as related to sexual health. Before becoming Acting Director of Training and Quality Assurance at the Portland DBT Institute in Portland, Oregon, Dr. Maliken was an Associate Professor at UCSF and Associate Director of Training for the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship.

This course meets the qualifications for (6.0) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.