For Psychologists

https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/mental-health-issues-facing-the-black-community

Compiled by Elaine Ducharme, Ph.D, ABPP

1. SOS: A Handbook for Survivors of Suicide by Jeffrey Jackson can be very helpful.  It’s about 30 pages and is free online; just Google the title.  Thus it’s really easy to access. It is intended to be a “bite-sized overview”. It focuses on a wide range of feelings with empathy and sensitivity. It was written in 2003, some of the stats/references are dated.
2. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This is the text to the page that has some links regarding help for teens and children: https://afsp.org/search-results/?query=resources%
3. 20for%20teenshttps://afsp.org/ive-lost-someone
4. This book is from The Dougy Center and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. You can just download it or print it. https://aws-fetch.s3.amazonaws.com/flipbooks/childrenteenssuicideloss/index.html?page=1  
5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1879651580/?coliid=I28KDDEKU2D88K&colid=YIU11K0XK6PT&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
6. Overall resources and numbers from a google search: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=dhE3X8TcFN2GytMP0_SF8As&q=suicide+resources+for+survivors&oq=suicide+resources+for+survivors&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBQghEKABMggIIRAWEB0QHjoCCAA6BggAEAgQHjoFCAAQzQI6AggpOgUIIRCrAjoHCCEQChCgAVD9e1jL0AFgudMBaABwAHgAgAGjAYgBgAqSAQQxMi4zmAEAoAEBwAEB&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Suicide Prevention Resources for Psychologists

Kathleen Chapman, Ph.D.

Suicide is a public health crisis, rates of suicide have increased each year since 1999. It is among the 10 leading causes of death nationally, and the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults.

The Surgeon General developed the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in 2001, updated in 2012. There has also been an increase in research on prevention, including assessment and intervention.   

Early intervention has been shown to be an effective response in preventing suicide. Identifying those at risk by asking about suicidal ideation and behavior, using evidence based tools, provides the opportunity to intervene. These Interventions include Evidence Based brief intervention, such as the Safety Plan Intervention, and therapy. Examples of Evidence Based Treatment include: Cognitve Behavioral Treatment for Suicide Prevention (CBT-SP); Dialectical Behavior Training (DBT); and Collaborative Assessment and Management for Suicidality (CAMS)

The CPA Webinar Series archive includes a webinar entitled “Suicide Prevention in Clinical Practice”, Episode 7, dated 11/1/2019 that provides an overview of suicide prevention information for Psychologists, including introductory training on evidence based screening and assessment with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) and brief intervention, Stanley & Brown Safety Plan.

Resources for further learning:

• A free, brief video on the use of Evidence Based Treatment in suicide prevention, featuring Mike Hogan, Ph.D., former Connecticut DMHAS Commissioner:

Toolkit: Treat | Zero Suicide (edc.org)

• A strategy and framework for addressing suicidal behavior is provided by SAMHSA In their Suicide Assessment 5 step Evaluation and Triage, and can be used when planning assessment and treatment, includes risk and protective factors:

https://www.integration.samhsa.gov/images/res/SAFE_T.pdf

• The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale is being used across health care systems screen to assess and stratify suicide risk with high reliability and validity, while providing standardized communication among providers. Free training and forms, including the screening version and the more comprehensive Lifetime Version, can be found on their site:

http://cssrs.columbia.edu/

• The Stanley & Brown Safety Plan Intervention is a brief, evidence based intervention using a collaborative approach which supports individuals in access coping strategies and resources in crisis situations. Resource for free training on the Safety Plan:

Center for Practice Innovations > CPI Resources > SCORM > Safety Planning

• A resource on Dialectical Behavior Training education:

Behavioral Tech – Training, Continuing Education in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

• A resource for training on Cognitive Behavior Training for Suicide Prevention

Training Opportunities | Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (upenn.edu)

• A resource Collaborative Assessment and Management for Suicidality

Suicide Prevention Training & Risk Assessment | CAMS-care Therapy

• The Zero Suicide Initiative represents the goal of suicide as preventable, rather than inevitable. It is a resource for best practices in multiple settings including evidence based and empirically supported assessment tools and interventions to prevent suicide. Information on tools and training, including readings, videos, and linkscan be found on their website in the tool kit tab:

http://zerosuicide.sprc.org/toolkit

• The Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board is a useful source of information on prevention and, support for those who have experienced loss by suicide, with resources in Connecticut and nationally. Among the many resources there is a free book, “Gizmo’s Guide to Pawesome Mental Health” developed for youth on identifying emotions and using coping strategies based on the Stanley and Brown Safety plan:

http://www.preventsuicidect.org/

Gizmos Guide to Pawesome Mental Health can be viewed under the “Materials” tab. In Connecticut we can order free books under the “Order Materials” tab.

• There is also a website designed to support youth mental health developed through the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board and Garret Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention grant funds. It includes interactive activities to support mental health for youth, as well as  resources:

Gizmo 4 Mental Health

• The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ (DMHAS) website contains a listing of resources on suicide prevention and supports for families and individuals:

http://www.ct.gov/dmhas/cwp/view.asp?q=382062

• Reducing access to lethal means is important in suicide prevention. Information on safeguarding firearms for individuals at risk for harm to self or others, from the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection:

Firearm Safety Warrants (JDP-CL-140) (ct.gov)

• Information from the Veteran’s Administration on safe gun storage:

Suicide Prevention is Everyone’s Business: A Toolkit for Safe Firearm Storage in Your Community (va.gov)

• The organization, Connecticut Against Gun Violence, promotes gun safety and is a source of information on the Extreme Risk Protective Order (ERPO)

CT Against Gun Violence (cagv.org)