On Wednesday, October 20, McLean Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine are offering a free virtual workshop on suicide assessment and prevention.
“Suicide-Focused Assessment and Treatment: An Update for Professionals” will feature presentations on current suicide epidemiology by nationally recognized experts who will review new approaches and therapeutics for both suicide assessment and treatment while also highlighting the critical role of safety planning.
Highlights
- Half-day event features national experts discussing cutting-edge advances in suicide-focused assessment and treatment
- Aimed at psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and other mental health professionals
- Workshop is free for those not seeking continuing education credits
- Registration is now open
“It is critical that we, as clinicians, educators, and trusted members of our communities, arm ourselves with skills that we can apply in our daily work to better care for those who are most vulnerable and need our support,” said Scott L. Rauch, MD, McLean’s president and psychiatrist in chief. “By sharing our knowledge of cutting-edge advances in suicide-focused assessment and treatment through workshops like this, we are having a positive impact on our communities.”
Studies show that over the past two decades the suicide rate has increased significantly, with nearly 50,000 people currently dying by suicide in America each year. According to Doug Jacobs, MD, who co-directs this course and who also founded the website Stop A Suicide Today, this increase has come at a time when “there are more and more resources available to help us address the issue.”
Registration Is Open!
Sign up now to join us for Suicide-Focused Assessment and Treatment: An Update for Professionals on October 20.
According to Jacobs and course co-director Alan F. Schatzberg, MD, the workshop will help attendees identify current risk factors and apply newer approaches to suicide assessment, while also evaluating newer treatments, including ketamine, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and cognitive therapy.
Continuing education credits (CME, CEU) are available for health care professionals who attend.
By utilizing an online webinar format, Jacobs and Schatzberg, each who have dedicated their careers to suicide prevention, aim to bring up-to-date information on suicide to clinicians and health professionals who may not be getting it elsewhere.
“Because there is often a lag in time between what is presented in the printed literature and new advances in the field, it made sense to use a virtual webinar to show the state-of-the-art in both in assessment and treatment to this audience,” said Jacobs.
To further this goal, the webinar will offer attendees access to exclusive content on Stop A Suicide Today. “The website is a dynamic document that is updated every three-to-four months,” Jacobs reported. “There is an overview of epidemiology, approaches to suicide assessment, a look at newer treatments, and a focus on safety planning.”
For Jacobs, the webinar builds on his more than 30 years of work in suicide prevention and treatment. “This event is real public service—and a labor love for me,” Jacobs said. “It’s going to be a high-quality program, providing important resources and information for all clinicians.”
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