Presenter: Dr. Matthew Wintersteen, Thomas Jefferson University
Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
Director of Training and Higher Education Efforts

Training Details: In this training, attendees learn how to identify youth that may be at risk for suicide, through strategies including conducting a clinical interview, including parents, and stratifying risk. Additional recommendations for collecting valid data as part of a risk assessment are provided. This training is appropriate for school mental health professionals, crisis workers, and therapists.

Presenter: Dr. Matthew Wintersteen, Thomas Jefferson University
Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
Director of Training and Higher Education Efforts

Training Details: This training will provide an overview of safety planning, a brief clinical intervention that empowers youth to recognize and utilize their own strengths and resources to manage periods of rumination and contemplation of suicide behavior. The approach was originally developed within the Veterans Administration system and has since been adapted for work outside of the VA and with youth and families. This intervention is based on a cognitive-behavioral approach and can be implemented by mental health providers across a range of settings. Attendees will learn the components of a safety plan, how to develop the plan, and how to include parents in the process.

Presenter: Dr. Guy Diamond, Drexel University
Director of Family Intervention Science and Couple and Family Therapy PhD Program

Training Details: Caregivers are typically the gatekeepers to adolescents receiving mental health care, but may experience barriers to pursuing or engaging in treatment. We begin by discussing the importance of engaging families when working with depressed and or suicidal adolescents. We also teach clinical engagement strategies based on the principles of attachment-based family therapy to help reduce barriers to help seeking and increase caregiver motivation to find appropriate care for their child or participate in family therapy. Audience members have opportunities to practice these techniques during the workshop.

Presenters: Paula McCommons, Ed.D
Director, STAR-Center Outreach and Behavioral Health Liaison for Allegheny County Student Assistance Program
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital

Perri Rosen, PhD, NCSP
Consulting Psychologist, Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Training Details: This training provides an overview of the rationale and recommendations for conducting postvention in schools after a tragic loss, underscoring how postvention planning is a key component of comprehensive school-based suicide prevention efforts. Attendees will learn the essential components of a postvention response and the various responsibilities of postvention team members. The training will highlight tools, templates, and resources available through the STAR-Center’s Postvention Standards Manual: A Guide for a School’s Response in the Aftermath of a Sudden Death (Fifth Edition).

Presenter: Dr. Matthew Wintersteen, Thomas Jefferson University
Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior
Director of Training and Higher Education Efforts

Training Details: Restricting access to lethal means during times of suicidal crises has been repeatedly shown to reduce the likelihood of suicide attempts and death. The purpose of this training is to examine means restriction from both a public health and clinical perspective. Strategies to effectively reduce access will be discussed. Finally, skills to approach the topic of lethal means restriction with patients and their families will be covered, with the goal to assist those most at risk for suicide to reduce the likelihood of suicide attempts and death.