F25 Best Practices for Assessing and Responding to Suicide Risk and Response Within Social Work Settings

Instructor

Jodi Jacobson Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP Related Seminars and Products

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Dr. Jodi J. Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP is a full Professor with tenure at University of Maryland, School of Social Work (UMSSW). She serves as Associate Dean for Research and is the Founder and Faculty Executive Director of the Center for Behavioral Health and Well-Being Research (BHWell). For almost 20 years, Dr. Frey chaired UMSSW’s Workplace and Employee Assistance Sub-specialization and for 10 years she chaired the Financial Social Work Initiative. Dr. Frey’s research focuses on adult and emerging adult behavioral health and well-being with an emphasis on suicide prevention, mental health, substance use, the workplace, and social determinants of health. She has published over 100 articles, books and book chapters, in addition to presenting research at international conferences and receiving numerous awards for her research and teaching. Dr. Frey co-chairs the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee where she is working with the committee to disseminate the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention and serves on national boards for Mental Health First Aid and the National Safety Council.  

Agenda & Learning Objectives

AGENDA:

9:00 – 9:10 Registration/Log On  

9:10 – 10:20 

• Introduction to topic and participants 

• Review of self-care 

• Update on recent research and best practices 

• Research-based screening for suicide prevention 

• Practice screening tools not currently used in your practice setting with debrief 

10:20 – 10:35 Break 

10:35 – 12:15 

• Overview of suicide risk assessment and response 

• Practice safety planning and debrief 

• Discussion about Zero Suicide Framework and follow-up after safety planning 

• Questions 

12:15 Adjournment  

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least one new screening or assessment tool for suicide prevention. 

• Articulate a plan of action regarding how they will expand or update their suicide screening and/or suicide risk management work in practice. 

• Describe research and best practices for suicide prevention in diverse social work settings. 

Bibliography & References

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES

Intro Book: Great intro book written by a social work research practitioner: Freedenthal, S. (2018). Helping the suicidal person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals. New York, NY: Routledge. 

Additional Research 

Hughes J L, Horowitz L M, Ackerman J P, Adrian M C, Campo J V, Bridge J A et al. (2023). Suicide in young people: screening, risk assessment, and intervention BMJ; 381 :e070630 doi:10.1136/bmj-2022-070630 

Kourgiantakis, T., Sewell, K., Lee, E., Adamson, K., McCormick, M., Kuehl, D. & Bogo, M. (2020). Teaching Note—Enhancing Social Work Education in Mental Health, Addictions, and Suicide Risk Assessment, Journal of Social Work Education, 56:3, 587-594, DOI: 10.1080/10437797.2019.1656590 

Posamentier, J., Seibel, K., & DyTang, N. (2022). Preventing Youth Suicide: A Review of School-Based Practices and How Social–Emotional Learning Fits Into Comprehensive Efforts. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2), 746-759. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211039475 (Original work published 2023)  

Scott, M., & Underwood, M. (2025). Evaluating standards of care training for social workers completing suicide risk assessment. Research on Social Work Practice, 1-15. Doi: 10.1177/10497315251346037 

Interpersonal Theory of Suicide 

Joiner, T. E., Van Orden, K. A., Witte, T. K., & Rudd, M. D. (2009). The interpersonal theory of suicide: Guidance for working with suicidal clients. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.] 

Resources for Screening 

Columbia Suicide Severity Scale 

Multiple readings online: https://cssrs.columbia.edu/the-columbia-scale-c-ssrs/evidence/ 

ASQ 

Multiple online resources and readings: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials 

Resources for Suicide Risk Assessment and Response 

CASE Approach 

Shea, S. C. (2009). Suicide assessment Part 2: Uncovering suicidal intent using the Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events (CASE approach). Psychiatric Times, 26(12), 17.   

Shea, S. C. (2011). The practical art of suicide assessment: A guide for mental health professionals and substance abuse counselors. Stoddard, NH: Mental Health Press. 

CAMS intervention 

Jobes, D. A. (2009). The CAMS approach to suicide risk: Philosophy and clinical procedures. Suicidology, 14(1), 3-7. 

Suicide Safety Planning 

Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety planning intervention: A brief intervention to mitigate risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256-264. 

CBT and Crisis Plan 

Bryan, C. J., & Rudd, M. D. (2018). Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. 

Bryan, C. J. (2022). Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails, and How We Can Do Better. New York, NY: The Oxford Press. 

Course Completion & CE Information

Category I Maryland BSWE Requirement

The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education programs. This workshop qualifies for 3 Category I Continuing Education Units. The Office of Continuing Professional Education is also authorized by the Maryland Board of Psychologists and the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors to sponsor Category A continuing professional education. 

ASWB Information 

University of Maryland School of Social Work Office of Continuing Professional Education, #1611, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 2/11/2024-2/11/2027.  

To receive ACE credit, full attendance is required; no partial credits will be given for partial attendance. 

Certificate Access

To access the evaluation and certificate, click on the orange certificate button in your CPE account. Once you complete the evaluation, access to the certificate will be available.  

Live Interactive Webinars (Cat I) and Live Webinars (Cat II) - Allow up to 30 minutes post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate. 

In Person Trainings - Please allow five (5) business days post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate. 

Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters. Contact our office at cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu for more information.  

Evaluation

Participants will have access to the evaluation after attendance has been verified. Evaluations will be available for one (1) week after the workshop has ended.  

After one (1) week, participants will no longer have access to the evaluation and will have to contact CPE about reactivation.

Target Audience

Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists

We welcome anyone interested in the topic!

Live Interactive Webinar Platforms

LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR PLATFORMS

The Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts Live Interactive Webinars through Zoom. This platform offers a high quality and user-friendly webinar platform for our registrants.

System Requirements:

• Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher; MacOS 9 or higher; Android 4.0 or higher.
• Internet Browser: Google Chrome; Firefox 10.0 or higher.

Our system is not compatible with the Safari web browser.

• Broadband Internet Connection: Cable, High-speed DSL and any other medium that is internet accessible.

**Please have your device charging at all times to ensure that your device does not lose power during the webinar.

Course Interaction Requirements:

To participate in Live Interactive Webinars, you MUST have a device that allows you to view the presentation on screen and hear the instructor at all times. We do not allow participants to call-in from their phones or mobile devices and solely listen to the presentation. Participation in Live Interactive Webinars is mandatory.

Our webinar policies can be found on our website by clicking here.

Webinar Policies & FAQs

Click The Link to View The Webinar Policies & FAQs

https://umbsswcpe.ce21.com/Page/live-interactive-webinar-procedures-policies-4129

Code of Conduct

The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work adheres to the NASW Code of Ethics. This policy is to ensure that the training environment for social work professionals remains respectful, productive, and conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the learning process, disrupts the training experience for others, or undermines the integrity of the program will not be tolerated.

Expectations for Participant Engagement:

In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and the University of Maryland Baltimore Code of Conduct, participants are expected to demonstrate professionalism, which includes respecting confidentiality, maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone, and contributing positively to the group dynamic. Disclosures made during the training (e.g., case studies or personal reflections) must be handled with care and in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.

All participants in the training program are expected to:

• Engage actively in the learning process and show respect for the opinions and contributions of others.
• Demonstrate professionalism in both attitude and behavior, maintaining respect for instructors, peers, and the training environment.
• Maintain open communication by expressing concerns or disagreements constructively and respectfully.
• Follow the guidelines and expectations provided by instructors and facilitators.
• Support a collaborative learning environment where all participants feel valued and safe to contribute.

Instructors and CPE staff reserve the right to dismiss participants who do not adhere to ethical/professional principles and standards. If removed, CEs will be adjusted to reflect the time attended, unless otherwise specified. 

ADA Accommodations

If you are requesting ADA accommodations, please contact our office via email at least two weeks prior to the workshop date. Requests after that date may not be fulfilled.  

Our email address is cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu.  

Late Fees and Refunds

The base price is $70, which includes CE credit.  

Cancellations: **ALL cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee.**  To be eligible for a refund or CPE account credit, cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the workshop. 

For more information, please read the general policies on our website.