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Webinar

S25-104 Suicide Prevention in Children and Adolescents

Total Credits: 3 Category I CEs

Categories:
100 Children & Adolescents
Instructor:
Geetha Gopalan, LCSW, PhD
Course Levels:
Intermediate
Duration:
3 Hours 15 Minutes
Target Audience:
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
Dates
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Description

In this training, we will review statistics related to suicidal behavior in children and adolescents as well as more recent research on the impact of COVID-19 and suicidality among youth. We will identify common “red flag” indicators of potential suicidal intent/behavior, commonalities and myths about suicide, and relevant developmental considerations. We will review risk assessment areas to explore, the use of functional behavioral analysis when assessing for suicidality, as well as evidence-based screening tools and strategies for use in practice.   

 

This workshop is in accordance and compliance with the NASW standards with a focus on the principles of service, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, and competence; and the standard of responsibilities to clients, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession. 

Maryland: This workshop is in compliance with the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners’ COMAR 10.42.03.06.A(5).

District of Columbia: This workshop is in compliance with the District of Columbia Board of Social Work 17-70-7008.4. 

Instructor

Geetha Gopalan, LCSW, PhD Related Seminars and Products

Geetha Gopalan is an associate professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York. Her research focuses on increasing the ability of families impacted by poverty to access and engage in evidence-based practices that enhance children’s mental health and family functioning. Her direct clinical practice experience, spanning over ten years in children’s mental health and child welfare services, drives this scholarship toward a heavy emphasis on prioritizing the needs and interests of consumers (e.g., caregivers, youth), as well as designing and evaluating interventions that can easily engage families and be implemented in low-resource, “real-world” contexts.  

Agenda & Learning Objectives

AGENDA:

8:50 – 9:00 Log on 

9:00 – 10:30  

  • Introduction  

    • Test your knowledge   

  • Shattering the Silence:  Sadie Penn Tedx@Lancaster  

  • Suicide prevalence  

  • Definitions  

    • Suicidal ideation  

    • Suicidal behavior  

    • Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)  

  • Common methods of suicide  

  • Risk factors  

  • Common motivations  

  • Protective factors  

  • Red flags  

10:30 – 10:45 BREAK (15 minutes)  

10:45 – 12:15  

  • Do’s and don’ts  

  • Suicide risk screening  

    • Ask Suicide Screening Questions  

    • Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale  

  • Assessing for suicide risk  

  • Algorithm for assessing suicide risk  

    • Starting the conversation  

    • Developmental groups of children’s concept of death  

    • Areas to explore  

    • Functional Behavioral Analysis  

  • When hospitalization is necessary  

  • Risk management  

    • Safety planning  

    • Documentation  

  • Suicide prevention strategies that work  

    • Create protective environments  

    • Promote connectedness  

    • Teach coping and problem-solving skills  

    • Identify and support people at risk  

    • Lessen harms and prevent future risk  

12:15 Adjournment and Questions 

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

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

  • Identify those at most risk of suicide.  

  • Identify indicators of suicide risk.  

  • Use evidence-based screening tools and link those at high risk for suicide to evidence-based prevention programs.  

Bibliography & References

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES

Aguinaldo, L. D., Sullivant, S., Lanzillo, E. C., Ross, A., He, J.-P., Bradley-Ewing, A., Bridge, J. A., Horowitz, L. M., & Wharff, E. A. (2021). Validation of the ask suicide-screening questions (ASQ) with youth in outpatient specialty and primary care clinics. General Hospital Psychiatry, 68, 52–58. APA PsycInfo. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.11.006 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2019a, November 15). Suicide statistics. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/ 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2019b, December 25). Risk factors and warning signs. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. https://afsp.org/risk-factors-protective-factors-and-warning-signs/ 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (2022). Suicide Data: United States. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.datocms-assets.com/12810/1649682186-14296_afsp_2022_national_fact_sheet_update_m1_v4.pdf 

Bongar, B. M. (Ed.). (1992). Suicide: Guidelines for assessment, management, and treatment (pp. xx, 292). Oxford University Press. 

Bullying Statistics. (2015, July 7). Bullying and Suicide. Bullying Statistics. http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html 

Centers for Disease Control. (2004). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(SS-2), 1–96. 

Chu, J. P., Goldblum, P., Floyd, R., & Bongar, B. (2011). The cultural theory and model of suicide. Applied and Preventive Psychology, 14(1–4), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appsy.2011.11.001 

Cipriano, A., Cella, S., & Cotrufo, P. (2017). Nonsuicidal Self-injury: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1946. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01946 

Columbia Lighthouse Project. (2016). Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). The Columbia Lighthouse Project. https://cssrs.columbia.edu/the-columbia-scale-c-ssrs/about-the-scale/ 

Goodwill, J. R. (2021). Black youth’s experiences with feelings of worthlessness, parent relationships, and suicide: Findings from a national probability survey. Journal of Adolescent Health, 69(2), 294–301. APA PsycInfo. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.12.141 

Guz, S., Kattari, S. K., Atteberry-Ash, B., Klemmer, C. L., Call, J., & Kattari, L. (2021). Depression and suicide risk at the cross-section of sexual orientation and gender identity for youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(2), 317–323. APA PsycInfo. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.008 

Horowitz, L. M., Bridge, J. A., Teach, S. J., Ballard, E., Klima, J., Rosenstein, D. L., Wharff, E. A., Ginnis, K., Cannon, E., Joshi, P., & Pao, M. (2012). Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ): A Brief Instrument for the Pediatric Emergency Department. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 166(12), 1170. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.1276 

National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) Toolkit. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). http://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-conducted-at-nimh/asq-toolkit-materials 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n.d.). Help Someone Else. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/help-someone-else/ 

Nock, M. (2014). The Oxford handbook of suicide and self-injury. Oxford University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/huntercollege-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1675130 

Penn, S. (Director). (2017, August 15). Shattering the Silence: Youth Suicide Prevention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRo5Db_7yVI 

Pettit, J. W., Buitron, V., & Green, K. L. (2018). Assessment and Management of Suicide Risk in Children and Adolescents. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 25(4), 460–472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2018.04.001 

Pfeffer, C. R., & Lewis, M. (1986). The suicidal child. Guilford Press. 

Posner, K., Brown, G. K., Stanley, B., Brent, D. A., Yershova, K. V., Oquendo, M. A., Currier, G. W., Melvin, G. A., Greenhill, L., Shen, S., & Mann, J. J. (2011). The Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale: Initial Validity and Internal Consistency Findings From Three Multisite Studies With Adolescents and Adults. American Journal of Psychiatry, 168(12), 1266–1277. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10111704 

Redfield, R., Schuchat, A., Richards, C. L., & et al. (2020). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2019. MMWR Supplements, 69(1), 88. 

Ribeiro, J. D., & Joiner, T. E. (2009). The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior: Current status and future directions. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(12), 1291–1299. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20621 

Sellers, C. M., Díaz-Valdés, A., Porter, A. C., Glenn, C. R., Miller, A. B., Battalen, A. W., & O’Brien, K. H. M. (2021). Nonsuicidal self-injury, suicide planning, and suicide attempts among high-risk adolescents prior to psychiatric hospitalization. Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, 49(11), 1503–1511. APA PsycInfo. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00830-z 

Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety Planning Intervention: A Brief Intervention to Mitigate Suicide Risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256–264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001 

Stanley, B., Brown, G. K., Brenner, L. A., Galfalvy, H. C., Currier, G. W., Knox, K. L., Chaudhury, S. R., Bush, A. L., & Green, K. L. (2018). Comparison of the Safety Planning Intervention With Follow-up vs Usual Care of Suicidal Patients Treated in the Emergency Department. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(9), 894. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1776 

Stone, D. M., Holland, K. M., Bartholow, B., Crosby, A. E., Davis, S., & Wilkins, N. (2017). Preventing Suicide: A Technical Package of Policy, Programs, and Practices. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/suicidetechnicalpackage.pdf 

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (2019). Suicide Risk Assessment and Care Planning — Definition of Types of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior — Clinical Pathway: Outpatient Specialty. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. https://www.chop.edu/clinical-pathway/suicide-risk-assessment-and-care-planning-definition-types-suicidal-ideation 

The Trevor Project. (2021, March 11). Estimate of How Often LGBTQ Youth Attempt Suicide in the U.S. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/estimate-of-how-often-lgbtq-youth-attempt-suicide-in-the-u-s/ 

World Health Organization. (2014). Preventing suicide: A global imperative. World Health Organization. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/131056/9789241564779_eng.pdf?sequence=1 

Yard, E. (2021). Emergency Department Visits for Suspected Suicide Attempts Among Persons Aged 12–25 Years Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, January 2019–May 2021. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 70. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7024e1 

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.


Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters.

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!

 

Late Fees and Refunds

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

Late Fee: On 4/24/2025, a non-refundable late fee of $20 is added to the base price. Late fees cannot be refunded or applied to account 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.  

 

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.  

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