Full Course Description

Module 1 – Crisis Assessment: Knowing the Right Questions to Assess Risk

Crises are never scheduled, convenient or easy. But they do happen and you will face them. Clients at risk for crisis often present with so many symptoms and issues, it’s hard to know where to start. Many clinicians, anxious about how to proceed, often miss or avoid asking the right questions to effectively intervene and keep clients (and themselves) safe.

As a clinician, have you ever felt:

Worried about the safety of your clients, even feared for their lives, but felt unprepared to handle the situation?
Unsafe in the clinical environment, or unsure of how to handle situations where someone connected to your client might be in danger?
Caught off guard when you’re wrapping up a session and a client discloses suicidal thoughts?
Unsure if a client was using drugs, and ill equipped to identify the signs and symptoms of drug abuse?
Concerned that you’re doing more harm than good for traumatized clients, despite your best intentions?

In this recording, Paul Brasler, LCSW, navigates you through five of the most difficult scenarios in mental health today. Through real-life examples and live role plays, Paul will share the concrete strategies that he’s used over the last two decades to safely and effectively intervene in the challenging, urgent, and sometimes alarming situations that mental health professionals face. Full of practical tools and tips, this recording will teach you to how to make crises situations more manageable, overcome your worries, and improve your readiness to handle mental health emergencies related to suicide, violence, substance abuse, trauma, and medical issues.

Better still, instruction on professional liability management techniques, tips for documentation, and detailed reproducible assessment forms will have you feeling confident that you can focus on doing what’s best for your clients without fear of litigation. And, Paul’s guidance is applicable to your work regardless of your setting or clinical background.

You'll be left feeling equipped to help your most vulnerable clients with the real-life skills and knowledge they don’t teach in graduate school!

Program Information

Target Audience

Counselors, Social Workers, Psychologists, Case Managers, Addiction Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and other Mental Health Providers

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Copyright : 04/18/2018

Module 2 – Suicidal Clients: What to Watch for and How to Respond Effectively

Program Information

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Copyright : 04/18/2018

Module 3 – Violent Clients: Protecting Yourself and Others When Sessions Get Heated

Program Information

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Copyright : 04/18/2018

Module 4 – Substance Use: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, and How Much You Really Need to Know

Program Information

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Copyright : 04/18/2018

Module 5 – Is It Mental Health or a Medical Emergency?

Program Information

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Copyright : 04/18/2018

Module 6 – Trauma Treatment: How to Avoid Common Mistakes and Reduce Distress

Program Information

Objectives

Complete a comprehensive mental health assessment that encompasses a multitude of clinical concerns including mental status, lethality, substance abuse and trauma.
Determine when to hospitalize clients struggling with suicidal ideation, substance abuse, medical concerns or violent urges and develop protocols for doing so.
Provide coping strategies and support to clients presenting with suicidal ideation by helping to create a safety plan in session.
Assess for risk of client violence towards others and develop strategies to safely intervene as well as effectively carry out the clinician’s duty to protect.
Determine signs and symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, or overdose in clients and develop plans for effective intervention.
Differentiate between medical and psychological presenting concerns as they relate to case conceptualization.

Outline

Client Assessment: Ask the Right Questions

Conduct comprehensive assessments
Strategies for eliciting the right information
What to ask yourself as you watch the client
Can the client provide informed content?
Limitations of the research & potential risks

The Suicidal Client: Recognize Suicide Risk & Effectively Intervene

Who is most at risk?
Implicit & explicit expressions of suicidal ideation & intent
Lethality assessment to protect client & clinician
Self-injurious behavior & suicidal ideation
How to conduct a suicide assessment
Safety planning for clients with suicidal ideation
When to hospitalize
Voluntary vs. involuntary hospitalization
When clients are not admitted to the hospital

The Violent Client: Confidently Manage Dangerous Situations

Dealing with our fears: Clinicians’ safety
When the clinician is the target
When others are the target
De-escalation techniques
Preventative planning
When to call 911
The hospitalization process
Duty to Protect (formerly Duty to Warn)

The Addicted Client: What ALL Clinicians Need to Know

Signs of intoxication
Imminent risk: Signs & symptoms of overdose
Identify withdrawal syndromes
Treatment planning
Drug basics that clinicians should know
Need-to-know street names of common drugs
When and how to refer to a higher level of care

Medical vs. Psychiatric Problems: Recognize the Difference

What could kill the client first?
Medical emergencies that present with psychological symptoms
Signs & symptoms of a medical emergency

The Traumatized Client: When Trauma Becomes High Risk

Recognize trauma in clients
Dangers of misdiagnosis & improper treatment
Strategies for trauma-informed care

High Risk Clinicians: After the Crisis

Protect your license with documentation
Debriefing & supervision
Address vicarious trauma
Mitigate compassion fatigue

Module 7 – Overcoming Fear and Hot Topics in Suicidology

Losing a client to suicide is your worst nightmare. And there inevitably comes a time when the suicidal client is more than just an intangible dread. When an actual person, suffering and sitting in your office reveals they are having suicidal thoughts, many clinicians are left feeling unprepared, frightened, and unsure what to do next. The weight of keeping someone alive can steer you in the direction of avoidance. Desperate and alone, suicidal clients can find themselves passed from one therapist to the next. And that’s not care.

Don’t let fear push you away.

This seminar will transform how you view and work with suicidal clients and give you the clinical tools you need to save lives.

Full of thought provoking lecture, engaging case studies, and guided instruction on a host of powerful clinical applications, this seminar will provide you with the tools you need to:

Assess for suicidal risk and identify implicit and explicit expressions of suicidal thought.
Formulate a game-plan for crisis when suicide is imminent.
Intervene in suicidal despair with proactive approaches derived from the evidence-based efficacy of CBT and DBT.
Effectively use targeted language with suicidal clients that will help you avoid stigma and successfully communicate your compassion.
Provide innovative grief support resources that connect clients and clinicians with other survivors of suicide and suicide loss

Leave this seminar feeling confident and capable to work with suicidal clients and guide them out of the darkness and back into the light!

Program Information

Outline

Suicide: Who, When, How and Where

Addiction recovery
Trauma-informed care
Populations with multiple risk factors
Suicide attempt survivors – learning from their experience
Upstream clinical practices: reaching people before the point of crisis

Elicit Key Information from Suicidal Clients: Assessment and Level of Risk

Implicit and explicit expressions of suicidal thoughts
Communicating caring: Language to impart compassion and avoid stigma
Suicide risk assessment
- SAFE-T
- PATH WARM
- Ideation, plan, means, intent
- Level of risk

Formulate Treatment Plans that Help Clients Regulate Emotions and Make Them Feel Valued and Connected

Collaborative safety planning (or “Why Suicide Contracting is Dead”)
Proactive approaches to decrease the likelihood of suicidal despair
Multi-system approaches – support systems
Evidence-based treatments:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  - Cognitive restructuring strategies
  - Emotional regulation exercises
  - Behavioral Activation
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
  - How to organize a skills training group
  - Tips for phone coaching
- Relapse prevention plans
- Reduce access to lethal means
- Working with specific populations: veterans, the elderly

Confidently Handle Crisis Situations

Conduct a behavioral chain analysis
Validating reasons for suicide
Identify reasons for living
Use distress tolerance and CBT skills to manage a crisis
When and how to hospitalize

Suicide Grief Support and Innovative Suicide-Specific Care

Implement Suicide Grief Support
- Understand the unique nature of suicide grief
- Peer-based support: Connect clients to other survivors of loss
- Access and Reclaim compassion
  - Somatic resourcing
  - Remembered resources
  - Assess clients self-talk

ReInvest in a Life Worth Living: Rekindle the Desires of the Heart

The PIE of life – brainstorm possibilities of growth
Cultivate social connection and re-engagement
- Support and grief groups
- Toxic people
- Working with families impacted by loss
Choice and perspective
Foster gratitude and a spirit of contentment after loss
Measurements of Post-Traumatic Growth

Please Note: PESI is not affiliated or associated with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, or her organizations.

Target Audience

Social Workers, Psychologists, Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Case Managers, Addiction Counselors, Therapists, Nurses, Other Mental Health Professionals, School-Based Counselors, School-Based Psychologists, School-Based Social Workers, School Administrators

Full Course Description

Module 1 – Crisis Assessment: Knowing the Right Questions to Assess Risk

Program Information

Module 2 – Suicidal Clients: What to Watch for and How to Respond Effectively

Program Information

Module 3 – Violent Clients: Protecting Yourself and Others When Sessions Get Heated

Program Information

Module 4 – Substance Use: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, and How Much You Really Need to Know

Program Information

Module 5 – Is It Mental Health or a Medical Emergency?

Program Information

Module 6 – Trauma Treatment: How to Avoid Common Mistakes and Reduce Distress

Program Information

Module 7 – Overcoming Fear and Hot Topics in Suicidology

Program Information

Module 8 – Comprehensive Approaches: From Prevention to Crisis Management

Module 9 – Risk Formulation: Identifying Red Flags and High-Risk Factors

Module 10 – How to Have Honest, Productive Conversations with Your Clients About Suicide

Module 11 – Collaborative Safety and Wellness Planning: How to Keep Your Clients Safe with Compassion, Respect, and Dignity