Managing Reactions When Working with Suicidal Clients: A Guide for Clinicians
Hours: 1.25
As a behavioral health provider, the chances are high that you will occasionally meet with clients who are acutely or chronically suicidal. When you are able to successfully help a client navigate and resolve a suicidal crisis, the work can feel inspiring and rewarding. However, working with clients who are suicidal can also be immensely stressful and challenging, even for experienced clinicians. You may not be surprised to learn that clinicians rank working with suicidal clients among their most significant sources of work stress (Ellis et al., 2018). In this course, you will learn about some of the factors that make it challenging to work with clients who are suicidal. You will explore common emotional reactions that you might experience when working with acute or chronic suicidality and approaches for managing those reactions effectively. Unfortunately, many clinicians at some point in their career will lose a client to suicide. This course will also discuss the profound impact of a client’s suicide and approaches to support clinicians who have experienced a client’s suicide. The goal of this course is to provide addiction, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with strategies for managing their reactions to suicidal clients.
As a behavioral health provider, the chances are high that you will occasionally meet with clients who are acutely or chronically suicidal. When you are able to successfully help a client navigate and resolve a suicidal crisis, the work can feel inspiring and rewarding. However, working with clients who are suicidal can also be immensely stressful and challenging, even for experienced clinicians. You may not be surprised to learn that clinicians rank working with suicidal clients among their most significant sources of work stress (Ellis et al., 2018). In this course, you will learn about some of the factors that make it challenging to work with clients who are suicidal. You will explore common emotional reactions that you might experience when working with acute or chronic suicidality and approaches for managing those reactions effectively. Unfortunately, many clinicians at some point in their career will lose a client to suicide. This course will also discuss the profound impact of a client’s suicide and approaches to support clinicians who have experienced a client’s suicide. The goal of this course is to provide addiction, behavioral health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, and social work professionals in health and human services settings with strategies for managing their reactions to suicidal clients.
American Psychological Association
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As a Jointly Accredited organization, Relias LLC is approved to offer co-sponsored psychology continuing education by the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA is an associate member of Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education.
Association of Social Work Boards
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Relias LLC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Relias LLC maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 General continuing education credits.
Course Delivery Format: Asynchronous Distance Learning-interaction includes quizzes with questions and answers, post-tests. This module is Reading-Based Online.
Breining Institute for Registered Addiction Specialists
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
California Association of Alcohol and Drug Educators
Relias Learning is an approved provider of Continuing Education. Provider number: CP40 910 H 0318 for 1.25 CEHs.
California Association of DUI Treatment Programs
California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals
Provider approved by CCAPP, Provider number 1S-06-729-0220 for 1.25 CEH's
Connecticut Certification Board
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Florida Board of Psychology
Florida Board Of Psychology (CEBroker Provider #50-290)
Psychologists will receive 1.0000 hours.
Illinois, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Marriage and Family Therapist Continuing Education Sponsor
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Illinois Professional Counselor/Clinical Counselor
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors
Louisiana Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Michigan Certification Board for Addiction Professionals
Education hours MCBAP-R
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers/Marriage & Family Therapists
This activity is approved for 1.0000 contact hours.
Missouri Credentialing Board
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals
This course has been approved by Relias LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 1.25 CE. NAADAC Provider #86124, Relias, LLC is responsible for all
aspects of their programming.
National Board for Certified Counselors
Relias, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No.6110. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Relias , LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This activity is approved for 1.5000 contact hours.
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, Division of Professional Licensing Services, Social Work Unit
Relias, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0009.
Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of licensed master social work and licensed clinical social work in New York. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice for an LMSW and LCSW. A licensee who practices beyond the authorized scope of practice could be charged with unprofessional conduct under the Education Law and Regents Rules.
As a provider of online, asynchronous education, some courses offered by Relias Learning are considered “self-study” under section 74.10(c)(2)(ii)(b)(4) of the Commissioner’s Regulations. The regulations limit self-study activities taken from a provider approved by the Education Department to no more than 12 hours in the 36-month registration period or one-third of the hours in a registration period other than 36 months.
Social workers will receive 1.25 continuing education hours for participating in this course. This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board for Mental Health Practitioners, Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT)
Relias, LLC, is recognized by New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. #MFT-0009
As a provider of online, asynchronous education, some courses offered by Relias are considered "self-study". The regulations limit self-study activities taken from a provider approved by the Education Department to no more than 12 hours in the 36-month registration period or one-third of the hours in a registration period other than 36 months.
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board for Mental Health Practitioners, Mental Health Counselors (MHC)
Relias, LLC, is recognized by New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0011
As a provider of online, asynchronous education, some courses offered by Relias, LLC are considered "self-study". The regulations limit self-study activities taken from a provider approved by the Education Department to no more than 12 hours in the 36-month registration period or one-third of the hours in a registration period other than 36 months.
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board of Psychology
Ohio Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Provider # RTX050401 (CEBroker Provider 50-290)
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours
Ohio Professional Counselor Board
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Provider # RCX100502 (CEBroker Provider: 50-290)
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Ohio Social Worker Board
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board Provider #RSX091903 (CEBroker Provider # 50-290)
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Oklahoma Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
Oklahoma Licensed Professional Counselors
This activity is approved for 1.25 contact hours.
South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners
South Carolina Board of Social Work Examiners (CEBroker Provider 50-290)
Describe at least three of the challenges that clinicians commonly face when working with clients who are suicidal.
Summarize emotional reactions that clinicians commonly experience when working with acute or chronic suicidality and strategies they can use to cope with those emotions.
Explain ways that therapists and clinical supervisors can cope with the significant emotional responses of losing a client to suicide.
Outline:
Section 1: Introduction
About This Course
Learning Objectives
Section 2: Challenges Associated With Treating Suicidal Clients
A Challenging Session With Joan
Training Gaps
Attitudes and Myths
Intensity of Client Reactions
Quick Check
Level of Organizational Support
Negative Outcomes
Review
Summary
Section 3: Managing Emotional Responses to Acute and Chronic Suicidality
Common Emotional Responses to Suicidal Clients
Red Flags of Problematic Reactions
Strategies for Managing Problematic Reactions to Suicidal Clients
The Importance of Self-Care
The Importance of Supervision and Consultation
Review
Summary
Section 4: The Clinician/Supervisor as Suicide Loss Survivor
Client Suicide as an “Occupational Hazard”
Clinician Responses to Client Suicide
Complicating Factors
Disenfranchised Grief
Posttraumatic Growth After Suicide Loss
Coping with the Suicide of a Client
Supporting the Clinician Survivor: Strategies for Clinical Supervisors
Review
Summary
Section 5: Conclusion
Summary
Course Contributors
Resources
References
Congratulations!
Monique Kahn, Psy.D. received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She completed a pre-doctoral internship at Spokane Mental Health in Washington, which included specialty rotations in behavioral medicine and time-limited psychotherapies. She is licensed as a psychologist in Maine, where she was in private practice for 14 years, providing services to adult clients with varied presenting issues, but with particular emphasis on the treatment of anxiety disorders, the relationship between psychosocial stress and illness, insomnia, and coping with chronic illness. She has taught in the undergraduate psychology program at Husson University in Maine. In addition, she has worked as a content writer and psychology subject matter expert for several major educational publishing firms. She joined Relias as a clinical content writer and subject matter expert in 2016.Expert Reviewer: Bridgett Ross, PsyD
Bridgett Ross, Psy.D. received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Philosophy from Boston College and then her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University. She is a licensed psychologist in California and was in private practice for 13 years treating various issues including trauma, anxiety and mood disorders, grief/loss, and issues around self-concept, identity, and attachment. Having supervised pre-licensed and licensed clinicians, she maintains an interest in professional issues in the field of psychology. Dr. Ross’ training and work history include Children’s Hospital Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Kaiser Permanente, Alvarado Parkway Institute, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which informed her focus on providing evidence-based trauma treatment to diverse populations.
The target audience for this course is: Alcohol and Drug Counselors; Entry level Psychologists; Intermediate level Marriage and Family Therapists; Intermediate level Professional Counselors; Intermediate level Social Workers; in the following settings: Health and Human Services.
Asynchronous/Online Distance Learning; please see certificate details for specifics on delivery format.
Relias has a grievance policy in place to facilitate reports of dissatisfaction. Relias will make every effort to resolve each grievance in a mutually satisfactory manner. In order to report a complaint or grievance please contact Relias.
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Support by completing the web form (https://www.relias.com/help) or by using the chat functionality.
All courses offered by Relias, LLC are developed from a foundation of diversity, inclusiveness, and a multicultural perspective. Knowledge, values and awareness related to cultural competency are infused throughout the course content.
Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply any endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of, or affiliation with, Relias, LLC.
All characteristics and organizations referenced in the following training are fictional. Any resemblance to any actual organizations or persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
To earn continuing education credit for this course you must achieve a passing score of 80% on the post-test and complete the course evaluation.
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Customer Support here.
