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Continuing Education

Innovative Suicide Assessment and Safety Planning

Advanced Strategies for Effective Crisis Intervention

Enroll in Unlimited Access
Purchase for $25

Mental Health Education

About The Course

Course Title: Innovative Suicide Assessment and Safety Planning

Learning Method: Record asynchronous distance (non-interactive). This course includes a recorded video and access to the presented resources.

Amount of CE Credit Offered: 1.5 general credits. ASWB ACE and NBCC.

Fees: This course can be purchased individually for $25 or as part of an annual unlimited continuing education subscription available for $99/year.

Posttest: Following the course, the participant will take a 15 question posttest. A score of 70% correct is required to pass and obtain a certificate. If you do not pass the posttest, it can be re-taken after fully reviewing the materials again. 

Certificate of Completion: In order to receive a certificate of completion, you must indicate that you’ve watched the entire video portion of the course, earn a passing grade on the test, and complete the requested course evaluation.

Description of the Course:

Why is understanding this topic important?

1. Enhancing Clinician Confidence and Competency:

Many mental health professionals receive minimal formal training in suicide assessment, making continued education crucial for improving their ability to assess risk and provide effective interventions.

2. Reducing Suicide Rates Through Early Intervention:

Understanding modern, evidence-based assessment techniques helps clinicians identify warning signs early and implement proactive safety planning to prevent suicide attempts.

3. Improving Client Trust and Outcomes:

A compassionate, well-informed approach to suicide assessment fosters trust between clinicians and clients, encouraging open discussions that lead to more effective support and treatment strategies.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Conduct comprehensive suicide assessments using direct questioning techniques and risk factor analysis.

  2. Develop personalized safety plans to support clients in crisis and reduce suicide risk.

  3. Apply evidence-based crisis intervention strategies to enhance client care and emergency response.

Target Audience: 

Mental health professionals and Masters and Clinical level licensees pursuing continuing education.

Content Level:

Both beginning and intermediate-level content are included in this course.

Instructor Bio(s):

Khara Croswaite Brindle, MA, LPC, ACS, CFT

Khara is a dedicated advocate for mental health and financial therapy, committed to transforming pain points into possibilities. As a TEDx speaker, consultant, and Amazon Best-Selling author, Khara has built a career empowering mental health professionals and financial therapists through education, supervision, and content creation. She is the co-founder of Supervisionary, LLC and The Empowerment Model of Clinical Supervision, as well as the creator of the CACS Suicide App, designed to support helping professionals in suicide risk assessment.

With over a decade of experience, Khara serves as the Director of Training for the Financial Therapy Clinical Institute, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, and the owner of Croswaite Counseling, PLLC, where she provides consultation and supervision to clinicians. Her work focuses on burnout prevention, financial wellness, and clinical supervision, helping professionals cultivate sustainable careers. As the founder of Catalively, a Colorado nonprofit, she has played a key role in innovative suicide prevention training and tools aimed at saving lives.

Khara’s passion for education extends beyond the classroom, as she actively develops training materials, writes blogs, and designs courses that bridge the gap between mental health and financial well-being. Her expertise in suicide prevention, perfectionism, and professional growth has made her a sought-after speaker and consultant. Through her leadership, she continues to inspire professionals to create meaningful, fulfilling careers while prioritizing their own wellness and that of their clients.

 

More from Khara:

  • Moving from ALERT to Acceptance: Helping Clinicians Heal from Client Suicide. Two books in one, Part I is compassionate suicide assessment and Part II is healing after a client death by suicide. https://a.co/d/gEcA4TJ
  • Helping Clinicians Heal from Client Suicide Workbook. Thoughtful tools for post-traumatic growth from two mental health leaders and clinician survivors. https://a.co/d/eA7J19B

Course Outline:

1) Foundations of Suicide Assessment

  • Understanding suicide risk factors and warning signs
  • Myths vs. facts about suicide
  • Importance of direct and compassionate questioning
  • Role of the clinician in suicide prevention

2) Effective Suicide Risk Assessment Techniques

  • Moving beyond checklists: Exploring the client’s suicide story
  • Modern assessment questions and techniques
  • The impact of past exposure to suicide on risk levels
  • Special considerations for high-risk populations (e.g., LGBTQ+, chronic suicidality)

3) Safety Planning and Crisis Intervention

  • Developing collaborative, effective safety plans
  • Key components of a suicide safety plan
  • Crisis response strategies and emergency resources
  • Limitations of verbal no-suicide contracts

4) Ethical and Professional Considerations

  • Balancing client autonomy with risk management
  • Legal and ethical obligations in suicide prevention
  • The role of hospitalization and alternative crisis interventions
  • Documentation best practices for suicide risk assessment

5) Clinician Wellness and Professional Growth

  • Managing compassion fatigue and emotional impact of suicide work

  • Preventing burnout and setting professional boundaries

  • Utilizing supervision and peer support

  • Continuing education and skill development in suicide prevention

Course Creation Date: 2/11/25

Requesting Accessibility Accommodations:

Please email [email protected] to request accessibility accommodations.

System Requirements:

  • The most recent version of Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge browser
  • Javascript enabled
  • PDF plugin
  • Graphic and audio output capability
  • Broadband internet connection with a minimum speed of 5Mbps (recommended)
  • TLS 1.2 supported by your web browser

Refund Policy: In general, refunds will not be provided. However, if you do have any concerns or grievances, please contact us at the email address below. Registrants who do not complete their course(s) will not receive a refund. Registrants who purchased the course but did not achieve a passing grade will not receive a refund. The Agents of Change Grievance Policy can be viewed here.

Cancellation Policy: If an Agents of Change Continuing Education course is canceled, a full refund will be provided to all participants.

Please email [email protected] with any questions about the course.

Agents of Change is Approved by ACE

Agents of Change, #1919, 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: 7/26/2023 – 7/26/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 continuing education credit.

Agents of Change is Approved by NBCC

Agents of Change has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7620. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Agents of Change is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

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