Live Workshop: Questions That Can Save a Life: Preventing Suicide in Primary Healthcare

Join The Center for Professional Education at Sheppard Pratt for this free workshop. 

Presented by: Ashley Maher, PhD, Sarah Frazell, LCSW-C, Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSC, and Rachel Smolowitz, PhD 

Earn 2 contact hours for physicians, psychologists, social workers, and counselors. | Click here to register.

Overview:

Session I: 12 - 1 p.m.

Strategies for Depression and Suicide Screening in Primary Care 

Presented by: Sarah Frazell, LCSW-C, Director of Behavioral Health, Primary Care Coalition & Ashley Maher, PhD, Lead Psychologist, Trauma Disorders Services, Sheppard Pratt 

Research shows that 64% of people who attempt suicide saw their primary care provider in the month prior. Primary care is an important setting for identifying and addressing individuals at risk for suicide, although barriers such as time limitations can make this a challenging setting to do so. This talk will review screening tools for depression and suicide risk in primary care, strategies for responding to patients endorsing suicidal ideation, and provide mental health community resources. This talk will increase the skill and comfort level of primary care providers to screen for and respond to suicidal ideation. An example will be provided of how screening measures can be incorporated into workflow. 

Learning Objectives:

After this lecture, registrants will be able to: 

1. Name one measure for screening for depression and one measure for screening for suicide in the primary care setting.
2. Describe strategies for responding to patients endorsing suicidal ideation in primary care. 
3. List at least 3 mental health community resources.
   
   

Session II: 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.  

Widening the Lens: Thinking About Suicide Risk Assessment in the Broader Clinical Context 

Presented by: Elizabeth Ryznar, MD, MSC, Director of Medical Education, Sheppard Pratt, and Rachel Smolowitz, PhD, Program Manager, Sheppard Pratt Collaborative Care at GBMC. 

Suicidal ideation is commonly encountered in general clinical practice. According to statistics from the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), over 12 million people have suicidal ideation in a given year and 1.7 million people in the United States attempt suicide. There is a broad spectrum of suicidal ideation and behavior, and most people who ultimately attempt suicide will make a health care visit in the weeks prior to attempting suicide. Therefore, all clinical health professionals need to understand the basics of performing a suicide risk assessment. Suicide risk assessment involves an appraisal of both a patient's responses on a suicide questionnaire as well as their clinical risk and protective factors. This talk will use the SAMSHA SAFE-T approach to teach participants how to assess risk and protective factors, clarify the extend of suicidal ideation, and then stratify a patient’s suicide risk into low, medium, or high risk. It will then provide suggestions for how to practically manage patients in each of those risk categories, including referring for routine behavioral health services, referring for intensive or crisis behavioral health services, and initiating an emergency petition for an emergency psychiatric evaluation in Maryland.

Learning Objectives:

After this lecture, registrants will be able to: 

1. Recognize the 5 steps in assessing suicide risk according to SAMSHA (SAFE-T).
2. Integrate risk factors and protective factors into a suicide risk formulation.
3. Identify the appropriate action plan for each level of risk.