Addressing Suicide with Military Connected Patients
Thursday, October 12, 2023
11:00AM - 1:00PM PDT
with April Thompson, LCSW
Location: Online
Continuing Education: 2 (Applied through NASW Oregon)
Cost: Free to RVP Volunteers, Vet Center and VA Staff and Partnering Clinics
$29 for Other Community Providers
Who Should Attend: This training is open to all RVP Volunteer Providers, social workers, mental health counselors, and community providers.
What You Will Learn:
This training module provides civilian behavioral health providers with a general overview of suicide prevention with military-connected patients. It begins by comparing rates of suicide in the civilian and military population. Next, myths about suicide are reviewed followed by the impact of stigma on help-seeking behaviors in the military. The VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide are reviewed, highlighting best practices for assessment and treatment of suicide ideation and behavior. Suicide risk assessment including discussion of risk factors, warning signs, and protective factors related to suicide is discussed along with presentation of the Fluid Vulnerability Theory of risk assessment. Crisis intervention is addressed, and each step of the safety plan is covered in detail. The presentation ends with an overview of evidence-based treatments and suggested resources for additional learning.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, the learner will be able to:
- Evaluate suicide rates in civilian, military, and veteran populations.
- Distinguish components of risk assessment for suicide with a focus on military specific risk and protective factors.
- Apply the steps used in developing a safety plan for suicide.
CE Faculty
April Thompson, LCSW is the Assistant Director of Special Projects for the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. In that capacity, she is responsible for coordinating with stakeholders across the Department of Defense to develop trainings in response to identified needs. Prior to joining CDP, she worked for the Office of Secretary of Defense within the Military Community and Family Policy component leading the Department’s training efforts on prevention and response to domestic abuse and child abuse.
Ms. Thompson received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University and her Master of Social Work degree from University of Pennsylvania. For over 20 years, she has specialized in work with military members and their families. As both a military spouse and clinical social worker, Ms. Thompson is deeply committed to ensuring military service members and their families receive evidence based, high quality behavioral health care. She has provided services to Army, Navy, and Marine Corps families on installations within the US and overseas. Her professional expertise focuses on military culture, suicide prevention, couples and family therapy, and prevention of intimate partner violence and child abuse.
Want to attend our trainings for free? Become an RVP Volunteer and gain access to free CE trainings and other great benefits! Learn more about volunteering >
Contact: Jennifer Keeling, RVP Health Network Volunteer and Engagement Manager .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
503-954-2259
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