Suicide Risk Assessment: An Advanced Look at the Team-Based Process

This 2 hour training is intended for school-based mental health professionals with a pre-existing knowledge of suicide risk factors and warning sings. It will focus on the critical elements of a comprehensive suicide risk assessment that incorporates a team-based approach. Emphasis will be on understanding of the value of each aspect of this assessment as well as how it can be incorporated in a team setting for maximum efficacy. Considerations related to the COVID-19 pandemic also will be discussed. This training is for all school-based mental health professionals; including school psychologists, school counselors, and school based social workers. This training is a webinar hosted by the AASP Central Region.

Dr. Paula J. McCall is an Arizona licensed psychologist and Nationally Certified School Psychologist who specializes in working with children and adolescents in her private practice, Next Step Psychology. Dr. McCall has previously worked as a special education teacher and a school psychologist in the schools, and she continues to provide evaluations and consultations with school districts, including assistance with multiple school districts in developing evidence-based suicide risk assessment procedures. She is passionate about providing school-based and community trainings especially in the area of suicide prevention.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify the four critical components of a suicide risk assessment.
2. Participants will be able to describe how to implement the critical components of a suicide risk assessment within a team-based approach.
3. Participants will be able to translate the critical features of suicide risk assessment to a virtual environment.